Chichichabcheb
Hatching
- Sep 6, 2021
- 5
- 0
- 4
If anyone has experienced this or can give me some advice on how to help my chicks pull through, any thoughts are appreciated! I really want to give them the best chance to survive this illness.
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Coturnix Quail chicks, hatched on August 23th, 2021. (3 weeks old) Purchased from Breezy Bird Farms in Manitoba.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Six chicks (currently 2 have passed from the illness) developed progressive paralysis of their legs, showing as hyperextension of the legs and feet and the complete inability to stand, walk, or eat on their own, they shake their heads back and forth ever 4-5 seconds and have a continuous subtle tumour in their legs that can be felt while holding them (like a soft buzzing continuously). They tend to lie on their sides and occasionally try to stand by scrambling their legs against the bedding, however if helped upright they immediately topple over onto their side again. I also noticed the chicks feel warmer to the touch overall than the currently healthy chicks.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
The first chick to displayed symptoms at 5 days old, it survived 2 days after the onset, and even with being hand fed he/she passed away. On the first day of symptoms, all chicks were dosed with veterinary grade Vitamin E and Selenium for poultry, and have been dosed daily since following the directions from proper dosage.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
Three days after the first chick shows signs another chick became ill, exact same symptoms, this chick also passed within a day of the onset. The third chick to become ill is still alive but is completely paralyzed and is being hand fed with a syringe to keep them going. No signs of improvement yet. Three more chicks are now progressing toward complete paralysis.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Chicks seem to be in good physical condition, no external injuries, legs seem to have poor circulation on the birds that are sick, the skin very pale compared to healthy chicks.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
No known cause, that I can determine on my part. Incubation went well, the hatch rate was 78% for shipped eggs. I'm suspecting the parent birds were not in good condition. The breeder would not answer my question if the parent birds were vaccinated for AE, so possible vertical transmission. Also, possibly Vitamin E deficiency.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
The sick birds cannot eat or drink on their own unless they are held directly above food or the water nipple, or fed with a syringe.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop is runnier in sick chicks, but they are also eating a more moist diet due to hand feeding.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
From the first signs of illness in the first chick, all chick were dosed with additional Vitamin E and Selenium as well as a general multivitamin for poultry that was given since hatch day.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I was hoping the vitamin E and Selenium would help the chicks recover and prevent more illness but it looks like the chicks may have something for serious than a vitamin E deficiency. My cousin who is a veterinary student, looked at the videos I recorded of the sick chicks and thought it could be Avian Encephalomyelitis through vertical transmission as the chicks did not display the typical backing up or head twisting typical with vitamin E deficiency. The progression is very fast and a chick that was walking fine is the morning is suddenly unable to stand in the evening.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Chicks are being housed in a brooder indoors, Douglas fir chips as bedding and a sand bath area filled with Play Sand grade sand. Heat lamp is on one end of the brooder for the chicks so there is a warmer and cooler end. Chicks are being fed hardboiled mashed chicken eggs, and a 26% protein starter crumble (non GMO, no antibiotics). Also, crushed mealworms and black soldier fly larvae (freeze dried), some fresh veggies (broccoli florets), small amounts of probiotic yogurt.
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Coturnix Quail chicks, hatched on August 23th, 2021. (3 weeks old) Purchased from Breezy Bird Farms in Manitoba.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Six chicks (currently 2 have passed from the illness) developed progressive paralysis of their legs, showing as hyperextension of the legs and feet and the complete inability to stand, walk, or eat on their own, they shake their heads back and forth ever 4-5 seconds and have a continuous subtle tumour in their legs that can be felt while holding them (like a soft buzzing continuously). They tend to lie on their sides and occasionally try to stand by scrambling their legs against the bedding, however if helped upright they immediately topple over onto their side again. I also noticed the chicks feel warmer to the touch overall than the currently healthy chicks.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
The first chick to displayed symptoms at 5 days old, it survived 2 days after the onset, and even with being hand fed he/she passed away. On the first day of symptoms, all chicks were dosed with veterinary grade Vitamin E and Selenium for poultry, and have been dosed daily since following the directions from proper dosage.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
Three days after the first chick shows signs another chick became ill, exact same symptoms, this chick also passed within a day of the onset. The third chick to become ill is still alive but is completely paralyzed and is being hand fed with a syringe to keep them going. No signs of improvement yet. Three more chicks are now progressing toward complete paralysis.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Chicks seem to be in good physical condition, no external injuries, legs seem to have poor circulation on the birds that are sick, the skin very pale compared to healthy chicks.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
No known cause, that I can determine on my part. Incubation went well, the hatch rate was 78% for shipped eggs. I'm suspecting the parent birds were not in good condition. The breeder would not answer my question if the parent birds were vaccinated for AE, so possible vertical transmission. Also, possibly Vitamin E deficiency.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
The sick birds cannot eat or drink on their own unless they are held directly above food or the water nipple, or fed with a syringe.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop is runnier in sick chicks, but they are also eating a more moist diet due to hand feeding.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
From the first signs of illness in the first chick, all chick were dosed with additional Vitamin E and Selenium as well as a general multivitamin for poultry that was given since hatch day.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I was hoping the vitamin E and Selenium would help the chicks recover and prevent more illness but it looks like the chicks may have something for serious than a vitamin E deficiency. My cousin who is a veterinary student, looked at the videos I recorded of the sick chicks and thought it could be Avian Encephalomyelitis through vertical transmission as the chicks did not display the typical backing up or head twisting typical with vitamin E deficiency. The progression is very fast and a chick that was walking fine is the morning is suddenly unable to stand in the evening.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Chicks are being housed in a brooder indoors, Douglas fir chips as bedding and a sand bath area filled with Play Sand grade sand. Heat lamp is on one end of the brooder for the chicks so there is a warmer and cooler end. Chicks are being fed hardboiled mashed chicken eggs, and a 26% protein starter crumble (non GMO, no antibiotics). Also, crushed mealworms and black soldier fly larvae (freeze dried), some fresh veggies (broccoli florets), small amounts of probiotic yogurt.
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