Update 12/5:
Stats as of this morning
*First Death 2 weeks ago, most in the last week.
*12 birds I've identified as ill or deceased (More ill yesterday but I didn't do a count.)
*8 deaths
*2 better
*2 still ill
*4 died with no symptoms or only lethargy
*Symptoms include rales, lethargy, and slight paralysis
*Tetracycline has been given for the last 7 days
*New symptomatics and deaths after 4 days of meds
*Time from symptoms to death 0 to 24 hours, with most being about half a day.
This is my story so far:
I have a mixed flock of probably 60 chickens, about half of which are male.
I brought a young cockerel home, and less than a week later I found him dead. I did not quarantine! He was from down the road so it didn't occur to me...so kicking myself now. A day or two after he died I realized the cock he had been housed with was sick with something...he sounded congested. I separated him out and the next day I found that he had died as well. This was 11/24. On 11/28 I heard the raspy breathing from a cockerel in another pen and my heart sank...my chickens had something that was nasty and infectious. I separated him out. I noticed one of my 10 week pullets was also looking lethargic but I couldn't get her out of the pen she was in, so I figured she would probably expire...and she was dead the next morning. That day I found several more with symptoms, which is basically pneumonia. Gurgling rales, lethargy, only one with a little snot. I started everyone on Duramycin 10, force feeding the worst to ensure they got something on board. I'm happy to say that the next day there was marked improvement (and complete recovery in some) but the original cockerel was and is still struggling. The leghorn hen that sounded like a mewling kitten isn't making any noise at all now. I thought for sure I was going to lose her she sounded so bad.
Thing is, this sounds like MG. Before I freak out over that, I figure I should confirm. Barring another death, how to get them tested for MG? I can't spend a huge amount and there are no chicken vets around here.
I'm in CA, and I know about sending for necropsies at Davis, but not so much about testing live chickens.
Stats as of this morning
*First Death 2 weeks ago, most in the last week.
*12 birds I've identified as ill or deceased (More ill yesterday but I didn't do a count.)
*8 deaths
*2 better
*2 still ill
*4 died with no symptoms or only lethargy
*Symptoms include rales, lethargy, and slight paralysis
*Tetracycline has been given for the last 7 days
*New symptomatics and deaths after 4 days of meds
*Time from symptoms to death 0 to 24 hours, with most being about half a day.
This is my story so far:
I have a mixed flock of probably 60 chickens, about half of which are male.
I brought a young cockerel home, and less than a week later I found him dead. I did not quarantine! He was from down the road so it didn't occur to me...so kicking myself now. A day or two after he died I realized the cock he had been housed with was sick with something...he sounded congested. I separated him out and the next day I found that he had died as well. This was 11/24. On 11/28 I heard the raspy breathing from a cockerel in another pen and my heart sank...my chickens had something that was nasty and infectious. I separated him out. I noticed one of my 10 week pullets was also looking lethargic but I couldn't get her out of the pen she was in, so I figured she would probably expire...and she was dead the next morning. That day I found several more with symptoms, which is basically pneumonia. Gurgling rales, lethargy, only one with a little snot. I started everyone on Duramycin 10, force feeding the worst to ensure they got something on board. I'm happy to say that the next day there was marked improvement (and complete recovery in some) but the original cockerel was and is still struggling. The leghorn hen that sounded like a mewling kitten isn't making any noise at all now. I thought for sure I was going to lose her she sounded so bad.
Thing is, this sounds like MG. Before I freak out over that, I figure I should confirm. Barring another death, how to get them tested for MG? I can't spend a huge amount and there are no chicken vets around here.
I'm in CA, and I know about sending for necropsies at Davis, but not so much about testing live chickens.
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