Emergency!! Lost 16 chickens in a week!!

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sgt_dane

sgt_dane

Chirping
9 Years
May 16, 2010
181
2
99
I'm having a bit of an emergency! I bought a 50 on bag of feed (mannaPro layer crumble) and filled my chickens auto feeder. They ate one container of it, when I filled it again I noticed they weren't doing very well.. Well they never touched it again. I have given them cracked corn and they're eating that but I had many chickens lose weight drastically and die, one is paralyzed through his feet and I now have one of my Japanese bantam chicks going down. I just woke up and have found two more of my hens dead this morning out of the hospital cages. Chickens that were running around, fat and happy are now dropping like flies and as thin as a rail! I don't know what to do! I have bought a new bag of feed and offered but they still won't touch it. I had bought a pair of pintails a week and a half ago, the hen got killed (by my mallards) and the drake started these same symptoms and passed three days later. I don't know what to do, any help would be greatly appreciated!!
 
Im very sorry! Im new at this but i would try some fresh veggies.tomatos, lettuce, fresh corn on the cob. just to keep them eating. i also agree about getting a chick and food tested. Again im very sorry and hope everthing works out!
 
A huge emergency actually. So sad.

Absolutely seal and save the potentially bad bag of feed and contact your Department of Agriculture to see if they will help have it evaluated, making sure not one morsel of it is accessible to any living beings. If there is a problem then other bags from the same lot can be pulled/recalled and potentially save other lives. I would immediately if not sooner talk to avian vets about what might help counteract poisoning. If it's botulism there may be molasses flushes or other things to help save those still alive. I would personally get my sick birds to a vet - if the food is the problem, the company can likely be tapped to reimburse vet bills.

JJ
 
I have three now that can't walk, two just hobble around on their hocks and one can't move his legs at all. I offered them calcium tabs and they went crazy on them. Would a lack of calcium cause a wide spread pandemic like this?? I wouldn't think that everyone would go down all at once.. And the food has a lot of calcium in it. Ugh I just don't know!! My pheasants and ducks are fine that are separated from the chickens, wouldn't a lack of calcium be effecting them as well??
 
I don't know where you're located but here in the east places are closed and closing for the night, and possibly weekend. Given that this has been going on for a good (bad) week, your outreach likely needs to be beyond BYC to get answers fast enough to avoid losing anybody else. In addition to the suggestions in my above post you can try calling Peter Brown at First State Vet Supply (google and it will come up) he is a very knowledgeable person but will tell you himself that long distance phone has its limits.

Nobody will go down that fast over a lack of calcium. You really need a vet analysis of a bird or birds in order to help those still alive and to initiate an analysis of the food. You can give the birds 3 drops each of Polyvisol liquid children's vitamins (without addded iron) daily administered gently along their beak line via dropper to try to bolster their strength but this will not alone address the situation.

JJ
 
I'm in contact with my local environmental health and conservation department, the state vet works within the building. Apparently they're having 18 (now 20 with my flock and another) in the area with the same symptoms. They're doing necropsies on the birds that have already passed and on Monday are going to be taking blood from one of the effected birds that is still alive as well. They're doing it all free of charge. His three recommendations to do until I get results back are one, change their food, two, sweeten their water with some electrolytes, and three, give them a lot of vitamin B. As the vitamin b will help them to have energy to eat and drink.. I can't afford the vet costs at my locals and I don't have a local avian vet anywhere, so looks like my new avian vet is the state vet. I'm here in south central Alaska. Out of the 18 flocks, they got birds from 4 and feed from 3, have done all testing and have come back with nothing. My polish is barely able to keep his balance anymore and also has partial paralysis through his wings now, as well as his legs. Also has gray feces??? Any ideas??
Thanks and I'll keep you updated as I know more.
 

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