1 week old chicks dying (7 deaths so far!)

[PeepingK]

Thanks everyone for all your comments and advice! It means a lot to me!
I have a feeling it might be mycoplasma but I can’t say for sure.

 

[dawg53]

Yeah I was. It was. Suspected case of MG and what ended up happening was the vet screwed up and gave me the wrong test tube so the lab said the test needed to be redone. I haven’t gotten around to getting the test since the clinic is so far from my house and I don’t go there very often.
I did have them tested for MG back in the summer and the results were negative, however when I asked to have them retested again in the fall they told me that doing a blood draw isn’t accurate and that I needed to do the PCR swab. Anyway.. this whole mycoplasma issue has been a huge pain in the rear.
I’m planning on picking up a couple PCR swabs this weekend so we’ll see what happens. Are there any other Chronic Respiratory diseases that are similar to mycoplasma that I should also be testing for?

There are other respiratory diseases that have telltale markers that identify what disease it could be, Here they are:
Infectious Bronchitis (IB) is a virus. It spreads through a flock quickly, hens lay wrinkled eggs. There isnt any treatment since it's a virus.
Coryza. Facial swelling and a very noticeable foul odor around the head area. Treatment is a sulfa drug along with Tylan or Baytril.
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). Bubbles in the eye(s), droopy eye(s). Treatment is Tylan, Baytril or Tiamulin.
Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT). Coughing up blood or slinging blood from mouth in order to breathe.
All of these diseases have the usual symptoms; head shaking, wheezing, sneezing. It's also possible for birds to have two diseases at the same time. A good example is Coryza and MG.
Here's a link for you regarding the respiratory diseases I mentioned above, take a look at them if you wish. As always with poultry respiratory diseases, birds remain carriers for life and stress can bring out symptoms. You will have to maintain a closed flock or cull. Then repopulate in about a month if in fact it's MG.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

 

[Eggcessive]

Zoologix lab in California does a panel of pcr testing for up to 8 respiratory diseases including MG. They send you the swabs, and you return them to the lab for the testing. Here is the link for them to check prices and contact them:
https://www.zoologix.com/index.htm

https://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm

 

[PeepingK]

There are other respiratory diseases that have telltale markers that identify what disease it could be, Here they are:
Infectious Bronchitis (IB) is a virus. It spreads through a flock quickly, hens lay wrinkled eggs. There isnt any treatment since it's a virus.
Coryza. Facial swelling and a very noticeable foul odor around the head area. Treatment is a sulfa drug along with Tylan or Baytril.
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). Bubbles in the eye(s), droopy eye(s). Treatment is Tylan, Baytril or Tiamulin.
Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT). Coughing up blood or slinging blood from mouth in order to breathe.
All of these diseases have the usual symptoms; head shaking, wheezing, sneezing. It's also possible for birds to have two diseases at the same time. A good example is Coryza and MG.
Here's a link for you regarding the respiratory diseases I mentioned above, take a look at them if you wish. As always with poultry respiratory diseases, birds remain carriers for life and stress can bring out symptoms. You will have to maintain a closed flock or cull. Then repopulate in about a month if in fact it's MG.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

The only symptoms my flock has had were coughing/sneezing, nasal discharge, and foamy eyes rarely.
I know mycoplasma can be passed on to chicks through the egg, but can any of those other respiratory diseases you listed do that?
I heard that ILT and IB are acute not chronic, meaning they cannot be passed through the egg once the infection has cleared.
Can you confirm or deny this?

 

[PeepingK]

Zoologix lab in California does a panel of pcr testing for up to 8 respiratory diseases including MG. They send you the swabs, and you return them to the lab for the testing. Here is the link for them to check prices and contact them:
https://www.zoologix.com/index.htm

https://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm

I live in Canada unfortunately so that’s not an option

 

[Eggcessive]

I live in Canada unfortunately so that’s not an option

I would contact them and check for sure. Here is a link for University of Guelph which does testing and necropsies for poultry:
https://www.uoguelph.ca/ahl/

 

[RoyalChick]

I live in Canada unfortunately so that’s not an option

Not sure that is true.
I use a private lab in Texas and they accept samples from all over the world.

 

[PeepingK]

Not sure that is true.
I use a private lab in Texas and they accept samples from all over the world.

Really? I would consider doing a test through them if the shipping isn’t too expensive.

 

[Eggcessive]

Really? I would consider doing a test through them if the shipping isn’t too expensive.

Can you try contacting the University of Guelph link I posted in 16, just to see if they can do a necropsy on a body or testing? Are you in Ontario or another province? Then if not, try contacting Zoologix in California informing ing them that you are in Canada. A necropsy on a freshly dead chicken or two, would tell you more about what killed it. MG symptoms may not show up in chicks in the first couple of weeks.

 

[Debbie292d]

Could there be a poison? Could it be a red light bulb? I hear there are some red light bulbs coated with something that will kill chicks. If so, please get rid of the red lamp until you can find out more about the red lamp. Use a normal light bulb for the ti

Teflon is what you're thinking of and good point. Teflon pans, bulbs, etc. can kill my parrots so it certainly could kill chicks. I got rid of everything 20 years ago when I got my first bird.