2 more Polish Chickens acting odd

[GottaLuvChicks]

Last night we lost one of our Polish pullets (almost a year old) to something strange...she was found barely able to sit up, not moving, feet freezing. She died within hours of us finding her after being brought in to the heat. Now, after being fine all morning, 2 more of the Polish gang are acting up - one another pullet and one our big roo (which almost rules out my original thoughts about him attacking her).

Any ideas?? The other 2 pullets are acting fine, but so was everyone else up until yesterday. They have not been introduced to anything or anyone new.

Help!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have no idea what this could be but I'm going to give ya a bump, sorry for you loss.....

 

[GottaLuvChicks]

Quote:
Thanks Lydia!

Well the roo is doing better after eating a little. He turned back into his normal self. The girl, however, is heading down the same road as the one last night, and is just getting worse. We gave her a nice warm shower and a blow dry, hoping maybe it would help, but no. She will not eat or drink either. I fear the worse for her.

I did call a vet, but they said it would cost me $200 for a house call (plus meds, bloodwork and a per-chicken fee), or I could bring them ALL in for $67 per chicken (plus bloodwork, meds, etc)...unfortunately I do not have that kind of cash right now to take care of it. They did, however, tell me it might be a good idea to get a necropsy (an autopsy for animals) on the one that died last night, and gave me the info for the state lab that will do it for free. So I have to make that phone call tomorrow.

I guess we will have to see what happens with the necropsy, and just keep praying for the little one. She is living in my shower all warm and fuzzy tonight. Hopefully she still will be in the morning...

 

[GottaLuvChicks]

Ok, doing some reading on common chicken illnesses (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044), it almost sounds like botulism...but I have NO idea where they could have gotten ahold of any infected material to eat. Tomorrow I am going out to the coop and completely cleaning and disinfecting everything, including the run as much as possible. Maybe something died in the run and they picked at it?? I am going to get some epsom salt in the morning and get it in the water as well. Gonna be a long, cold day. Thank god I just got 3 more bales of straw and have a huge bag of bedding left. I have been using the deep litter method so far and have had no issues with the other flock though. So it has to be something in the run.

It doesn't look good for the little one in the bathroom. She is failing fast, and nothing seems to be helping her. My one daughter is crying because this was HER chicken. Nina really is/was the sweetest little girl, and always wanted to be perched on your shoulder when you were working in the coop.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How old are your chickens?

 

[GottaLuvChicks]

They are about a year old now. We got them this summer and we were told 6-8 months old

 

[Miss Lydia]

It could have been something in their run, you don't use rat poison do you? you might also try the molasses flush they say they take it easier, I've never tried either one so don't know for fact. Sure wish I could help more, might try giving the girl some warm water with a little sugar dissolved in it. If she's still with you tomorrow get some baby vitamins w/o iron and start giving them to her after the flush. Is she eating or drinking?Has she ever laid and egg?.....forgot to say how glad I am to hear your roo is better.

 

[GottaLuvChicks]

Well apparently last night we lost not only the one hen we knew was going to go, but another one is outside dead as well that was just fine at 7 this morning. She is just laying on the concrete pad right outside of their coop, and I have no idea what happened to her. The roo seems fine, and we have one more hen left...I am calling the state lab today to get necropsies done, as this is just too weird.

I have to figure out what to do with the other 2 before something happens to them. Do I bring them inside? I am so heartbroken, as these guys were my first chickens. After the fiasco with the meat chicks, this is just killing me and the kids.

 

[GottaLuvChicks]

Quote:
Lydia, we don't have any poison anywhere, I don't believe in it. Plus, we don't have any issues that we would need it.
What is the molasses flush?? Anything to make it easier on them at this point is what I will do. I am going to have to treat the other 2 birds for SOMETHING, I just don't know what.
None of them that got sick would eat or drink (except the roo, and he felt fine after that), they just sat there until they couldn't sit anymore, then they laid down and died. None of them have ever laid, but we had a farmer friend of ours check over the first girl really well and he said he didn't feel any eggs in her at all. I was thinking it was an issue with being egg bound, but then the roo got sick. I also thought that maybe it was an issue with him being a little too "manly" with his women, but he got sick too...at least he is better.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay, I am so sorry this is happening, what is your bedding made of? and I'll go look up the molasses flush for ya. Back: it's 1/4cup of unsulfured molasses to a gal. of warm water, you can break it down for smaller batches. will they drink on their own? if so give this too them as their only water for 4 hrs. also activated charcoal, comes in capsules get at a health food store, i/2cup of warm mash like oatmeal break open 4 caps. and mix in. Hopefully they are still eating. if not you can hand feed with a syringe you just have to go slow and make sure not to get it into their lungs. I would deff. get a necropsy done, this is terrible to ask but do you have neighbors that would do anything malicious Or maybe use posion.....you checked their feed real good for mold? sometimes you can get ahold of an old bag at the feed store. I know you can get tetracycline at the feed store but it would be a shot in the dark to put them on it. I know your desrerate at this point and yes I would get them both inside till you know what your dealing with.