5th chick dying in my hands right now - help!

[Heidisgran]

Here is a link for avian diseases with photos of chickens displaying symptoms of each disease.

http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/

thank you so much for posting this...
the vitamin E deficiency describes what happened to my little silk chick this last summer...
I always give vitamins to my birds but if they were shipped eggs you can't always count on the health of the parent birds...

 

[familypendragon]

UGH! Just came in from the outside coop. I had a dead Black Breda about a month and a half old. Blood on its leg - thinking still have coccidiosis going on too. Maybe I need to do ANOTHER round of Corid???? AND 2 more sick Crested Cream Legbar hens almost at the POL. One with crusty eye bubbles/snot, one with swollen side of head and eye shut/coughing. I give up. I don't know what else to do. I think I will do another round of croid/tylan for 5 days and hope that has a positive effect. I guess..

 

[realsis]

I'm so sorry your having to go through this! I would defiently try another round like you said of the corid and tylan. However if what they have is viral the antibotic won't help that but it WILL prevent a secondary infection. If what ever going on is viral then the antibotic can help fight off a secondary infection but won't fight the actual viral illness. I just went through this in my own flock. I lost all but one bird. It was devastating!! I tried baytril injectable, tylan 50 injectable, tylamox, I tube fed but still I lost them. I can only conclude it was viral and that is why the antibotics didn't touch it. But I would still recommend giving the antibotic to prevent any secondary infections that go along with viral infections. My heart goes out to you!!! Again I'm so sorry your going through this. I know how you feel. All we can do is try. I'm so sorry your loosing your birds. I am sending prayers your way. I hope things get better for you.

 

[familypendragon]

The more I read, the more I think they have Newcastle Disease on top of everything else. WTH??? I take great care of my birds All I can think is there is an infected flock of wild birds here that is bringing this in or something.

 

[realsis]

You defiently need to get one tested. The rest of your flock depends on it. this way you will know for certain what's happening here!! Then you will know how to proceed or move foward. I regret not having mine tested. all I know is they had a sort of viral respitory illness. If I had it to do over again id tested one to see what exactly was taking my birds out. This is NOT your fault! Things blow in through the air and they're is no way to stop that. Like with my flock. It spread in my flock like wild fire.i felt so helpless. Sometimes these things happen but id offer up a body for testing that way you don't have to keep guessing and you can know for certain what's happening. Then move foward from there. Again I'm so sorry. This is so stressful I know. Prayers are still coming your way. Do consider testing so you know what your dealing with. I wish I would have tested. I sure hope things start getting better for you and your birds. I wish you the best. God bless.

 

[familypendragon]

Oh, I AM testing - sending off bodies Monday. I would do it today but they said it would not get there in a timely manner so to wait till Monday and keep them in the fridge. The problem I am having is WHICH birds. They each exhibited seemingly different symptoms :/ Its $40 for the first bird for a physical exam, I think $6 for each one after. If they have to do Histology (which I am pretty sure they will) its $50 extra per bird. I have 2 chicks dropped dead with no symptoms, 1 chick with blood on it, 2 roos with one side of their head swollen and asphyxiation, 1 hen with bubbling eyes and rales. And now 1 chick with tremors, and torticollis/wry neck.

WHICH ONES DO I SEND??? With all I have been doing/going through already we had $3 left to our name by pay day yesterday and that is about spent already. So I am trying to find any credit card with anything left on it cover this

 

[casportpony]

Call the head of the department, explain your situation and see if they will waive the charges... UC Davis has done that for me with the peafowl that aren't covered under the "backyard flock" description (gamebirds are $120 each).

-Kathy

 

[familypendragon]

I just got off the phone with him - this is our 3rd conversation and each time he spends a TON of time with me which I really appreciate. He basically said send them all, each with a detailed history. They will charge me up front for the exam of 2 birds and then see where it needs to go from there. He will do his best to minimize costs to me, and if at any point the State has to get involved the testing will be covered by them - but that will ultimately likely end in the destruction of my entire flock He is going to try to get me answers without it coming to that.

 

[Kelsie2290]

So sorry again, this is beyond awful. Hope they at least are able to give you some answers. Was he able to give you any help on what to treat/medicate the living birds with in the meantime?

 

[familypendragon]

So sorry again, this is beyond awful. Hope they at least are able to give you some answers. Was he able to give you any help on what to treat/medicate the living birds with in the meantime?

He said that so far I'd done everything he would have recommended, and that since anything I try now would have to be mail ordered anyway I might as well wait till he gets his hands on a bird and can give me a better idea of what to get rather than potentially waste more money on an ineffective treatment. I am so heartsick