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

[familypendragon]

You have some pretty birds, like the picture of the EF running. That coop setup looks really nice for a hot climate. Fingers crossed the Denagard does the trick.
Hope your husband is feeling better.

Thanks, that EF is Nefertiti - she is never still, LOL! Unfortunately hubby isn't handling chemo well again. He lost 11 lbs in 2 days and I had to go check him into the hospital again today. Spent all day at the ER again. Hopefully he will be home again soon.

Just got done worming everyone for the second time. Heard my Della the Delaware had raspy breath and put her down tonight At this point I am culling hard and I'll either have resistant birds or no birds when its over with.

 

[trickettmomma]

I am so sorry for all you are still going through. Prayers for you and your family! You are definitely one strong women!! I have learned so much and see the comradery. I wish there was something more I could do besides pray... It seems there should be more that could be done in having the yard tested or maybe even water samples?. They have to be getting it there if the eggs hatched from your birds else where are fine. I would see if there is more info somewhere about the cotton rot, and did you ever get the white fungus tested? Big Hugs [[[[]]]]] and lots of prayer, I will keep checking back in hopes of good news

 

[familypendragon]

Well, #1 Hubby's Final CT scan came back negative for cancer - he BEAT IT!! Woohoo! #2 Looks like we now have MS popping up. Put down 3 hens tonight with symptoms. I have been culling at any sign of illness. I can't let things get out of hand. I'd rather cull the sick than just kill the whole flock outright and start over knowing the same thing could happen again. But, #1 is such good news it helps me not think about #2.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Well, #1 Hubby's Final CT scan came back negative for cancer - he BEAT IT!! Woohoo! #2 Looks like we now have MS popping up. Put down 3 hens tonight with symptoms. I have been culling at any sign of illness. I can't let things get out of hand. I'd rather cull the sick than just kill the whole flock outright and start over knowing the same thing could happen again. But, #1 is such good news it helps me not think about #2.

Wonderful news!!

So happy for you and your family!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Great new about your husband! Glad to hear things have finally turned around for him!

Sorry you are still having problems with the birds, hope you get this round of MG under control without any more losses.

 

[familypendragon]

The cold fronts are bringing out the worst in the flock and it isn't even really cold yet here in Texas :/ I killed 10 3 month olds tonight who were suddenly gurgling, wheezing, had the snot, and suddenly quit eating and drinking. I also killed a big beautiful rooster yesterday who was such a great boy. Breaks my heart. I don't think they are going to weather the winter well. I see an awful killing spree in my near future If there are any that show no illness through winter I will probably just keep that handful. If not, then I will be starting over in Spring with chicks from here http://www.whitmorefarm.com/content/5063 perhaps since it shows he is participating the MG monitoring which gives me some hope of avoiding this tragedy again. Blah! Enough already. I am not going to medicate anymore. They are either strong and healthy or they are not. Beyond that I am just letting them be chickens and live their lives in happiness while they can.

 

[Kelsie2290]

So sorry that the flock doesn't seem to be holding their own. MG is one nasty disease.
If you do decide to start over, I've gotten chicks from Whitmore Farms the last two years. Been very happy with them, nice healthy birds, had 0 losses in shipping also.

 

[familypendragon]

So sorry that the flock doesn't seem to be holding their own. MG is one nasty disease.
If you do decide to start over, I've gotten chicks from Whitmore Farms the last two years. Been very happy with them, nice healthy birds, had 0 losses in shipping also.

Thanks so much, that is very reassuring I lost a total of 20 chickens and now I think I am left with the rest currently being healthy. But who knows... I went out to the coop today and sat with my pad and pen and wrote down the names of everyone I have left (yes, they all have names, LOL!). There are 55 girls and 9 boys with 8 chicks recently hatched by Stripe, my Salmon Faverolle.

I am going to write their names here for record so that I can see how many are still left when winter ends and remember those that I lost.

Boys

Munchy - Blue Wheaten
Peter pan - Black Frizzled Sikie
Marble - Mix
Ivory - Mix
Rhody - Mix
Turkey - Bantam Birchen Cochin
Slate - Blue Ameraucana
Picasso - Mix
D'uccle - Bantam Mille Fleur D'uccle 10/29/14 Culled blowing bubbles and choking, no signs prior to today
Marty - Bantam barred Cochin

Girls

Speedy - Kraienkoppe 1 1/2 years old from very first batch of chicks
Cleopatra - Kraienkoppe 1 1/2 years old from very first batch of chicks
Ripley - Kraienkoppe 1 1/2 years old from very first batch of chicks
Mopsy - Crested Cream Legbar 1+ year old
Silver - Crested Cream Legbar 1+ year old
Little Blue - Crested Cream Legbar 1+ year old
Goldie - Crested Cream Legbar 1+ year old
Bubbles - Heritage Barred Plymouth Rock 1 year old I hatched
Madison - Blue Wheaten Ameraucana 1 year old I hatched
Wendy - Black Silkie
Amber - Gorgeous Faverolle Mix 6 months old, brooded by Ripley
Five - Gorgeous Faverolle Mix 6 months old, brooded by Patience
Four - Gorgeous Faverolle Mix 6 months old, brooded by Patience
Roja Blackfoot - Production Red raised with Amber by Patience
Bluebell - Crested Cream Legbar 1+ year old
Nada - Black Australorp purchased at 6 months, now 2 years.
Henna - RIR 1 1/2 years old from very first batch of chicks
Sienna - Daughter of Henna, 6 months old
Aaaaaaagh! - Gorgeous GLW mix, 6 months brooded by Cleopatra
Cocoa - Daughter of Ripley, brooded by Cleopatra 6 months
Onyx - Black Australorp crossed with CCL cross - black with a cute crest. Sweetest girl ever. 3 months, brooded by Ripley. Died 10/28/14 apparent internal injuries
Lacey - Silver Laced Wyandotte, 3 months, super sweet and brooded by Ripley.
Ebony - Black Ameraucana cross, 3 months, brooded by Little Owl
Stripe - Salmon Faverolle, 1 year old
Marigold - easter egger 3 months
Velvet - Blue Ameraucan hatched by me, 1 year old
Tinkerbell - White Leghorn 1 1/2 years old from very first batch of chicks
Patience - White Cochin, 1 year old
Crazy - White Cochin, 1 year old
Nefertiti - Egyptian Fayoumis, 1 year old
Bountiful - Gorgeous Lavender Ameraucana/Salmon Faverolle mix - 6 months, brooded by Little Owl
Ginger - Mix, 3 months
Mae West - Blue Marans, probably 3 or more years at least, barely lays any more.
Patina - Blue Marans Cross of some kind, giant and great layer, very friendly. 1 year
Goosey Lucy - Mix 1 year
Starburst - marans mix - 1 year
Moonbeam - marans mix 1 year
Shado - marans mix 1 year
Baby - blue Ameraucana crossbeak, sweet and super chatty, takes no crap from anyone
Petra - Mix 3 months
Brown Sugar - CCL/GLW hybrid 1 year
Silly Booger - CCL/GLW hybrid 1 year
Rose - CCL/GLW hybrid 1 year
Isabeau - Lavender Ameraucana - 1 year
Smoke - mix 3 months
Egypt - Mix 6 months
Misty - Easter Egger 3 months
Zephyr - Mix 3 months
Muffy - Smooth partridge Silkie
Oompa Loompa - bantam black cochin
Capuchin - Smooth Black Silkie
Monkey - Black Siklie
Argonaut - Buff Silkie
Squeek - Barred Rock - 3 months
B'Gawk! - Mix looks like Barred Ameraucana 3 months
Thumbelina - split Black Ameraucana @3 years

Chicks

Camo
Breech
Ducky
2 blues and 3 yellows yet unnamed

 

[Bazy]

I am so sorry for the hardship you and your family have been through. How you managed, I don't know. I wish I could be so strong.


Your story has a lot of us thinking "What ever can we do so that we don't have to go through the same thing?" MG and MS is the reason I will put known well healthy birds(my own eggs) with any outside eggs (chicks) I hatch for six weeks before mixing them with my flock. I also put at least one healthy bird (expendable cockerels) with any newly acquired birds for 24 days or more in a strictly isolated quarantine. My chickens never even see the new chicken for almost a month. This is the best I can come up with to isolate carriers.

I just wanted to mention that the eggs you gave to your friend to hatch could have been infected. I understand that MG and MS can be transmitted from infected birds to the embryo inside the eggs. I'm not sure what this means.. that the embryo could become ill shortly after hatching, or if the chick could hatch a carrier (???) I just don't know, but the danger warrants mentioning. Have you given thought to how you got this disease? Hatching eggs? New chickens? Maybe wild birds can bring it in...??

I realize these comments may seem insensitive in the aftermath of what you, your flock and family have suffered from. You need to be commended for sharing the entire ordeal and also including the conclusion. Your story is making all of us better chicken keepers. I'm so sorry you had to live through all this at once, but I am in awe that even in the midst of your own hardship, you found the time and energy to share.

Thank you.

 

[LindaSmith]

I just spent my evening reading this whole nightmare. Oh what would I do, I do think you are also a warrior going through so much. As a new chicken keeper, this whole disease part of it scares me to death. Love my girls so much it would tear me apart.
Glad to hear it sounds like your DH is out of the woods and hope your flock is as well.