Blindness spreading in my coop.

[jenncat1]

A month ago my light Brahma went blind in her left eye. Vet came out & looked at her, I had him assess my coop, space, food,litter type, ventilation, all were appropriate. She showed no respitory symptoms. Now (month later) my Dominique is developing the same eye symptoms & has reduced vision in same eye. Took her to vet, she has a frosted spot under her pupil - no respitory symptoms. The vet even called his old professer for info. Now a month later I saw the light brahma with a few large clear bubbles in blind eye. It does not fit any of the Merak diseases. Plan of treatment now is worming, 2 weeks antibiotics, & worming again. Thinking maybe they have reduced immunity from virus & secondary infection- parasites/bacterial/fungal. Got the 5 new "in a horse trade". The Brahma is from a bird auction I believe... Stupid Stupid Stupid. This illness is slow moving. I'm guessing I'll end up with a closed flock. It is not any commen illness. Tears are streaming right now. Hoping my 2 original I raised from chicks were vaccinated for a few things at the hatchery.
****Any info or sources of info would be heaven sent.

 

[Eggcessive]

It might be mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG,) which is a chronic respiratory disease (CRD.) Bubbles or foam in an eye is typical of mycoplasma. Many things can cause an opaque eye or cataract in poultry. Checking your ventilation was good since they need air circulation from one end of the coop to the other to remove ammonia odor from droppings. Pecking injuries, infections, incidental cataracts can caus cloudy eyes. Ocular Mareks usually causes greying of the colored iris, and the pupil may appear smaller or irregular in shape due to iris changes.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum

 

[aart]

Did your vet take some swabs to send to lab for testing?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It's hard to take advise from someone that just told you you're doing EVERYTHING wrong. Their extra non-feed food is 10% or less. The girls I've had since chicks have had their scrambled eggs on regular basis for over a year & half & have also never molted & lay almost year round. They have a free choice feeder , grit, feed, & oyster shell. I'm gonna stick with the vets advise & the vetinary school consult.
I don't drink, so no wine bottles for crushing, but good tip on going back to crushing them up. Thanks

My apologies that my post came off as a personal attack... as it was meant to be informational and helpful only.... hence the fingers crossed to cheer you on.

Guess you don't know me well enough top know that I am sincere int the things I say and truly care about helping fellow BYCer's and their pets!

My suggestions and advice come from many years of experience... and questioning vets... I would get a second opinion from another qualified vet IF one suggested worming without doing a fecal load count. Anyways... if it was another reason than worms that it was suggested.. It would be awesome if you share with us the reason... as the majority of us are here not only to share the knowledge we already have but also to hone it and expand it when possible!

My husband uses wine in his cooking. A soy sauce bottle, seltzer water, or any semi heavy glass container that fits inside the egg shell container works well.

Please note... I did not point any finger at you or say YOU are doing anything wrong! Many folks can't see a vet even if they want to. We all do our best until we learn something new... then we switch it up if possible.

Again, in case you missed the point of my first post... it was to support you and your birds! Best wishes for y'all!

 

[aart]

but are eating quality food now along with fresh greens, grains, & fruit with nutritional value, hopefully increase immune system.

Hopefully way more of the quality feed than the other stuff.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

get scrambled eggs with powdered egg shells everyday

Hi there, sorry to hear about your birds.

Eggs are a nice pick me up or treat but should not be given daily because while they are loaded with nutrients their energy comes from 34% protein and 64% fat.

Also powdering the egg shells before mixing in makes them speed through the system without absorbing to make new eggs shells (not sure if it will impact kidney function long term). To make new eggs shells and be absorbed it need to be a large source and gets ground down when it goes through the gizzard. I also let mine dry in a coffee can to prevent mold (not rinsed). I just take out to the run and step on them to crush down. Or I use a wine bottle to crush a little in the can and pour into the side dish. Egg shells are always consumed before the standard oyster shell.

So the vet recommended worming? With or without a fecal float to confirm species load and actual need?

You have learned one of the most valuable lessons in chicken keeping... never bring birds from someone else's flock/pasture. Sorry you face this... hope your birds recover quickly!

Please note that fruits and veggies are a nice treat or enrichment and should not exceed 10% total daily intake. If you want a real boost to the immune system, I suggest Rooster Booster (brand) Poultry Cell (product) as a superior supplement. No supplement should be given more than 10 days in a row.

For what it's worth... I never use layer feed, but instead a flock raiser. It has 20% protein in addition to more amino acids than most layer feeds. Since making the switch... my birds enter and come out of molt a lot easier than when I used layer. Oyster shell is always available on the side for active layers to access.

One thing I don't see mentioned is the age of these birds?

I agree it does not fit with Marek's... but more likely the things mentioned by eggcessive.

Hang in there, I hope you get answers!

 

[Eggcessive]

With MG it would be good to get tested and a diagnosis, and you may want to then close your flock since MG spreads to all members of the flock, as well as being passed through hatching eggs. Tetsting one sick may be least expensive going through the state vet. There is a national lab, Zoologix that will send you swabs to collect yourself, but it is expensive tfor a respiratory disease panel. Then you can make a plan to either treat your sick birds when they have an outbreak, or cull sick birds. Antibiotics are becoming harder to get, but the ones that treat MG are oxytetracycline, tylan, and denagard. Getting together with your regular vet, you might be able to arrange a source if you first get your birds tested. Fortunately with MG, the disease is only alive for about 3 days once the last bird is alive. So letting the affected birds die off before getting healthy baby chicks is the best way to have a flock without a chronic respiratory disease.

 

[jenncat1]

Hi there, sorry to hear about your birds.

Eggs are a nice pick me up or treat but should not be given daily because while they are loaded with nutrients their energy comes from 34% protein and 64% fat.

Also powdering the egg shells before mixing in makes them speed through the system without absorbing to make new eggs shells (not sure if it will impact kidney function long term). To make new eggs shells and be absorbed it need to be a large source and gets ground down when it goes through the gizzard. I also let mine dry in a coffee can to prevent mold (not rinsed). I just take out to the run and step on them to crush down. Or I use a wine bottle to crush a little in the can and pour into the side dish. Egg shells are always consumed before the standard oyster shell.

So the vet recommended worming? With or without a fecal float to confirm species load and actual need?

You have learned one of the most valuable lessons in chicken keeping... never bring birds from someone else's flock/pasture. Sorry you face this... hope your birds recover quickly!

Please note that fruits and veggies are a nice treat or enrichment and should not exceed 10% total daily intake. If you want a real boost to the immune system, I suggest Rooster Booster (brand) Poultry Cell (product) as a superior supplement. No supplement should be given more than 10 days in a row.

For what it's worth... I never use layer feed, but instead a flock raiser. It has 20% protein in addition to more amino acids than most layer feeds. Since making the switch... my birds enter and come out of molt a lot easier than when I used layer. Oyster shell is always available on the side for active layers to access.

One thing I don't see mentioned is the age of these birds?

I agree it does not fit with Marek's... but more likely the things mentioned by eggcessive.

Hang in there, I hope you get answers!

It's hard to take advise from someone that just told you you're doing EVERYTHING wrong. Their extra non-feed food is 10% or less. The girls I've had since chicks have had their scrambled eggs on regular basis for over a year & half & have also never molted & lay almost year round. They have a free choice feeder , grit, feed, & oyster shell. I'm gonna stick with the vets advise & the vetinary school consult.
I don't drink, so no wine bottles for crushing, but good tip on going back to crushing them up. Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

If you would like to read some articles on MG, which can be found in non-symptomatic flocks and in finches and other wild birds, here are two good articles:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/avian_mycoplasmosis_mycoplasma_gallisepticum.pdf

 

[jenncat1]

Hopefully way more of the quality feed than the other stuff.

I don't feel cracked corn is appropriate food for growing pullets! They are on layer crumbles, fruit, veggies, & get scrambled eggs with powdered egg shells everyday (I let shells dry then put them in coffee grinder & mix powder with eggs). Spoiled!