California - Northern

[lawatt]

I do not keep Maran's but here they are not super heat tolerant.

hope that things cool off and your dark marans improve, Amy Beth! that must be incredibly frustrating, and worrisome, to be having such health troubles.

i have two cuckoo marans (in my small flock of six), and they definitely pant sooner/more than the others -- but i'm both relatively close to the coast (30 miles or so) and at a high-ish elevation (1625'), so it doesn't get quite as hot here as down in the valleys (or up in the sierra foothills), we've only been in the low-mid 90s at the highest.

and funny, the marans are the best fliers of the flock, so far -- one (Dixie) now routinely hops onto a lap or shoulder to check things out (doesn't want to be handled, though), and yesterday actually flew up about 5 of 6 feet into the base of one of my giant oak trees! adventurous girl!

on my lap, apparently interested in reading the New Yorker:



up in the oak tree -- she looks as startled as i was!



they are also now totally into free-ranging around in the late afternoons/early evenings when there's more shade -- lots of exploring going on, and the two cats and i just sit by & watch with amusement...

 

[ronott1]

Can someone please re-link me to the place where you send your bird to have it diagnosed and PM a humane way to cull birds please? All the other stuff I managed to get through but when it hits the respiratory- I KNOW that is bad news. I can see some of the others 'might' be having issues but it's hard to tell because everyone's beaks are open anyway because it's 300 hundred degrees outside. It looks like primarily the Marans that are affected for some odd reason. It doesn't matter what IT is- I need to identify it so I know if I need to cull my whole flock.

In the meantime- antibiotics in the water right?

Hi Amy Beth,

I do not have the link to Humane Euthanizing. If they don't seem better this evening when it cools, I would give them the anti biotic.

It probably is the heat. They look awful when it is at hot as it is. If they die:

UC DAVIS

http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/index.cfm

You can send dead birds here for necropsy testing. I hope you don't need it, but Debi/PetRock suggested this addition and it's a good one. Thanks Debi and Ron, for the link.

UC DAVIS FEDEX INFO: Their account # is 364343981. If you use their account number you will get to use UC Davis's discount which is up to 70% off. They said that they will bill you for the shipment after you get the report (or at the same time.) Also, FedEx and UPS both ship to the actual lab every day... the Postal Service doesn't.



CAHFS - Davis Laboratory
University of California
West Health Sciences Drive
Davis, CA 95616
Phone: 530-752-8700
Fax: 530-752-6253
[email protected]

CAHFS - San Bernardino Laboratory
Branch Chief: Dr. Hailu Kinde
105 W. Central Avenue
San Bernardino, CA
92408-2113
Phone: (909) 383-4287
Fax: (909) 884-5980
[email protected]

CAHFS - Tulare Laboratory
Branch Chief: Dr. Patricia Blanchard
18830 Road 112
Tulare, CA
93274-9042
Phone: (559) 688-7543
Fax: (559) 686-4231
[email protected]

CAHFS - Turlock Laboratory
Branch Chief: Dr. Bruce Charlton
1550 Soderquist Rd.
Turlock, CA
95381-2204
Phone: (209) 634-5837
Fax: (209) 667-4261
[email protected]

I pray you do not have to use this service.

Ron

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
My pen of BC Marans seems to be one of the pens that is being the least affected by the heat. I haven't seen a lot of panting or holding out of their wings.

And yes, I think heat could make them bubbly, which in turn could make their nostrils crusty. I think I would watch them first and see what happens as it cools down over night. See what they look like in the morning.

Deb

 

[chickee]

The best treatment for upper respiratory disease is Denagard. Needs to be ordered so I would start the antibiotics to keep it under control until the Denagard comes. Here is the info on it. http://www.tiamutin.com/vet-poultry/diseaseproblems/en/index.shtml and here is where you can order it. http://www.qcsupply.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=denagard

I am SO sorry

I know how upsetting it is when your chickens get sick! I hope this helps.

Can someone please re-link me to the place where you send your bird to have it diagnosed and PM a humane way to cull birds please? All the other stuff I managed to get through but when it hits the respiratory- I KNOW that is bad news. I can see some of the others 'might' be having issues but it's hard to tell because everyone's beaks are open anyway because it's 300 hundred degrees outside. It looks like primarily the Marans that are affected for some odd reason. It doesn't matter what IT is- I need to identify it so I know if I need to cull my whole flock.

In the meantime- antibiotics in the water right?

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Amy Beth, I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. You've worked so hard to make a good home for your chickens and purchased from a reputable breeder. You did everything right. I hope you can figure this out and get back to just enjoying your chickens. Keep us updated.....and a good cry never hurt anyone!

 

[zooweemama]

I checked on my 2 that are quarantined and the boy seems to be a little better actually, the girl sneezed while I was in there. They seem to sound a little less 'wet'. I will check the rest of the flock tomorrow. Thanks so much guys! I gave them fresh water like 3 times today to keep it cool for them. I hope it helps.

 

[Papa Brooder]

lost my first bird to the heat today. it's been a long time since i got sad about losing a bird. This one made me quite sad.

 

[ronott1]

lost my first bird to the heat today. it's been a long time since i got sad about losing a bird. This one made me quite sad.

It is never easy losing one. I am making through so far, but we are usually 5 degrees cooler here and the nights go down in temperature more too.

There was a thread on BYC with the topic of building a first coop. The person was very concerned about the chickens getting too hot. A BYC spirit member went into great detail about chickens not really needing much help with cold and providing heat may actually make them die from shock if it got the heat went out

The person said to not assume the chickens would do what they needed to do to make it through the heat. Kim form Capay has me making hourly health checks on the hot days. When I am at work I am having my daughter check on them. It looks like the triple digit days will end before she goes back to school a week from Wednesday.

Just a couple of hot ones left!

Ron

 

[ronott1]

I checked on my 2 that are quarantined and the boy seems to be a little better actually, the girl sneezed while I was in there. They seem to sound a little less 'wet'. I will check the rest of the flock tomorrow. Thanks so much guys! I gave them fresh water like 3 times today to keep it cool for them. I hope it helps.

I am happy to hear they are better today. Those two may need to be inside today.

I really need to get you some Basque Hens. Mine kicked their water over on Friday and I was not home to check on them. My daughter did not notice there was no water, so they went all of Friday afternoon without water. None of them died or even looked stressed the next morning. They did did the same thing yesterday. They really are heat tolerant.

You could have a Basque cockerel any time....

Amy, you are doing the right things for them. Some just can't take the heat.

Ron

 

[Miss Molly]

lost my first bird to the heat today. it's been a long time since i got sad about losing a bird.  This one made me quite sad. 

Sorry it has been so hot.... My air conditioning went out in my car yesterday. I was stuck in traffic. That is when I truly realized how hot it was.