missmarans1719
In the Brooder
- May 28, 2019
- 14
- 10
- 26
I have some 4 week old Ameraucanas purchased from a very reputable breeder. Within a week/2 weeks, 3 mysteriously died. They are all in a brooder inside of my basement (clean, dry, no contact with outside) with 13 other chicks that I hatched from my own stock, all the same age. I thought possibly coccidiosis but it seemed a too early for that.
Five days ago I found one huddled in the corner under the rest, acting like it’s legs were bothering it. I separated it into a brooder with 2 day olds. It’s alive but it’s slowly deteriorating (not cleaning itself, but still eating and drinking). It’s legs are stretched straight out in front of it. I’ve been giving it straight poly vi sol drops. It seems fine other than it’s legs not working. I was giving nutri drench that seemed to perk it up the first couple of days.
Last night, another chick started acting strange so I moved it to the ICU brooder. Last I checked last night it was laying on its side with one eye closed tightly. I also gave it poly vi sol, thinking it wouldn’t survive the night but what could it hurt. This evening I went in and to my surprise, it was standing, eating, and drinking somewhat. It staggered over to the other side and walked in a circle like it was drunk. The eye is still closed tightly.
None of the others are acting odd, which makes me think possibly a vitamin deficiency. I did hatch two chicks with wry neck a few weeks ago, and blamed on the cheap feed (Dumor) my husband mistakenly bought a few months ago. I also considered the possibility of the wry necks hatching from eggs that the mothers had received a dose of ivermectin (maybe we hadn’t waited long enough? A month??) but that wouldn’t explain the breeder’s chicks I bought. Unless something is up with the Purina medicated chick feed...botulism? Aspergillosis??
Of course, the paralysis points to Mareks...and that I brought in live chicks from another source. It’s been long enough for the 3 week Mareks infection to begin. However, I would expect more to be sick. I haven’t noticed any other signs. At this point all eyes are bluish gray in the light, so I can’t really go by that.
I will send for a necropsy if and when these chicks die. If it is Mareks, I’m prepared to cull the entire basement dwelling flock. Even the $400 chicks
Avian Encephalomyelitis?
Mycoplasma?
Avian Lymphois Leukosis???
Riboflavin deficiency?
That’s all I’ve come up with.
Nothing sounds good except vitamin deficiency...that can hopefully be reversed. If it’s worth mentioning, I also hatched 2 of this breeder’s eggs (the reason I bought chicks was because I ordered eggs twice and USPS dropped the ball on them twice). Of the 2, one had an eye grown shut (I thought it was born without an eyeball at first)... that kept getting infected and bleeding. I put erythromycin ointment in it for a few days and as the chick grew its eye started to grow open. It looks strange but is starting to look normal.
I did also have some Greenfire chicks in the same room at one point, but they’ve been vaccinated. I know it’s not 100%, but they’ve been fine.
Five days ago I found one huddled in the corner under the rest, acting like it’s legs were bothering it. I separated it into a brooder with 2 day olds. It’s alive but it’s slowly deteriorating (not cleaning itself, but still eating and drinking). It’s legs are stretched straight out in front of it. I’ve been giving it straight poly vi sol drops. It seems fine other than it’s legs not working. I was giving nutri drench that seemed to perk it up the first couple of days.
Last night, another chick started acting strange so I moved it to the ICU brooder. Last I checked last night it was laying on its side with one eye closed tightly. I also gave it poly vi sol, thinking it wouldn’t survive the night but what could it hurt. This evening I went in and to my surprise, it was standing, eating, and drinking somewhat. It staggered over to the other side and walked in a circle like it was drunk. The eye is still closed tightly.
None of the others are acting odd, which makes me think possibly a vitamin deficiency. I did hatch two chicks with wry neck a few weeks ago, and blamed on the cheap feed (Dumor) my husband mistakenly bought a few months ago. I also considered the possibility of the wry necks hatching from eggs that the mothers had received a dose of ivermectin (maybe we hadn’t waited long enough? A month??) but that wouldn’t explain the breeder’s chicks I bought. Unless something is up with the Purina medicated chick feed...botulism? Aspergillosis??
Of course, the paralysis points to Mareks...and that I brought in live chicks from another source. It’s been long enough for the 3 week Mareks infection to begin. However, I would expect more to be sick. I haven’t noticed any other signs. At this point all eyes are bluish gray in the light, so I can’t really go by that.
I will send for a necropsy if and when these chicks die. If it is Mareks, I’m prepared to cull the entire basement dwelling flock. Even the $400 chicks
Avian Encephalomyelitis?
Mycoplasma?
Avian Lymphois Leukosis???
Riboflavin deficiency?
That’s all I’ve come up with.
Nothing sounds good except vitamin deficiency...that can hopefully be reversed. If it’s worth mentioning, I also hatched 2 of this breeder’s eggs (the reason I bought chicks was because I ordered eggs twice and USPS dropped the ball on them twice). Of the 2, one had an eye grown shut (I thought it was born without an eyeball at first)... that kept getting infected and bleeding. I put erythromycin ointment in it for a few days and as the chick grew its eye started to grow open. It looks strange but is starting to look normal.
I did also have some Greenfire chicks in the same room at one point, but they’ve been vaccinated. I know it’s not 100%, but they’ve been fine.
