Could this be Newcastle Disease?

[TheHalfWayCoop]

We got our first ever 'flock' in May '11, never had any problems, excellent layers, they do free range, etc... we added four more to our flock in October, everyone seemed okay, all was well. Our first set of chickens started laying in the fall and by November went broody. Two broodies hatched out four chicks combined. One died the next day from what I thought was cold and left it at that. I brought the remaining three into the brooder inside. Everyone was eating/drinking/sleeping/pooping and happy this morning, but about an hour ago they started making a raucus and I looked in and one of the chicks neck kept turns back and to the side and it's back leg was stretched out. It's flailing around and peeping, slight tremors, generally looking like we need to explore taking action soon. But could this be this Newcastle I've read about? What do we do? I don't *think* we have a county extension office in Canada, not sure what the equivalent might be... do we need to take out our entire flock now? We're moving to a farm in February and while I don't think the other two neighbouring farms raise chickens I don't want to bring diseased animals near anyone elses', nor do I want to have to cull the entire flock. What is the right thing to do? They haven't had any vaccines that I'm aware of as they came from breeders online, some were 3wks old and some were 10wks and I just don't know what to do!

ETA: These chicks are only 48 hours old and eating non medicated chick starter

Thank you!!

 

[OregonChickenGal]

It's hard to say but sounds like the chick maybe got jumped on or attacked by another chicken since they were raising a raucus.

 

[CMV]

I doubt it is Newcastle disease. I think she probably got pounced on by a playmate and injured. If the neck thing continues I would try a vitamin regimen.

I think that discussing culling the flock at this point is very premature. Are any other birds displaying symptoms of a problem?

 

[TheHalfWayCoop]

We did have another chick die yesterday and I thought it had got stomped on by our broody, but the position it was laying in with it's head arched back and it's one leg out stretched looks like what this chick is doing. It did seem a little bit better tonight, when the feed store opens I'll look into some vitamins. I guess I'm just paranoid that even though we quarantined the four newbies to our flock, that because they were bought at a poultry sale (I didn't realize it at the time) and then flipped (who knew you could flip chickens) that perhaps they had brought something with them and I had read that Newcastle doesn't necessary show symptoms in grown chickens, but does in chicks. Hopefully I'm being totally premature!

Thanks for the help!

 

[TheHalfWayCoop]

Day 3 and it looks like chick #3 is starting to have the same issue, loud peeping with one leg sticking out funny and difficulty walking. By this afternoon I'm sure he'll be getting a turned neck as well. We'll have one chick remaining after that. The last remaining one looks different than the rest, and quite healthy, and since we had two broodies hatching eggs at the same time and sharing babies I'll be interested to see if the last one survives and is perhaps from another mother.

*Crossing Fingers that it's not Newcastle, but getting very worried that it is*

 

[CMV]

There have been no cases of Newcastle disease reported in domestic poultry in Canada (I believe, ever). It occasionally crops up in wild birds especially cormorants, but I think your fears of Newcastle are off the mark. It is a reportable disease and outbreaks are widely publicized because of the danger it presents to the poultry industry.

I think you may want to look at/familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of Wry Neck and Marek's Disease because these are more plausible explanations for what you are observing in your flock.

Good luck.