Dying Pullet and Zombie Roo / Marek's would be better than this guessing game.

[BigECarter]

I am debating between trying a wormer (I have Wazine and Panacur) or an antibiotic (Duramycin-10) as a last ditch effort to save the pullet. I think she should be culled, but my family has vetoed me. They are on their second day of Corid, although I don't think it is cocci.

Some background - I have been steadily losing pullets at a rate of around 1 every two weeks. I have treated with Corid, wormed several times. The pullets are fine one day, unable to walk the next, dead within two days after that. Started with 9 three-month olds, I am down to six. Four appearing healthy, one walking dead roo, and the dying pullet.

The roo got sick about a month ago. Primary symptom is gaping. He also lost a lot of weight. I treated the flock for blackhead. I also treated him with Oxine steam. Neither 'helped' - still the same symptoms but he is still alive. He wasn't eating on his own for a while - we fed him moistened crumbles for a week, and now he is eating on his own.

The reason I am thinking about antibiotics is that the roo is deaf. Maybe there is some sort of infection going on? Does gape worm cause deafness?

I have nothing to lose with this pullet - pretty sure she is not going to make it. Her weight is far better than the roos, but she can't even hold her head up.

I would love some advice - can I do both worming and antibiotics at the same time? Corid? I don't love the idea of blind antibiotics, given the problems we are facing with drug resistance from over-prescribing, but I am leaning towards the antibiotics given that nothing else has made things better.

What should I do? Or, what would you do?

 

[imogene08]

I think that if their in pain and stressed they should be culled/put down to take them out of that horrible state no chicken should have to suffer like that im glad your trying to help but I think thats the best thing to do =[

 

[iheartnh]

I think that if their in pain and stressed they should be culled/put down to take them out of that horrible state no chicken should have to suffer like that im glad your trying to help but I think thats the best thing to do =[

Agreed. If you think you have 'nothing to lose' when trying to treat the pullet, be kind and dispatch her. If the roo has starting eating on his own, I would give him some time to improve before making a decision.

 

[BigECarter]

Thanks. I will pass this on to my dispatcher.

Still need to figure out what is going on with the flock. Any ideas about the deafness?

 

[cafarmgirl]

So how old are these birds now? If they are around 3 months old I'd be pretty surprised if they were carrying a heavy worm load already but it's not impossible. At that age cocci would be a big suspect but there's lot's of other possibilities too. Were they vaccinated for Marek's?

I would not give dewormer at the same time with antibiotic's to birds who are already weak. Internal parasites usually result in birds slowly loosing condition rather then fine one day and unable to walk the next and dead the day after that as you described with your hens. I think something else is going on there.

Nothing wrong with trying some antibiotic's with the hen. I had a hen down this last spring that I decided to try antibiotic's as a last ditch effort to save her. I normally don't use them unless I know what I'm treating but in this case it saved her life, she's been fine ever since. Sometimes all you can do is try.

Since you are loosing birds one after the other I think what I would do is have a vet or state lab do a necropsy on the next one that dies or that you cull or have put down. Some state labs will do it for free. I would want to know what is going on so you will know what to treat for and what to do for the rest of your birds. This will also be a good thing to know if you want to get more birds in the future. Some diseases can survive quite a while in the environment.

Good luck.

 

[BigECarter]

Thanks all. I am leaning towards culling the hen.

I've had them since June, so I think they are 5 months. Getting close to laying age. I lost the first after two weeks. I am not sure if they were vaccinated for Marek's. I checked the pupils and they seem fine. Breeder has stopped responding to emails, which is raising major red flags. Will try again.

 

[cafarmgirl]

The only way you are going to know for sure is to have one necropsied. If you decide to cull the hen that's the perfect opportunity to solve it.

 

[BigECarter]

I agree. I will call the vet tomorrow and see what he suggests.

We decided to start antibiotics tonight on the two sick chickens. Delaying culling decision on the hen until tomorrow. If the roo improves, I will expand the antibiotic treatment to the flock and will scrape out as much sand from the coop as I can and spray down with Oxine.

CRD Air Sac disease seems like a possible culprit.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you just contact your state vet yourself for details of how to get a necropsy done, you will save a ton of money. Your vet will still send the chicken to the state vet. You will need to ask if they want to euthanize or if you should refrigerate the body, and how to send or deliver it. Here is a link for finding the contact info for your state vet: http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx

 

[BigECarter]

We culled the pullet and had her sent to the state lab. Initial findings is that she was emaciated and dehydrated, something with her femur/legs/hips (can't remember exactly what the pathologist said, but DH pointed out that he culled her using the broom handle/pulling on legs method), and one of her ovaries was strange, almost tumorish.

Will find out more when the cultures come back. The pathologist's best guess is Fowl Cholera, given the roo's deafness.

Depressing situation after more than a year of research and trying to do everything right before we started on our first flock. At the moment, I have four sick pullets/roos (this last one was the plumpest and if she was emaciated, then so are they), and a recovering roo who will potentially never be healthy. Easy to say cull and start over, but these are also meant to be pets and we have become attached to them.

E (Sad E instead of Big E. And Angry E because I am suspecting that the breeder is dealing with the same thing but instead of helping me is hoping that I go away.)