Emergency!! Lost 16 chickens in a week!!

[sgt_dane]

There was nothing in their pen that was wrotting, and even birds that are housed in separate areas are acting the same way. I just food two dead pheasants that are housed 30 ft away from the chickens. My silver laced polish is eating anddrinking a little now. I think I'll go get some kaytee handfeeding formul tomorrow (the stuff for baby parrots) and force feed him that way. In the meantime he's eating bread and corn, everybody outside finished the food I offered them, they're just still not touching the chicken feed. I guess I'll try yet another brand and see if it helps.

 

[jjthink]

Didn't go back and reread everything so may have missed this but are you having/can you have one of the birds necropsied? This could get to the bottom of this extreme die off and prevent any more deaths. Way too much suffering, so sad...
JJ

 

[GAchick]

No, I think WhiteMountainsRanch is suggesting the feed you originally gave them may be contaminated with botulism.

 

[Rozzie]

Quote:
That many dead birds with symptoms like that - contact your state vet. Your Department of Agriculture can help you find them. Save some of the feed for them, too. Also, call Manna Pro with the lot numbers from the bag.

They may want you to save the next dead birds for them (if you have more) or any you have now (if fresh dead) for an autoposy.

Edited: My apologies. I didn't have time to read the whole thread earlier & see you were already doing these things.

 

[BirdBrain]

We are in Southcentral Alaska too. Where did you buy your feed? So sorry about your birds. I hope you can get this turned around soon!!

 

[sgt_dane]

Hi Tori! I bought the food from my local wal mart. I hav all the dead so far at the state vet for necropsies in hopes that they'll be able to find something. They said out of 18 other flocks, they got birds from 4 and feed from 3, they havnt been able to find any toxins or anything in any of their food they've tested, they've been in contact with manna pro and said they didn't find anything either. There's got to be something though! For all my birds to have the same shmptoms, housed and fed separately, the only common factor is the food. It's the common factor through my hospital cages, indoor cage, pheasants and coop. I feed my ducks the duck goose food and they're perfectly fine.. I've been hand feeding vitamins and minerals, calcium and water to my polish and he is now satin and drinking again. He's trying to stand up so I have him propped upright with a towel wrapped around him kind of like a nest. I would post pics but j can't upload them from my phone. I don't trust myself with the tube feeding so much as I do just adding drops of food and such to his beak and he swallows it without a problem. I havnt lost anyone in a couple days, let's hope it keeps up!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I sure hope you can find out what the problem is. When you do let us know.

 

[rockinpaints]

I have never seen Manna Pro layer crumble, I didn't know they made that. I use Manna Pro as a supplement for my poultry (a table spoon per chicken). Where did you buy it? :

Nevermind...I see where you already posted where you got it. Here in Ohio WallMart doesn't sell farm products.

 

[sgt_dane]

Yeah it what I've bought for quite some time. My polish is continuing to get better. Yes trying to preen now but still can't keep his balance. I have a houdan that's a little down and out now. Seems when I put them back in the coop they drop again, but as long as they're inside they get better. I'm just worried about adding any more heat out there because the risk of pneumonia on top of what is already ailing them due to raised humidity. It is getting pretty cold at night rich now, they have one bulb for heat, I'm just worried about adding a heat lamp. Any thoughts? I've got a coop that's enclosed 7x7 and 6 ft tall at one end with a half foot raise to the peak. Their nest boxes are raised up off the floor and have roosts all around the coop as well. The floor does get pretty cold in there at night. It's such a toss up because I know the heat would help, but the raised humidity would possibly harm...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Wish I could help there are so many pros and cons about heat, but if I had a sick chicken keeping it warm would be a top priority. Is your coop well ventilated?