Emergency!!

[bobby d]

I'm having a serious problem and have noticed others on here as well describing the same symptoms. No one is sure what could be wrong with the chickens. I've had one die and just found one that has the same symptoms but literally hit her so fast it's scary. She was fine this morning and tonight horrible. Their wobbley, no control, eating but not much, same with drinking. The one that died went through this for several days before she was unable to even walk or hold her head up. This other one hit her within a 8 hr period and is at deaths door now. I'm planning on being at the vets door step first thing in the morning.

NOW..my question to everyone is, what is everyone feeding? Alot of people on here that are having the same symptoms and saying they feed Purina. I'm wondering if this might be a problem.

Please help me..I'm really worried now!!

 

[TheFarmMama]

How old are your chickens? Any odd color or consistency to the droppings? Any other symptoms? I feed my entire flock Purina and have not had any problems so I doubt it is a feed issue at least not as far as the manufacturer is concerned. Let us know what the vet says, best of luck!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I'm not feeding Purina. My birds are being fed a combination of two different feeds from two manufacturers. I just bought the current feed -- it had nothing to do with the first bird death.

 

[bobby d]

I'm starting to think that it isn't the feed. I'm just not sure what it could be. I've search and searched online for hours and I'm not finding anything. The only thing that is close is Marek's however it's only a couple symptoms. The pullet that died a couple days ago was 4 mos. old and the hen that I found last night is 7 mos. old. The pullet that died started by not being able to walk very well, she wasn't steady on her feet, she was eating at least from what I could see (how much was actually taken in is unknown), drinking just a little bit. The un-steadyness progressivly got worse, then she would keep her head back or on the ground and had no control of it. Then just before she died she had no control. The hen I found last night, was fine at feeding time yesterday morning then at feeding time last night was not good at all. I took her out and she was just like the pullet just before she died. It hit her that fast. I just hope she makes it thru the night so I can take her to the vet for tests.

I'm getting very worried and concerned for my birds. I feel so bad seeing them go thru this. I feel like I might have done something wrong or maybe not enough. I just hope the vet can help me and fast cause I don't know how much more I can take seeing them go thru this. I'm sorry that I'm just going on and on about this, I guess I just need to vent about it. I will let everyone know what the vet says. Thanks for the help.

 

[Sjisty]

I wonder if it's botulism. Do you have anywhere where they could have gotten into something spoiled - maybe some moldy or old feed? How about some poison berries on nearby bushes? I had a roo with the same symptoms, came on suddenly and within just a few hours he could not stand. I brought him in and kept giving him fluids and he came out of it in a couple of days. It was like he had lost total control of his neck and couldn't hold his head up at all and then couldn't stand.

 

[chicmom]

OK, these symptoms sound like maybe your chickens have gotten into and eaten some old food that has spoiled. Is there any place in your coop or chicken run, where their crumbles could have spilled, say around a feeder, and layed around for a long time, going rancid?

I've read where, when chickens scratch around and eat the old food that has spilled to the ground, and it's rotten, then they get those types of symptoms.


Any chance of your hens scratching around in some old food and eating it?

 

[bobby d]

That's one reason I asked about the feed and that thought ran thru my mind with the pullet. I looked all over the pen and found nothing, even their poop looked to be ok. I don't let them out yet to free range. They are still to small to run with the older birds. At least I think they are. The hen that I found last night is in a totally different pen across the yard from where the pullets and cockreils pen is. I checked their pen as well and nothing. That is why I'm so dumb-found with the whole situation. I don't think it has anything to do with the breed. The pullet was a Blue Wyandotte and the hen that is sick right now is a Partridge Wyandotte Bantam. We've had the Wyandotte breed for a while now.