Five of my birds were euthanized - looking for opinions.

[llisamac]

I can't adequately express how upset I am with my self right now. I got 16 hens in May, and had wanted them for a long time. Half were 1 & 1/2 years old and the rest were three to four months old. A mix of breeds. They are my girls and I love them. One Coronation Sussex ended up being a Roo - and very handsome & well mannered.
I lost one a month ago to an upper respiratory issue, when she didn't respond to Tylan 50. Everyone else seemed fine.
Last week, several started showing signs of upper respiratory issues. Local animal control recommended I consult a woman who calls herself "The Chicken Nurse" as she has been very helpful to them with very sick chickens.
She came and looked over the flock and treated them with oxytetracycline and baby vitamins. Some responded quickly - some did not. I was so happy knowing she knew what she was doing, because of my inexperience.
A couple days later she came to check on them and told me that some had wet pox, that it was dire & uncurable and that they would have to be euthanized to prevent the spread. She also told me if anyone found out, my whole flock would be taken away and destroyed! I was so scared, I didn't even look wet pox up on line, fearing someone would know (No, I am not a conspiracy theorist). I just love my birds, but was completely unfamiliar with wet pox.
She chloroformed five of my birds, all but one was either very healthy or obviously overcoming the respiratory issue.
Now I'm not sure what I should do about her. I am afraid she has just enough knowledge to be dangerous.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I completely agree with your last sentence. Doesn't Massachusetts have a state poultry lab?
Try these links.
https://heritageacresmarket.com/blogs/misc/necropsy-list
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/agr/animal-health/poultry/diagnostic-testing-services-generic.html
The only way to know for sure what your issues are is to have lab work done with a necropsy.
Randomly treating an unknown disease with antibiotics is the wrong approach. The problem could be viral, environmental, fungal, parasitic or even a bacteria that can't be treated with antibiotics.

 

[andreanar]

You can always come here for advice. No matter what it is, you can get help here! What's done is done. Unless you can get a necropsy done and find out what you were dealing with. Personally, I would make sure to call the local animal control back and let them know of your experience. I believe your birds can be confiscated for avian flu (?) but not wet pox. That is a virus that, yes, it can spread thru your flock, but you manage them with immune system and respiratory support. Once its gone, I understand they don't get it back. And some may die from it. I'm sorry

 

[casportpony]

Good grief... sorry for your losses.

I seriously doubt Massachusetts will cull a flock for pox, so I think you were misinformed. Call this place and ask which of the avian diseases they cull flocks for:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/ag...sease/reportable-disease-listing-generic.html

Wet pox can be treated with supportive care, but not with medications.

 

[llisamac]

You can always come here for advice. No matter what it is, you can get help here! What's done is done. Unless you can get a necropsy done and find out what you were dealing with. Personally, I would make sure to call the local animal control back and let them know of your experience. I believe your birds can be confiscated for avian flu (?) but not wet pox. That is a virus that, yes, it can spread thru your flock, but you manage them with immune system and respiratory support. Once its gone, I understand they don't get it back. And some may die from it. I'm sorry

Yes, I did a lot of things wrong in this. I should not have believed her & I should have come here. My best friend is a Vet Tech and I was even afraid to talk to her about it, because I honestly believed that this "nurse" knew what she was talking. I didn't want to put my best friend in the middle, if she had some kind of mandate for reporting my flock. Thank you.

 

[llisamac]

Good grief... sorry for your losses.

I seriously doubt Massachusetts will cull a flock for pox, so I think you were misinformed. Call this place and ask which of the avian diseases they cull flocks for:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/ag...sease/reportable-disease-listing-generic.html

Wet pox can be treated with supportive care, but not with medications.

Yup. I was misinformed and too scared to reach out, thinking she, with all this experience, must have been correct when saying that they would be taken and killed if the pox was found out. I was too late in figuring it out.

 

[theoldchick]

This chicken nurse is practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Never a good thing and may be illegal in your state. You may be able to seek legal action against her. I'm sorry for your loss. Avian vets can treat chickens and the local vet can do basic diagnostics to help you. I know some folks thinks it is stupid to take a chicken to a vet but these professionals can help you and guide you in the right direction when dealing with the health of your backyard flock. And to be perfectly honest the money you spend on otc meds (which create resistant bacteria) is better spent toward a veterinary diagnoses.

 

[chickens really]

Here in Alberta, Canada no one can come and force a Cull on Birds unless it's something like Bird flu that can infect humans...Sorry she scared you....Sorry about the birds...Respiratory is common in Chickens and symptoms come out when Temps get cold and they become stressed either from molting or some other cause....How long were the birds treated with antibiotics?.....I have used Oxy-Tetra for my Chickens which are carriers of ILT and treat till symptoms disappear .....
Don't allow her back onto your property again....
Best wishes.....

 

[andreanar]

Hey, don't be so hard on yourself! You were doing what you thought was best. You live and learn in life, we are all on the same road of learning. Chin up.

 

[casportpony]

Here in Alberta, Canada no one can come and force a Cull on Birds unless it's something like Bird flu that can infect humans...Sorry she scared you....Sorry about the birds...Respiratory is common in Chickens and symptoms come out when Temps get cold and they become stressed either from molting or some other cause....How long were the birds treated with antibiotics?.....I have used Oxy-Tetra for my Chickens which are carriers of ILT and treat till symptoms disappear .....
Don't allow her back onto your property again....
Best wishes.....

In the US we have what they call reportable diseases, and those may vary from state to state. What that means is if you take your bird the the vet, or have one necropsied, if either find or suspect a reportable disease, they will cull your flock if culling is required for that disease.

As far as I know, pox is not a reportable disease in any state.