Hatched out chicks are dying

[cjd81]

My wife and I hatched out 16 chicks from two bantam hens and a rooster that we got last year. At about 12 weeks they started dying. Dropping wings, lethargy, leg paralysis. None of our other birds from outside sources are showing any signs of illness. Is it possible that there is something genetically wrong with the chicks that we hatched. We've had a necropsy done with no obvious findings. We're absolutely baffled.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My wife and I hatched out 16 chicks from two bantam hens and a rooster that we got last year. At about 12 weeks they started dying. Dropping wings, lethargy, leg paralysis. None of our other birds from outside sources are showing any signs of illness. Is it possible that there is something genetically wrong with the chicks that we hatched. We've had a necropsy done with no obvious findings. We're absolutely baffled.

Oh, I'm so sorry!

Their age and leg paralysis makes me think Marek's. But you said the autopsy didn't find anything, so I'm stumped. But I'm no expert. I hope someone else has ideas.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My first thought leaps to coccidiosis. My second thought, if you had them on medicated chick feed, and they didn't need it as they were broody hatched in the coop, vitamin B deficiency. Then my mind leaps to a bad case of Marek's in these susceptible chicks. My last thought is possible genetic issues....however, I don't go there immediately unless they are rarer bantam breed that comes from a line that was over inbred. (I had trouble with my Isbars hatching as the Isbar lines were over inbred...but those chicks died within the first 6 weeks).

LofMc

 

[cjd81]

Oh, I'm so sorry!

Their age and leg paralysis makes me think Marek's. But you said the autopsy didn't find anything, so I'm stumped. But I'm no expert. I hope someone else has ideas.

I specifically mentioned Marek's when I dropped it off they said zero signs of it.

 

[cjd81]

My first thought leaps to coccidiosis. My second thought, if you had them on medicated chick feed, and they didn't need it as they were broody hatched in the coop, vitamin B deficiency. Then my mind leaps to a bad case of Marek's in these susceptible chicks. My last thought is possible genetic issues....however, I don't go there immediately unless they are rarer bantam breed that comes from a line that was over inbred. (I had trouble with my Isbars hatching as the Isbar lines were over inbred...but those chicks died within the first 6 weeks).

LofMc

We hatched them in an incubator and fed medicated feed. The necropsy showed zero signs of Marek's as I mentioned that when I dropped the bird off. As for genetics, I have no idea. The hens and rooster were Tractor Supply purchases last year.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

We hatched them in an incubator and fed medicated feed. The necropsy showed zero signs of Marek's as I mentioned that when I dropped the bird off. As for genetics, I have no idea. The hens and rooster were Tractor Supply purchases last year.

My mind goes to coccidiosis first (any signs of that?)...then possibly Vitamin B deficiency.

I had a barnyard mix hatched under a hen, and grafted several feed store fosters, at the same time. I had all of them on the medicated chick feed. The amprolium based feed prevents vitamin B uptake in the gut which starves the coccidia. It can also starve the chick if the mother hen was a little depleted in the first place. I had weird toe walking and limping in my barnyard chicks, while feedstore chicks were fine. I took my barnyard mixes off the medicated feed and dosed them with B vitamins in chick saver for a week, and all was well.

But I'm leaning to coccidiosis. It doesn't always have bloody diarrhea.

LofMc

 

[Aunt Angus]

My mind goes to coccidiosis first (any signs of that?)...then possibly Vitamin B deficiency.

I had a barnyard mix hatched under a hen, and grafted several feed store fosters, at the same time. I had all of them on the medicated chick feed. The amprolium based feed prevents vitamin B uptake in the gut which starves the coccidia. It can also starve the chick if the mother hen was a little depleted in the first place. I had weird toe walking and limping in my barnyard chicks, while feedstore chicks were fine. I took my barnyard mixes off the medicated feed and dosed them with B vitamins in chick saver for a week, and all was well.

But I'm leaning to coccidiosis. It doesn't always have bloody diarrhea.

LofMc

That's interesting about the vitamin deficiency. I knew amprolium worked that way to deal with the protozoa, but I never considered it being compounded by the hen's deficiency.

On the plus side, if it is Coccidiosis instead, it's easily treated.

 

[cjd81]

My mind goes to coccidiosis first (any signs of that?)...then possibly Vitamin B deficiency.

I had a barnyard mix hatched under a hen, and grafted several feed store fosters, at the same time. I had all of them on the medicated chick feed. The amprolium based feed prevents vitamin B uptake in the gut which starves the coccidia. It can also starve the chick if the mother hen was a little depleted in the first place. I had weird toe walking and limping in my barnyard chicks, while feedstore chicks were fine. I took my barnyard mixes off the medicated feed and dosed them with B vitamins in chick saver for a week, and all was well.

But I'm leaning to coccidiosis. It doesn't always have bloody diarrhea.

LofMc

Cocci even if they just came off of medicated feed?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Cocci even if they just came off of medicated feed?

Possibly. Medicated feed is low dose amprolium meant to simply slow down the coccidia growth but not eliminate it to give the immune system time to adjust to the environment balance. If these were especially vulnerable birds (but being mixed...should have more of an hybrid vigor), it could overgrow and cause problems...usually at the 12 week age.

Of course Marek's leaps to mind at that age...but your necropsy didn't show that.

It may remain a mystery.

LofMc