Health Issue Affecting Chicks and Juveniles

centrarchid

Crossing the Road
14 Years
Sep 19, 2009
27,548
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Holts Summit, Missouri
I have about 20 adults and 45 chicks plus juveniles in and around barn. Many of the young birds have come with something where the behave as if cold. Another group of about 40 in pens down the hill are doing well. This i think came in with songbirds.
 
I have about 20 adults and 45 chicks plus juveniles in and around barn. Many of the young birds have come with something where the behave as if cold. Another group of about 40 in pens down the hill are doing well. This i think came in with songbirds.
I know you have a lot of experience, so I'm going to ask some inexperienced questions
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How young?
I assume you mean they are huddling/fluffed/puffed out when you say acting as if cold. Are these with broody hens or kept separately?
Any other symptoms besides acting like cold?
Did young chicks/juveniles come into contact with wild bird feces, drinking water, etc.?

Some Non-Respiratory illness that would include huddling/ruffled appearance and can affect all or most species of birds (and possibly be transmitted from wild birds) are Botulism, Fowl Cholera, Pullorum, Staph Infection (septicemia).

Edit: On side note- I know you treat/are aware of Coccidiosis, BUT...if these happen to be migratory songbirds that carry a different strain of Cocci that has been "newly" introduced to your young birds, then you would want to rule that out. I'm not exactly sure if you are asking for opinion, but treating for Cocci or ruling it out may be a good place to start.

Hope this helps.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://www.clemson.edu/public/lph/ahp/disease_links/images/poultrydiseases.pdf
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/poultry/coccidiosis/overview_of_coccidiosis_in_poultry.html
 
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Chickens with degraded health are five to nine weeks old. 10 day old chicks and older chicks not affected. All hen reared through five weeks at least.



Migratory birds abundant as habitat. Managed for them. Contamination a given. No losses. Not playing out like cocci.

We are riding this out. Think this hits every year although usually not so many young chickens this late. Migratory bird abundance is exceptipnal.

Just noting what is going on. Another brood of chicks do in s few days so may get a handle on how long this goes. Older young pf year may also be effected but less so.
 
Feed used for birds in barn discarded. I am trying to collect English House Sparrows for the Missouri Department of Conservation. Affected birds doing a lot of sunbathing and wings are droopy. They are also weak.
 
Chilling is one of the first signs of coccidiosis, so starting some Corid just on those chicks would probably not hurt. A lower wattage heat lamp that they could hang under for a few days could help. Here in Ohio, we have been experiencing some cool nights lately, hitting upper 30's.
 
This not cocciodosis. Lots of experience with that. Check my postings for confirmation. Many health issues compromise ability to thermoregulate. This one does not appear to be affecting gastrointestinal tract. It does appear to be affecting wild birds where they have difficulty hanging on to perch.
 
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If this cocci from outside, then it is mild. Usual version not treated would have resulted in heavy mortality. Late season about now overlaps well with migratory birds being vector. Will also treat as if cocci. Feces looks normal.
 
If this cocci from outside, then it is mild. Usual version not treated would have resulted in heavy mortality. Late season about now overlaps well with migratory birds being vector. Will also treat as if cocci. Feces looks normal.


Just for grins, can you post some pictures of their regular poop and cecal poop?

-Kathy
 

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