- Apr 9, 2010
- 22
- 0
- 22
Our chickens and turkeys all run together. We have three coops set up. A 0-2 week old brooder in the house, a 2-5 weeks off the ground coop outside(middle coop), and a 5+ week old large on the ground coop/aviary. If I remember right this all started about 2+ weeks ago when we had placed some 5+ week old chicks and turkeys in the outside large coop. Some were not looking so good after 6-12 hours and were moved back into the middle coop. Some of those got better some didn't. We have a lot of birds so its hard to keep track. In the past 5 days we have been loosing 2 to 4 chicks out of the middle coop a day. Please any suggestions would be great. Thank you.
1) What type of bird, age and weight.-2 to 5 week chicks and baby turkeys dieing. Mixed breeds.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.--They start acting very weak and stop eating and drinking. They stand in one place, usually a corner, hunched over with feathers ruffled up and eyes closed. Their wings drooping to the ground and usually shivering also. And in some cases their eyes may turn gray after they get sick. They can move around so show no paralysis when pushed to but seem to just be too weak to move.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? -They usually die after 12 to 18 hours. If we force feed them they last longer.
4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. -No
5) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.-Not sure. No apparent cause except maybe a food change.
6) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. -We always used a medicated chick starter but switched to a Poulin chick starter with MOS. The deaths started after the grain switch we think. We have since switched back to the medicated grain, 4 or 5 days ago, but there has been no improvement.
7) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. -Not totally sure except one bird pooped on my leg a few hours before he started acting sick and it was normal looking. The sick birds poop very little and when we find the dead birds they have clean bottoms. I did notice blood spots in the coop one day but looked for a wounded chick not for bloody stool.
8) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - Started Sulmet last night but 6 more died since then.
9) Describe the housing/bedding in use. -They are all housed together in the middle coop, about 30+ birds and the bedding was cedar or pine shavings, but has been leaves for the past week.
1) What type of bird, age and weight.-2 to 5 week chicks and baby turkeys dieing. Mixed breeds.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.--They start acting very weak and stop eating and drinking. They stand in one place, usually a corner, hunched over with feathers ruffled up and eyes closed. Their wings drooping to the ground and usually shivering also. And in some cases their eyes may turn gray after they get sick. They can move around so show no paralysis when pushed to but seem to just be too weak to move.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? -They usually die after 12 to 18 hours. If we force feed them they last longer.
4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. -No
5) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.-Not sure. No apparent cause except maybe a food change.
6) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. -We always used a medicated chick starter but switched to a Poulin chick starter with MOS. The deaths started after the grain switch we think. We have since switched back to the medicated grain, 4 or 5 days ago, but there has been no improvement.
7) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. -Not totally sure except one bird pooped on my leg a few hours before he started acting sick and it was normal looking. The sick birds poop very little and when we find the dead birds they have clean bottoms. I did notice blood spots in the coop one day but looked for a wounded chick not for bloody stool.
8) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - Started Sulmet last night but 6 more died since then.
9) Describe the housing/bedding in use. -They are all housed together in the middle coop, about 30+ birds and the bedding was cedar or pine shavings, but has been leaves for the past week.
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