Help I don't know whats happening

[grandmas Nest]

I have 7 month old pullets, I posted a couple weeks ago about one. I lost one Oct3,Another one Oct 24.And now I have one thats bad again. This one I just found at the bottom of the ramp going in the chicken house. There has been very little sign of them being sick. Right now she moves like a drunk person trying to put her wings down to balance herself.The other two were unsteady too, just before they died. I got them from McMurrey this spring and had them given Markes shot. There runs and coop I keep pretty clean. They have layer petts and a little corn in the evening now that the temps are starting to drop. They do not free range so could not have gotten into anything. Since I lost the first one I have really watched them. I dewormed them, and put lots of DE every where. Yesterday they were all fine. Now tonight this one is almost gone. What could it be? There is no bloody poo, no coughing, whezing, etc. Nothing I can find that shows something is wrong. Wouldn't any other diease they could get kill them all faster instead of every three weeks one dieing?

 

[dawg53]

I recommend that you look them over for lice/mites. Also check for moldy feed. Good luck.

 

[grandmas Nest]

I have looked at all of them for mites and lice. I can't find any. Even in the dark when the little buggers would be more active. I just started a new bag of pellets a couple weeks ago and I can't find any moldy smell or anything with their feed. I only have 13 chickens so it takes a while to go through a bag of feed. I have DE coated on every thing in coop. Can I put garden Seven on them with out having to throw eggs out?

 

[Lacrystol]

I have had problems with a couple of my chickens, according to my chicken doctor he said they could have Marek's. Now I told him these chickens have had the vaccine for that, he said it does not matter. He said it doesn't 100% protect them from getting it.

Here's what my chickens were doing first of all they both live for several weeks after showing the first sign. The first sign was limping and kept wobbling and using the wings for balance. After a week or so they progressively got worst until they were no longer able to walk. The one leg would totally quit as if it was dead, the other would stay strong.. Now, One chicken would stretch both legs forward and walk backwards, however the other did the oposite, she would do the split. They both ate like pigs but never gain a pound. Not sure if these are the same symptons your having but this is what we experience when we had what we believed Mareks.. the first chicken finally lost her battle after 3 weeks of sitting in the same spot not being able to walk at all. the second chicken lost her battle within 2 weeks time.. There was no other signs, no coughing, no runny nose, no breathing funny, everything was focused on there legs..

 

[workinnanie]

are you certain the DE is food grade?

 

[Ksane]

That's how mine acted (lost several). I took quite a few of them to the vet and he's reasonably sure it was e. Coli (we didn't do a necropsy). He's given me antibiotics, etc to inject for them each time 1 starts showing signs and it's worked. They wobble from weakness.
Start calling vets until you find one who'll see her if you want to save her.
Edit: E. Coli will kill slowly like you describe. They just get weaker as it takes over their system. They succumb to either enteritis, septicemia or airsaculitis (respiratory). Mine died from septicemia. 2 of them that had the airsaculitis form made it with antibiotic injections.

 

[grandmas Nest]

The first sign was late yesterday she just seemed ruffled up a little and I gave them all some ripe tomatoes and she just pecked a little., but was moving around fine with no other signs of being sick. The first two died with 2 hours of wobbling around. So to fast to try doing anything. I'am positive this one won't make it thru the night. I'am going to try calling our vet in the morning but I don't think they can tell me what it is. And if another comes down like that they die so quickly, Unless it is durning the day when the vets open I can't get them there fast enough. And I am not sure our local vet can help with a chicken. The DE i have is used for all farm animals, not swiming pools. What about the garden Seven. Can I put it on them. Its like one day they are fine scruying around pecking everything in there run and lay an egg, and over night they are so weak they can't stand up and died shortly after I find them that way.

 

[BaGAWK!!]

Quote:
I have one with similar symptoms. How did the vet diagnose e. coli? What tests?

 

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

Quote:
Since you've not seen lice/mites on them and they are weak I would not put Sevin on them at this time.

Unless it's the e.coli I would wonder about cocci. You don't have to see blood in their poo for them to have it.

Hope you can find out what it is and best of luck.

 

[grandmas Nest]

BaGAWK!! :

Quote:
I have one with similar symptoms. How did the vet diagnose e. coli? What tests?

How would they get e. coli? would it have to be something rotten they eat?​