Hens can't walk

[ameliadanielle]

I don't know if they transported her to another lab, or if they will do the necropsy in Tifton. I don't have a number for the Tifton facility, just an email because he comes down by appointment only. I know I'm supposed to get the results emailed within 2 business days of them doing the necropsy. It was just a room with a door that stays unlocked, it has a small table with the forms to fill out and a fridge to put the bird in. I didn't know I could have taken her anytime to drop her off. I thought the facility was only open for that like during the week when people were there. So I waited until Monday to drop her off. He had told me through email he wasn't sure if he would be going to Tifton on Monday or not. So it could have been a few days before they actually looked at her. I was originally talking to him through email over the weekend, I emailed and expected to not hear back until Monday. So it's probably hooked to his phone. I don't want to bother him on Easter weekend and be THAT person. So I'm going to wait until Monday and see if I hear back before emailing him again.

 

[ktpaco]

Please let us know what the results are. I'm always trying to learn more about the crazy world of what goes wrong with chickens. My SO asked me the other day, are you sure you still want chickens. I nodded emphatically yes - I love (most of my) babies, and when they aren't sick - they are so much fun to have around!

 

[ameliadanielle]

Still haven't heard anything. Except, doesn't Marek's cause like 60% flock mortality? I've got 3 and 4 week babies that would have certainly been exposed, especially since the 3 week olds were hatched out and raised by one of my silkie moms. The only losses we had were the two babies mama helped escape the pen and became hawk snacks. We still have 24 healthy babies... in the backyard with our chickens. Aside from the lost ones the mom tried to take out in the open yard, the only losses we had were the weakest babies we bought from TSC within the first couple of days we had brought them home. If I had something crazy contagious in my flock wouldn't the unvaccinated babies be dropping like flies by now?

 

[ameliadanielle]

I just feel like it's taking ages to hear back. It's driving me nuts. Lol. I know my friends are sick to death about hearing about it too. I won't be able to quit thinking about it until I know for sure. /sigh

 

[ktpaco]

I know how you feel!!! Sucks not knowing and just waiting....

 

[ameliadanielle]

I emailed Monday to ask how long it usually takes... no response. I may have to track down a phone number and call someone. I dropped her off last Monday.

 

[Eggcessive]

Look back at my link for Metzger farms in post #4. It has several njmbers for GA poultry labs.

 

[ameliadanielle]

Yeah, they have numbers for the other two locations, but the Tifton location I dropped my silkie off at only has an email contact. I only think they come there to pick up. I'm going to be on the phone with every number I can find tomorrow so I can try and find something out.

 

[ameliadanielle]

Now there is a number listed for Tifton and I called it but no answer. So I called another office and they are going to contact the vet doing the necropsy for me. Hopefully I will hear something today.

 

[ameliadanielle]

I got the results back! All samples they sent off to be tested for disease were negative. As I told them I was thinking about trading some of my chickens and I was worried about passing on disease. Mildred, our silkie, died from being horribly egg bound. That's one of the very first things I tried checking her for. Gave her a warm bath, felt her abdomen and also didn't feel an egg up in there. The vet said it was WAY up in there and he was completely surprised she lasted a week that way. He said they usually go very quick from that. This gives me no answers on the pullet. However... I have my ideas. This may be my fault. She was being humped pretty aggressively by a young rooster. She didn't have any outside wounds but he could have hurt her. Once she and Mildred were sick and they were in quarantine, I wasn't feeding them layer food. Mildred never laid many eggs. 9 in the entire year I've had her. She was not a prolific layer. So she was sick, I assumed she wouldn't be laying. I was feeding her chick starter for the extra protein because she was sick after my exam of her didn't show any stuck egg that I could feel. I assumed she was sick and wouldn't be laying until she got better. I also assumed the pullet was too young to be laying even though she was being humped. Her sister has started laying tiny little eggs for me. So she could have been injured and then I wasn't giving her calcium. The pullet was a game bird and they are only 5 months old. I've never had a game bird start laying that early. They are pretty slow maturing birds. Also... since spring has come my flock has been ignoring layer pellets in favor of the new green grass and plants and the multitude of bugs that also showed up. It wasn't until around the time the girls were sick that I noticed and put out oyster shell. The chickens hadn't really touched it all winter, as they were filling up on layer pellets and obviously had plenty of calcium from that. When I checked Mildred for possibly being egg bound I noticed they untouched feeders and the empty oyster shell bowl. I had no idea being egg bound could have caused her to have neurological symptoms like that. It does explain why she went so quickly. It also sort of explains why my pullet seemed to be recovering and standing on that bad leg again just to very quickly go downhill again. I will never again assume a hen is not egg bound just because I couldn't feel an egg. I also won't ever not give layer just because I assume a hen is not laying. :'(