Houdans

[Kassaundra]

I am very skeptical of a vitamin deficiancy b/c of age, this is a newly hatched chick that had been eating it's own yolk sac then honey water softened chick start, but was showing signs before even eating. The egg came from a respected University program and find it impossible to believe their chickens are fed that poorly as to have eggs that low in vitamins, and had it been I doubt it would have made it to hatch anyway. I'm thinking more likely something congenital.

 

[Kassaundra]

Thanks for trying to help I really appreciate it.

 

[aoxa]

I am very skeptical of a vitamin deficiancy b/c of age, this is a newly hatched chick that had been eating it's own yolk sac then honey water softened chick start, but was showing signs before even eating.  The egg came from a respected University program and find it impossible to believe their chickens are fed that poorly as to have eggs that low in vitamins, and had it been I doubt it would have made it to hatch anyway.  I'm thinking more likely something congenital.

What is the university program for exactly? When I think of chickens in a university, I don't think of anything positive.

It could have been something that would be hard to know without doing tests. Since only one houdan hatched, maybe there was something wrong with the parent stock. I can't think of many other reasons as to why only one made it, and than showed signs like this.

What signs was she showing in the incubator? None of my chicks can walk right for the first little while. I know this is not how she died, but when were you able to tell she couldn't balance, and besides the balance, what other symptoms did she show?

 

[aoxa]

Avian Encephalomyelitis (AE)
or Epedemic Tremor
Cause
Avian encephalomyelitis (AE) is caused by an enterovirus
belonging to the picornavirus group.
Transmission
Egg transmission is the major route of transmission of AE
virus. Infected breeders will transmit the AE virus for several
weeks and cause a decrease in egg hatchability. Infected
chicks that hatch will show clinical signs of the disease and
spread the infection in the incubator to other newly hatched
susceptible chicks. Young chicks can also be infected on the
farm. The incubation period varies from 5 to 14 days depending on the route of infection.
Species affected
Primarily chickens are susceptible to AE, but turkeys and
pheasants have been reported as natural hosts.
Clinical signs
The disease is mainly seen in young chicks, between 1 and 3
weeks of age. Affected chicks sit on their hocks, do not move
well, and many fall on their sides. A fine, rapid trembling of
the head and neck can be seen, but especially felt when affected chicks are held in the hand. In laying and breeding flocks,
AE virus infection causes a marked drop in egg production
which returns to normal in about 2 weeks. Mortality in
naturally infected chicks varies and can be as high as 75%.
45Diagnosis
Clinical tremors in chicks, together with a drop in production
and hatchability in the parent breeders, is indicative of AE
infection. Chicks will not have gross lesions, but histological
examination of brain, proventriculus and pancreas reveals
typical lesions of AE. This will also differentiate the diagnosis
of AE from encephalomalacia (Vitamin A deficiency, crazy
chick disease). Laboratory testing of blood serum from
breeder flocks, or their hatching eggs, can determine if an
infection occurred.
Treatment and control
Preventive vaccination of breeder pullets with live AE vaccine
before egg production is the only effective means of AE
control. If a breeder flock has not been, or has been inadequately, vaccinated against AE and an outbreak occurs, it is
advisable to stop hatching eggs from the flock for several
weeks until the breeders have acquired immunity and no
longer transmit AE virus through their eggs.

 

[Kassaundra]

What is the university program for exactly? When I think of chickens in a university, I don't think of anything positive.
It could have been something that would be hard to know without doing tests. Since only one houdan hatched, maybe there was something wrong with the parent stock. I can't think of many other reasons as to why only one made it, and than showed signs like this.
What signs was she showing in the incubator? None of my chicks can walk right for the first little while. I know this is not how she died, but when were you able to tell she couldn't balance, and besides the balance, what other symptoms did she show?

This university has a large and active avian dept, and are working on improving several breeds of chickens. As to decreased hatchabilty I think it is related to the horrible heat wave we had lasting a couple of months w/ temps at and over 100, my eggs would have come from the tail end of that time. Although that next post is very interesting the closest by far to what I have been seeing, but hope it is just congenital and not contagious, I only had 4 total chicks to hatch and if it is that AE sounds like I would loose them all.

No other symptoms at all, no respiratory, no ill health, no pooping/eating problems. Just the increasing imbalance until she was unable to even balance sitting. She hatched overnight and when I first saw her in the am she was walking all over in incubator, wobbly but fine, normal new chick wobbly that improved over a couple of hours till by that afternoon she was walking and running (as much as the limited space would allow) like a champ, pecking at the other eggs trying to hatch just normal chick behavior, the when the hatch was through and lock down was going to be over the next morning, that night before she started having a little trouble w/ balance, but I thought it was just the other chicks and she was the first to hatch and had not eaten etc...... so didn't think to much it wasn't even that noticable, but the next am the day they were to get out it was dramatic, she was out for several hours, but then it became clear her and the dark NN chick were not thriving like the other two, so I put them back in the bator in ICU and hand fed her every couple of hours and hand watered the NN (who had a rough hatch and was just very weak) that was last night this morning it was clear she would not recover.

 

[aoxa]

This university has a large and active avian dept, and are working on improving several breeds of chickens.  As to decreased hatchabilty I think it is related to the horrible heat wave we had lasting a couple of months w/ temps at and over 100, my eggs would have come from the tail end of that time.  Although that next post is very interesting the closest by far to what I have been seeing, but hope it is just congenital and not contagious, I only had 4 total chicks to hatch and if it is that AE sounds like I would loose them all.

No other symptoms at all, no respiratory, no ill health, no pooping/eating problems.  Just the increasing imbalance until she was unable to even balance sitting.  She hatched overnight and when I first saw her in the am she was walking all over in incubator, wobbly but fine, normal new chick wobbly that improved over a couple of hours till by that afternoon she was walking and running (as much as the limited space would allow) like a champ, pecking at the other eggs trying to hatch just normal chick behavior, the when the hatch was through and lock down was going to be over the next morning, that night before she started having a little trouble w/ balance, but I thought it was just the other chicks and she was the first to hatch and had not eaten etc......   so didn't think to much it wasn't even that noticable, but the next am the day they were to get out it was dramatic, she was out for several hours, but then it became clear her and the dark NN chick were not thriving like the other two, so I put them back in the bator in ICU and hand fed her every couple of hours and hand watered the NN (who had a rough hatch and was just very weak) that was last night this morning it was clear she would not recover.

I am so sorry about all this. I hate not knowing.

http://www.canadianpoultry.ca/cms_pdfs/Important Poultry Diseases 060058 - CPC website.pdf
I found this PDF document on important poultry diseases. Maybe there is something else that fits?

Either way, make sure you wash your hands very well and change clothing in between your chicks and your grown birds. Just in case.. If the rest are fine after a few weeks, I'd feel safe.

 

[Chilifur]

My 7-month old Houdan pair:

 

[aoxa]

My 7-month old Houdan pair:

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

i lost 2 of mine to the same thing whatever it is... i think all the rest are going to make it just fine (so far)... i just have 16 to chose from so loosing 2 is not so bad...

We will get you some Houdans one way or the other sooner or later...

Thanks for trying to help I really appreciate it.

 

[Kassaundra]

i lost 2 of mine to the same thing whatever it is... i think all the rest are going to make it just fine (so far)... i just have 16 to chose from so loosing 2 is not so bad...

We will get you some Houdans one way or the other sooner or later...

I am sorry you lost some to this too, hoping for the best for the rest. Thanks.