Hypothermia?

[Beekissed]

I'm sorry for coming in this late in the conversation, but was it the teflon coating on the heat lamp that poisoned your hens or not? I tried to skim over this thread, I'm sorry.. just want to know.

If so, how can one be sure the heat lamp they are using to heat their coop doesn't have this coating?

Yes...it was concurrent with teflon toxicity poisoning. You can check the packaging or call the manufacturer to make sure.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Yes...it was concurrent with teflon toxicity poisoning. You can check the packaging or call the manufacturer to make sure.

Thank you so much Beekissed! I have a heat lamp on in my coop right now. I do have ventilation and it is a large coop, but this is really scary that something so mundane could poison chickens! I will have to check.


My sympathy to the OP. Ps. Your new birds are beautiful.

 

[dhopper122]

Okay, I know that this thread is over 2 years ago. I have an issue with my birds. since this winter started, I have lost 3 birds to hypothermia. And currently, I am nursing one back (first one I found was squatting and had rolled to his side and died and the other two died as a result rapid warming). There has been a concern for a primary cause. And that disease or illness maybe to cause. I have noticed that bird two and my current victim both had full crops. It was like their body's failed to process the contents of their crop. When I got to him, he was quite cold to the touch, but wrapped in a towel, off the shelf, his temperature came up rapidly. Now, I have given him vitamin B12, water laced with apple cider vinegar, and room in one of my old brooding boxes with a heat lamp running. The biggest thing I have noticed is his lack of weight. What can sap a birds weight to the point they weight nothing?

 

[Beekissed]

Illness and/or parasite infestation. Chickens rarely, if ever, die of the cold, but of underlying causes that weaken them so they cannot keep themselves warm during the cold.

 

[casportpony]

Okay, I know that this thread is over 2 years ago. I have an issue with my birds. since this winter started, I have lost 3 birds to hypothermia. And currently, I am nursing one back (first one I found was squatting and had rolled to his side and died and the other two died as a result rapid warming). There has been a concern for a primary cause. And that disease or illness maybe to cause. I have noticed that bird two and my current victim both had full crops. It was like their body's failed to process the contents of their crop. When I got to him, he was quite cold to the touch, but wrapped in a towel, off the shelf, his temperature came up rapidly. Now, I have given him vitamin B12, water laced with apple cider vinegar, and room in one of my old brooding boxes with a heat lamp running. The biggest thing I have noticed is his lack of weight. What can sap a birds weight to the point they weight nothing?

Parasites, disease, infection. Almost all sick birds will be hypothermic and dehydrated. Never give food or water to a hypothermic bird and never force feed a a dehydrated bird. Correct hypothermia, then correct dehydration, then they can eat.

-Kathy

 

[dhopper122]

Well, I lost my battle. He warmed up and seemed to liven up a bit, but as the day wore on he seemed to be going down hill. I tried to push fluids, but with no success. Then came the death rattle, pneumonia. I had heard it in humans, so I knew what it was and the ultimate outcome, so I saved him the suffering. I had him inside in an older brooder box with a heat lamp. I know it wasn't due to rapid warming, as I lost the two before him to rapid warming heart attacks. He was, for the better part, generating his own heat: although he wasn't greatly warm. Tomorrow, I am adding DE to their diet and ACV to the water. I am so much at a loss for reasons. Like I said earlier, when I initially picked him up to get him to move, I was amaized by the lack of weight. I know he has been eating, but to what volume I can not say. I know his crop had food still in it this morning. Plus, for him, I found him segregated from the rest of the flock. There were two heat lamps running in the coop, one basically shining in the area of where I found him. My major question is, if I did a necropsy, would I see parasites/worms in the intestines by the naked eye? I just hate it when it doesnt add up for me. I am taking this very personally. I keep second guessing, did I miss a sign or symptom? Saddest part, he was a replacement bird for a breeding program I was doing: wasnt a cheap bird.

 

[Beekissed]

That's a shame. What have they been like leading up to this cold period? Active, eating and drinking fine? Feathers nice and shiny, eyes bright, combs and wattles red? When did you notice them first losing condition?

I'd definitely do a necropsy, just to see what you can see. You'll most likely find any worms in the small intestines. I'd check the gizzard and see what it contains and I'd also check the large intestines for inflammation of any kind. Take a good look at the liver and kidneys to see if they are enlarged or discolored in any way. Even the heart may give you a clue as to what has happened.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry you lost him. Large round worms are easy to see, but capillary worms and cecal worms are much harder to see. If you think they might have paraites it would be best to gather a bunch of fresh poop, place in container, stir well and have a vet do a fecal float. If you can't do that, maybe get a proper chemical wormer, 'cause DE won't de-worm them.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

State vets:
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Can you send him off for necropsy? Here is a list of labs:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

-Kathy