Hi, everyone;
I know i've been on here lately a lot about this virus, but for those of you that dont know, I think I owe you the courtesy of letting you know.....
Our birds and we are going through Hell. ILT is a horrible, horrible virus...basically, the birds drown in their own blood from their throat in a matter of days. We have ordered the vaccine, which will help, but it took us all day to catch our birds and four have escaped again, so now we have to delay the vaccine til tomorrow as it only lasts two hours, once mixed. .
In the meantime, our birds our crammed together in pens (they are normally free range); confused and stressed out; trying constantly to get out; as a result of the stress two more are exhibiting symptoms. We're hoping no more will catch it while they are crammed together in there.
We are quarantined indefinitely at this point by the State. We are pressuring the State as much as possible to investigate this and find out the source, so that no more birds (hopefully) suffer as ours have. Fortunately, our State does not require that we kill them all, althought I understand some States do
Please, people, for the sake of your birds:
1) Vaccinate them against this virus, if nothing else. It is not expensive, and I guess not too difficult to use.
2) The State vet told us if birds do come down with it, treat with antibiotic (we used Terramycin 4tsp per gallon and it was OK for us) although something stronger is probably better. The antibiotic helps the birds to fight off anything else that they might be dealing with, so that their immune systems have a better chance of fighting off the virus.
3) If your birds do exhibit symptoms of anything that doesn't respond quickly to antibiotics, or spreads through your flock, do everything possible to find out what it is. You might save someone else some grief.
Sorry but I just have to vent about this....I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this. Any questions, feel free to ask.
Fortunately we have only lost four birds at this point; but one Silky cross we loved very much, and our chicks lost their mom.
I know i've been on here lately a lot about this virus, but for those of you that dont know, I think I owe you the courtesy of letting you know.....
Our birds and we are going through Hell. ILT is a horrible, horrible virus...basically, the birds drown in their own blood from their throat in a matter of days. We have ordered the vaccine, which will help, but it took us all day to catch our birds and four have escaped again, so now we have to delay the vaccine til tomorrow as it only lasts two hours, once mixed. .
In the meantime, our birds our crammed together in pens (they are normally free range); confused and stressed out; trying constantly to get out; as a result of the stress two more are exhibiting symptoms. We're hoping no more will catch it while they are crammed together in there.
We are quarantined indefinitely at this point by the State. We are pressuring the State as much as possible to investigate this and find out the source, so that no more birds (hopefully) suffer as ours have. Fortunately, our State does not require that we kill them all, althought I understand some States do
Please, people, for the sake of your birds:
1) Vaccinate them against this virus, if nothing else. It is not expensive, and I guess not too difficult to use.
2) The State vet told us if birds do come down with it, treat with antibiotic (we used Terramycin 4tsp per gallon and it was OK for us) although something stronger is probably better. The antibiotic helps the birds to fight off anything else that they might be dealing with, so that their immune systems have a better chance of fighting off the virus.
3) If your birds do exhibit symptoms of anything that doesn't respond quickly to antibiotics, or spreads through your flock, do everything possible to find out what it is. You might save someone else some grief.
Sorry but I just have to vent about this....I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this. Any questions, feel free to ask.
Fortunately we have only lost four birds at this point; but one Silky cross we loved very much, and our chicks lost their mom.
