I'm losing chickens one by one

[phoenixbantam]

I am having a similar problem with my flock and I have to head up to Gainesville next week anyway, if anyone knows about UF being able to test the chickens I would love to know so I can bring one up with me and maybe find out what has been killing off my flock...

 

[mafaller]

Thanks Nathalie, I'm about to lose another one so I'm going to see if I can get her in.

Phoenixbantam, if I hear I'll pass along.

Sorry you are in a similar boat.

 

[mafaller]

I did lose her. I got a hold of a State of Florida Animal Diagnostics Laboratory in our town. They said $30 to cull a chicken and test it. No guarantees that they'll find out what's wrong, but it's my best shot. I'm going to take a rooster and a hen that both appear healthy, probably tomorrow. I'll let you guys know what I find out.

I didn't have to contact Gainesville, so I'm no help there. Sorry.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I am glad to hear this decision but shouldnt you have taken one ill bird ?

 

[dlhunicorn]

I have just come across this thread and the following caught my eye:
Quote:

The bedding is straw. They have water that is on a float so it is constantly full and I change it at least once a day. They have a hanging feeder and I usually spread some feed on the ground as well so the little ones can get food too.

If your birds did not have that "standard" one-leg-in-front-one-leg-in-back stance (Natalie/threehorses sent you a link with a photo showing this) typical of Mareks then the above info makes me suspect mycotoxin (especially if you were also feeding in that area and grains could have gotten lost in the damp straw bedding)... have you considered this?​

 

[mafaller]

dlhunicorn,

I'm not familiar with that particular illness, but I'll check into it. Thanks. Any and all suggestions are more than welcome. I read up on keeping chickens before I got these, but have since realized I know less than nothing about chickens.

I can take one ill bird, but all the birds appear healthy and then just die very quickly. The bird that died today was fine by all appearances yesterday, but today was falling asleep and laying around while I was in the coop. It got up to eat and I could tell it was not well (a little weak and sleepy acting). It died hours later. NONE of my roosters have died. I'm going to take one rooster and one hen in hopes that one of them will have whatever it is that eventually kills them. Does that makes sense?

By the way, it wasn't classic Mareks pose. The one chicken went completely lame in both feet overnight. I thought Marek's and immediately culled (I regret that now). The 2nd chicken went lame on one side and is still lame on one side all this time later. It seems to be growing less on that side, like true paralysis but it can move that leg and wing just not as well as the other side and it lays down as much as possible.

 

[mafaller]

Also, it's possible that things maybe were damp and maybe some food was in a damp area, although I tried to never let their feed be wet because I had read about ergot I believe. Their new coop is very dry and they've been there for about a month I'd guess without looking it up.

 

[mafaller]

Dropped my rooster and hen off this morning. I hate it that they appear so healthy, but maybe these necropsies will tell us something to prevent the loss of the others.

 

[mafaller]

Holy Moly, I just keep updating and updating. Doctor called with preliminary stuff. Said they had some parastite, roundworms, but that the load was minor. Tested for mycoplasms and some other stuff and all the tests were negative. He has cultured and sent off a bunch of other stuff that will take up to two weeks. Then I'll know more, hopefully. He said by all appearances they were healthy chickens with incredible fattening. They did test for synovia and galliseptica (spelling is wrong, I know) both negative. I think those were the mycoplasms?

 

[dlhunicorn]

well, you see that is why I thought of mycotoxin... it was so sudden (and with Mareks they usually die of starvation or dehydration and dont go belly up in one evening)...
... this usually means that the source has to be consumed > unfortunately this may mean you will only find it in a necropsy of a sick or deceased victim. I never use straw or hay because of molds and such (and the fact that the birds inevitable peck at it and often ingest it which can cause crop problems >impaction ).
ETA:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/203500.htm