Kentucky people

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:

I was amazed he made me three flight cages - since he complained about the birds so often. He complains, then he builds me more housing (even for the chickens, did I mention I have 4 chicken coops?

)

I've heard that chickens cannot get colds, and I had thought before that it might have been dust making them snotty, but there isn't any dust now to do it, really. Well, I suppose inside the coop there is dust. If that Jap baby hadn't have gotten So sick, i woudl still probably have written it off to dust or some slight bug goign around. He was so bad off, though, his whole head swelled, and he had puss leaking out his eyes.

Oddly enough, the oegb girl got better after I turned off the heat lamp last night. I've had it running for them, thinking since they are so small it would help. I gave up on it, though, and turned it off last night, thinking if I'm gonna cull them anyway, why bother spending all that money on heat. So today I go to look and you'd never know she was sick at all. Weird - has me stumped.

I wonder if the heat lamp had anything to do with it (maybe a combo of heat/poo/dust/etc...) I do deep litter method, and it does get dusty in there.

hhmmmmm
meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Actually I tried the Tylan and after she got worse, I even stopped that, figuring to just cull the lot of them. Turned off the heat lamp, and she recovered overnight.

Now, I guess I'll have to research the problems one might have with too much heat on them. It didn't get that hot in there, really, just made a wamr place for them to get under if they got cold - it kept the water from freezing.

Maybe they needed a good cold night to kill something off that was bothering in there?

Could I have mold that I am not seeing and the cold kept it from irritating them? Mold would be good - I can work with that, better than something that makes them carriers for life.

I still plan to do the Oxine in there (if it ever comes - sheesh, ya pay 11 bucks shipping, you'd think they'd get on it and ship it already) so if I have mold maybe that would help kill it off.

Meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

It could be, but it's hard to say. I wouldn't think with as clean as your coops are, but you never know! I know with people mold can cause all sorts of problems! Maybe just put a regular light bulb in there to take the chill out, instead of a whole heat light.
Speaking of heat lights...

We got another bulb the other day since the one got broke and the other blew so quickly. Well, since the llight was outside, in a covered tractor but still outside, and we got all that rain the other day, the light bulb blew up!!

So now they have a 100w bulb, and that's what they are gonna have to live with. They aren't that young, they should be ok with that. At least those won't blow up if they get a little damp!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Maybe you should invest in a heater just for the waterers? I know with our baby tractor that only has a 100w light bulb the water never freezes in there, or it hasn't yet anyway. I might just get a fish tank heater to drop in my water so it doesn't freeze. But if I ever get around to making my coop, I won't need it. I plan to have electric ran to it, since I will have babies in there as well, so with heat lights for babies, it probably won't need it. I do need to do something about those bunnies' waterers though. The other two can't knock theirs down, cause they're on the outside of the cage, but they can't get it out either!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

check this out..... (well, everyone but Shelley, I PMd it to her,

)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fungal diseases

Aspergillosis (Brooder Pneumonia)

Aspergillosis has been observed in almost all birds and animals, including man. The disease is observed in one of two forms; acute outbreaks with high morbidity and high mortality in young birds, and a chronic condition affecting adult birds. It is more of a problem in turkeys than in chickens.

The condition is caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, a mold or fungus-type organism. Occasionally other types of molds are involved. These organisms are present in the environment of all poultry. They grow readily on many substances such as litter, feed, rotten wood and other similar materials.

The bird comes in contact with the organisms through contaminated feed, litter or premises. The disease is not contagious and does not spread from one bird to another. Most healthy birds can withstand repeated exposure to these organisms. Inhalation of large amounts of the infectious form of the mold or reduced resistance of the bird apparently results in infection. In adult turkeys, the disease more often affects the male.

In the acute form in young birds, main symptoms are gasping, sleepiness, loss of appetite and sometimes convulsions and death. Occasionally the organism invades the brain, causing paralysis or other forms of nervous symptoms. The more chronic form in older birds usually results in loss of appetite, gasping or coughing and a rapid loss of body weight. Mortality is usually low and only a few birds are affected at one time.
The disease produces hard nodular areas in the lungs and an infection of the air sacs. Sometimes the air sac lesions are similar to those produced by infectious sinusitis or CRD. In some birds, colonies of mold growth can be seen on the air sac membranes.

Diagnosis is usually made from history, symptoms and lesions. It may be necessary to base diagnosis on microscopic lesions.

The disease can usually be prevented by avoiding moldy litter, feed or premises. There is no treatment for the affected flock. Cleaning and disinfecting the equipment is often helpful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This would make sense - the deep litter, them splashing water so much, damp food (it is outside, will have to move it inside) the heat lamp probably helped it get moldier, it is only in the ONE coop (not passing to other coops).

Their litter is probably a good foot deep - will have to keep it less than that, I guess. I'll try the Oxine and less litter and put the food inside (and the water outside again) and see if that helps. I moved the water inside to keep it from freezing, but they splash so dang much and I have a wood floor in there (under the litter)

It would be VERY cool if this is my problem (can ya tell I am hopeful?)

So, if I remedy those problems, do the oxine a few times, and get no more sickies - I think I might have it licked. If I still get sickies, then I'll consider culling again.

I SO don't want to have to kill all those pretty chickens.

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Yeah, the coops are clean, but deep litter can hide a whole host of mold, I'm thinking. (hoping)

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

The mold might not explain the swollen sinuses, but that is a new thing - before it was just snot and lethargy.

Maybe the swelling is a secondary thing caused by the sinusitis type symptoms? That only happened in two of them - the Jap and Double (oegb pullet, just started to lay). Double's swelling wasn't that bad, thankfully, and it is gone, since I turned off the heat.

I know, I am trying to rationalize and make it so --- but I really want it to be a simple answer.

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

another article on fungi infections....

http://pekinbantams.co.uk/upperResp.asp

Ya know, this woud explain why the antibiotics have no effect on whatever this is.

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Cindy -

The barred rock now has a name - BC - short for Bad Chick!!

I changed the pad in the cage tonight, and she immediately began to scratch it up again, so I put my finger in the cage and wagged it at her and said "No, Naughty Chicken" - and she came over and bit my finger

Then she looked at me like "wag that finger again, see what I don't do to it next time".

She is so funny.

meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

Oh that is so cute! Do you use de in your coops? Maybe that would help if not. I know it's supposed to dry up a lot of things. Maybe you should keep their food inside and their water outside, so they can't spill it everywhere.