Lost a lot of my chicks! Help

[Lisa Thorne]

I would start them all on Corid asap...they do NOT have to have bloody poops to have Coccidiosis.

I am not too sure what you should do with the others (sicklier) ones...

What exactly are their symptoms?

At this point you can't just only get rid of the older ones...if they do have a disease the others have already been exposed.

It they haven't died yet they may not die...they may pull through.

My only concern if they pull through is will they contaminate others in later years and will my eggs be good? I want more than just two.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Though they are more expensive and don't last as long as the big heat bulbs, I buy either black night heat or red night heat reptile bulbs.

I have those 100 watt incandescent light bulbs burn out really fast.

I have also used the red bulbs, if you read the package they even tell you they have different heating zones and the temperature it will make at x distance from the ground with what temp your house is. Really, getting familiar with body language is going to be the best thing. And that will come! Experience is the mother of all teachers.

I currently have a ceramic heat emitter. It is 100 or 150 (can't remember), and screws directly into the lamp socket. It puts off zero light. All chicks sleep all night! I use a standard florescent lamp for daytime lighting. Only thing I don't like about it is not being able to tell by looking if it's working or not. Of course watching the chicks tells me, once they are in there but while I'm setting it up I have to stick my hand down there.

There are 9 strains of Cocci. Only 1 presents as blood in the feces.

I agree that any respiratory illness you have was not brought in by the hatchery chicks, but rather the home breeder.

If you are just having birds for your own family and not planning a big breeding program... I wouldn't cull the chicks. It's true they may get sick when they get older and become under stress. But so can any other bird. And for my breeding program I will not breed any that had any illness. But before we had some meat processing under our belts, no way I could have culled a chick. Now I am faced with a farmer mentality, and cull immediately if I suspect certain things because I cannot afford to lose my whole flock and weakened immunity is inviting disease to come live among them.

Marans in my experience are quite hardy birds.

Glad you finally went a day without losing any. Did you decide yet if you were going to postpone or cancel you expected shipment?

Your eggs will be fine in the future!

 

[speckledhen]

I have those 100 watt incandescent light bulbs burn out really fast.

I have also used the red bulbs, if you read the package they even tell you they have different heating zones and the temperature it will make at x distance from the ground with what temp your house is. Really, getting familiar with body language is going to be the best thing. And that will come! Experience is the mother of all teachers.

I currently have a ceramic heat emitter. It is 100 or 150 (can't remember), and screws directly into the lamp socket. It puts off zero light. All chicks sleep all night! I use a standard florescent lamp for daytime lighting. Only thing I don't like about it is not being able to tell by looking if it's working or not. Of course watching the chicks tells me, once they are in there but while I'm setting it up I have to stick my hand down there.

There are 9 strains of Cocci. Only 1 presents as blood in the feces.

I agree that any respiratory illness you have was not brought in by the hatchery chicks, but rather the home breeder.

If you are just having birds for your own family and not planning a big breeding program... I wouldn't cull the chicks. It's true they may get sick when they get older and become under stress. But so can any other bird. And for my breeding program I will not breed any that had any illness. But before we had some meat processing under our belts, no way I could have culled a chick. Now I am faced with a farmer mentality, and cull immediately if I suspect certain things because I cannot afford to lose my whole flock and weakened immunity is inviting disease to come live among them.

Marans in my experience are quite hardy birds.

Glad you finally went a day without losing any. Did you decide yet if you were going to postpone or cancel you expected shipment?

Your eggs will be fine in the future!

Experience, yes, the best teacher, but getting it, well, we all know it's a tricky road to travel! Some, I wish I didn't even have, that's for sure. The internet can be a blessing and a curse at the same time, with conflicting information and sorting it out, well, you know how that goes.

About the reptile bulbs, I find that plugging and unplugging them limits their life a lot. If I plug in one for an old hen at the beginning of winter, I just leave it on all winter long-the black ones don't emit any light, not really, so it won't disturb them. If we have warm days, I can raise up the fixture. Leaving them on all winter helps them last for at least one season. Sometimes, they'll go a second season, or part, but they seem to be a better way to go than the bigger heat lamp bulbs, having a limited area they heat so that the hens really can't get used to being too warm in winter, in case the power goes out. But, the ceramic emitters are also a good thing-I just haven't bought any yet. I'll need to soon, though, may like them better.

I buy the reptile bulbs for about $4 each if I find a deal online rather than the $8-10 each at a pet store.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

About the reptile bulbs, I find that plugging and unplugging them limits their life a lot.

I wonder if that would be alleviated by using a power strip with it's own switch.

I discover at my LFS... they have a standard mark up regardless of the price they paid. So they don't change the price on the shelf to match all of them at the same price. They put the new price on the new ones. And sometimes it is a $3 difference for the SAME bulb, I discovered! Now I know not to send an employee to grab a bulb for me. $4 is a good price.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The older ones are sneezing, molding, and gasping for air. The baby ones have no symptoms and since I have made the brooder cooler and put electrolytes in the water and been on the pasty butt haven' lost any yet! The old ones eat and drink. They never had pasty butt. But look like they might have a respiratory issue.....My only concern if they pull through is will they contaminate others in later years and will my eggs be good? I want more than just two.

Glad to hear the pasty butt is getting better

The older ones are sneezing (Molting?) and gasping for air? Can you post a video of them?

It's very possible they may have a respiratory illness - there are so many factors, without testing, it's hard to know. There are different respiratory diseases like Aspergillosis from mold, viral diseases like ILT and Infectious Bronchitis (IB) and bacterial diseases like Mycoplasma and Infectious Coryza. If it is viral, antibiotics won't help unless there is secondary infection. Mycoplasma (MG) and Infectious Coryza do respond to antibiotic treatment, but there is no cure for any of these. Viral illnesses like IB would have to run it's course and can make birds carriers for up to a year. MG and Infectious Coryza make your birds and those exposed/housed together carriers for life. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

To answer your question - at this point IF you feel they have a contagious respiratory disease, then you will want to consider all of these birds carriers (unless you have testing to get a definitive answer). They can pass the illness to any new birds introduced in the future. A lot depends on your goals. If you are breeding and plan on selling/trading/giving away hatching eggs, chicks, started pullets, etc. then having an illness would definitely put a kink in your plans. Most people would cull all, clean and start over. IF these are for your own use, then managing symptoms as they arise, culling very sick birds and keeping a closed flock may be a better approach, just be aware that future birds may or may not develop symptoms, but any you add would be considered carriers.

As for if the eggs are good (to eat?) yes, as far a I know, eggs are fine to consume when you follow proper handling and cooking guidelines. Respiratory illnesses can impact the quality and production of the eggs - for instance with IB you may see wrinkled shells or watery albumen. Certain illnesses like MG can also be transmitted vertically into the embryo making future chicks carriers as well.

 

[Lisa Thorne]

I have those 100 watt incandescent light bulbs burn out really fast.

I have also used the red bulbs, if you read the package they even tell you they have different heating zones and the temperature it will make at x distance from the ground with what temp your house is. Really, getting familiar with body language is going to be the best thing. And that will come! Experience is the mother of all teachers.

I currently have a ceramic heat emitter. It is 100 or 150 (can't remember), and screws directly into the lamp socket. It puts off zero light. All chicks sleep all night! I use a standard florescent lamp for daytime lighting. Only thing I don't like about it is not being able to tell by looking if it's working or not. Of course watching the chicks tells me, once they are in there but while I'm setting it up I have to stick my hand down there.

There are 9 strains of Cocci. Only 1 presents as blood in the feces.

I agree that any respiratory illness you have was not brought in by the hatchery chicks, but rather the home breeder.

If you are just having birds for your own family and not planning a big breeding program... I wouldn't cull the chicks. It's true they may get sick when they get older and become under stress. But so can any other bird. And for my breeding program I will not breed any that had any illness. But before we had some meat processing under our belts, no way I could have culled a chick. Now I am faced with a farmer mentality, and cull immediately if I suspect certain things because I cannot afford to lose my whole flock and weakened immunity is inviting disease to come live among them.

Marans in my experience are quite hardy birds.

Glad you finally went a day without losing any. Did you decide yet if you were going to postpone or cancel you expected shipment?

Your eggs will be fine in the future!

Well today we lost 2. The last of the Americauna and a Bigger Marin. I checked temp before bed. It was at 90. Then this morning it was at 70. I think they froze. They are in a brooder in the garage. It may be that the brooder is to large for the small amount noe and they need a smaller one to keep warm. I want to sell the eggs.. but not breed.My husband says cull. I just spent so much money it' hard to do it... Yet, I am thinking it must be done. The big ones even with meds sound the same.. Little ones have pasty butt again and are over a week old. I have electrolytes put a little hard boiled egg.. they seem fine.

Are Americauna breed sensitive??

 

[chickens really]

What you do nit understand is the ambient temp drops over night..So during the day it's 90 but falls over night...

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Are Americauna breed sensitive??

No Ameraucana or Easter Eggers don't seem any more sensitive to things than any other. I find them to be mostly hardy as well, though a mixed bag when it comes to personality and laying reliability.

You mean sell eggs for eating, not for hatching? Shouldn't be a problem.

Some chicks that struggle, pasty but can persist even for a couple of weeks. Could be genetic, brooder, or feed related. Keep on top of it is all you can do.

Whatever you decide, I don't think is an easy choice. If you do cull, how long will it stay at your place? Will your place ever be considered free of it? If so, then I might count my losses, cry some and cull, then cry a little more. If it won't be free for a really long time, then I would fight the good fight and consider the birds that survive to be survival of the fittest and keep and enjoy them.

Although the cold might be what did in the 2 most recent losses, If they had the same thing as others I would consider the necropsy route so you have a very clear understanding of what you're facing. Might give you a better idea of the best way to move forward. Did you already get the links to do that?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures.799747/

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

For me the harder part of culling is the energy and care/bonding that went in to trying to save their lives. $ are secondary to my mental health. Look long term and see if you were looking back 5 years from now, what would you have done? Not with all your experience you gain between now and then but with the knowledge you do have now. Whatever sets right in your heart, you are the one who has to live with the decision. And I know your hubby only wants YOU to be happy! Sometimes the peace that comes from making that very difficult decision far outweighs the pain of having had to make it.

No matter what you decide will probably take a little while for your heart and brain to not be expecting death around the corner. And for chicken keeping to really become in your life the joy that it truly can be. Hang in there, it isn't all bad!

 

[Lisa Thorne]

Hello all,
Update. Unfortunately I lost all the chicks except a white speckled hen. She has no symptoms of the possible respiratory infection.

I culled all that had the symptoms. I got 15 new Americauna. I bought the Brinson or however it's spelled heater. I kept all indoors. I used medicated feed. Then at 2 weeks put pine shavings down. They are now 5 weeks. Looked real good. It's still to cold here to our them outside. I moved them to the garage. I cleaned and dryer the wood surroundings that the last sick ones were around. I placed them in a larger brooder but changed the bedding to wood shavings. They're thinner than the shavings. Today, I noticed our favorite girl sneeze. I watched her closet, she kept rubbing her beak in the ground. Then she'd neeze again. She has no swollen eyes, no runny nose, no raspy squeak, no gasping for air yet. I am not sure if the new bedding is effecting her or I PRAY she doesn' have the respiratory illness. I removed her from the rest and the bedding. She's back inside. Shes eating and drinking normal.The other bird is no where near her.
None of the others are sneezing. They are way older than the last flock that died. Those never made it past 3 weeks. Any advice? Thoughts? Comments? I swear I did what everyone had suggested. Is there a virus in my garage?? Im so scared I'm going to lose all again.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

So sounds like she may just be sneezing from the new bedding. I wouldn't have her separated.

Did you ever figure out what it was that was effecting your previous birds? Knowing that can help you discover if it is something on your land that will effect all future birds or not. Or if there is a period of time that makes it safe for reintroduction.

So if you did what everyone suggested... how did the necropsy come back?

I hope these ones don't succumb to whatever was plaguing the last bunch. Your girl that survived may not be infected per say, but she is definitely a carrier. Maybe with better resistance! Even though she is not close by, it may be lingering on your clothes type stuff. True quarantine is difficult to achieve for most people.

Pics always welcome!