I'm going to try to be as vague as possible because it's a small world.
Since I was a child, i've always wanted a very rare particular color of silkie. They're very hard to come by, and now, finally at 30 years old, I met someone with gorgeous stock who lives about an hour from me. She typically doesn't sell eggs or chicks as she's building out this color program, but she had some extra and was so incredibly kind and sold me 8 chicks ranging in age from a week to a month, and a dozen eggs. I drive home ecstatic.
...Two days later, two wake up with swollen eyes. Like their eyes are swollen shut. I gave them the last of my remaining denagard stash from show season, (only like a teaspoon), and then start oral Tylan 50. I also put Tylan in the water. By day 2, the initial two chicks are now wheezing and gasping, i continue medicating. More chicks develop the exact same symptoms. I buy LA 200, and put that in the water. The month old chick, my favorite, becomes symptomatic, and in desperation, I even start doing IM injected tylan with her. Denagard is of course completely unavailable locally, so from the onset of first birds symptoms tuesday, my denagard arrives thursday night. I dose everyone, several birds have no symptoms yet, but more develop the same ones friday and saturday. Everyone who's symptomatic, dies by saturday night. Leaving two chicks, who died today, with no symptoms. I'm at a total loss. I'm not sure what happened. My only thoughts are MG. But they weren't sick when I picked them up, at all. I put them in with my homegrown chick, and he was one of the last to develop symptoms, and also died (cried a lot about that too--he was my first Ayam Cemani out of my own flock's eggs). I don't think the starter was moldy. I didn't see any neurological features. I'm at a complete loss and really really upset. I've had poultry for most of my life and I've NEVER witnessed anything like this.
I'm not sure what this was. If it was mycoplasma, shouldn't it have responded to the the antibiotic? Why would they have kept dying? Even the ones with no symptoms?
Meanwhile, my thermometer I usually use in the incubator flat out broke, and I had to buy a new one. The model I typically use, is out of stock. Got one that had great ratings..Turns out its 3-6 degrees off. The eggs were toasted at 106 degrees, just candled and all blood rings. Not only are all my chicks dead, but the eggs and hope of having this color finally are gone too. I murdered these chicks and ruined these valuable eggs.
Any advice? And would you tell the breeder, if it were you? I don't feel like this is her fault, and I'm scared she'll hate me or blame me for killing them.
Since I was a child, i've always wanted a very rare particular color of silkie. They're very hard to come by, and now, finally at 30 years old, I met someone with gorgeous stock who lives about an hour from me. She typically doesn't sell eggs or chicks as she's building out this color program, but she had some extra and was so incredibly kind and sold me 8 chicks ranging in age from a week to a month, and a dozen eggs. I drive home ecstatic.
...Two days later, two wake up with swollen eyes. Like their eyes are swollen shut. I gave them the last of my remaining denagard stash from show season, (only like a teaspoon), and then start oral Tylan 50. I also put Tylan in the water. By day 2, the initial two chicks are now wheezing and gasping, i continue medicating. More chicks develop the exact same symptoms. I buy LA 200, and put that in the water. The month old chick, my favorite, becomes symptomatic, and in desperation, I even start doing IM injected tylan with her. Denagard is of course completely unavailable locally, so from the onset of first birds symptoms tuesday, my denagard arrives thursday night. I dose everyone, several birds have no symptoms yet, but more develop the same ones friday and saturday. Everyone who's symptomatic, dies by saturday night. Leaving two chicks, who died today, with no symptoms. I'm at a total loss. I'm not sure what happened. My only thoughts are MG. But they weren't sick when I picked them up, at all. I put them in with my homegrown chick, and he was one of the last to develop symptoms, and also died (cried a lot about that too--he was my first Ayam Cemani out of my own flock's eggs). I don't think the starter was moldy. I didn't see any neurological features. I'm at a complete loss and really really upset. I've had poultry for most of my life and I've NEVER witnessed anything like this.
I'm not sure what this was. If it was mycoplasma, shouldn't it have responded to the the antibiotic? Why would they have kept dying? Even the ones with no symptoms?
Meanwhile, my thermometer I usually use in the incubator flat out broke, and I had to buy a new one. The model I typically use, is out of stock. Got one that had great ratings..Turns out its 3-6 degrees off. The eggs were toasted at 106 degrees, just candled and all blood rings. Not only are all my chicks dead, but the eggs and hope of having this color finally are gone too. I murdered these chicks and ruined these valuable eggs.
Any advice? And would you tell the breeder, if it were you? I don't feel like this is her fault, and I'm scared she'll hate me or blame me for killing them.
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