Major Mortality rate what could be wrong with my flock? HELP PLEASE

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
Post #101 will answer your question.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Quote:
The OP made it clear that if anyone else wanted to call and talk to the state vet in Iowa on her behalf, they were welcome to. They aren't listening to her about this.

We're all ignorant as to the severity of this situation. None of us knows what is actually going on here. And none of us can sit at our computers and know for sure what is going on with some medical testing, which the OP is trying hard to get.

My hope is that this Dr. Schmitt fellow will have some presence of mind to realize that there is a situation here which calls for investigation.

 

[gamamachik]

SULMET!!! Sounds like they may have cocci, because of all the rain and possibly the bird that you took back had got some kind of disease...I am so sorry for all of your losses....

 

[speckledhen]

Now, the thread is cleaned. Stay focused and helpful, please. The OP is getting help from the proper people and doesn't need to be lambasted when she is doing what can be done to diagnose and correct the problem.



The OP said they can't have coccidiosis because they were on medicated feed. That is completely false. Amprolium in the feed helps a bit, but doesn't prevent cocci. That said, none of this sounds like cocci to me. I'm glad you're getting some real help now.

 

[bossynbella]

Well hopefully the vet will call us soon at least to rule out somethings. We have decided that if its not one of the two majors END and AI but is instead some virus we will destroy the chickens we have left as they could be carriers anyway. Of course the ducks and guineas and peacock could be as well, but we have less of them. We lost a duck today. She had been sick for three days. On Friday she looked like she was dead. My husband gave her an adult aspirin and forced water down her with a water bottle. She looked better yesterday but then today she was dead. This duck obviously died from the same thing that the chickens have been dieing from. I just so hope the other ducks don't get it. Still have had no guineas affected, so I hope the vet doesn't say we have to destroy them too. Still she said if its END or AI all the fowl will have to be destroyed. That being said I was curious. We have three in the entry way. A 8 week old Guinea keet that was with its mom for 3 days before it got wet and almost died so I brought it in and it has been in there ever since. With it is a 6 week old Barred Rock rooster that hatched from what I had thought was a guinea egg. I took it immediatly from the hen as she still had a week left with the other eggs. And there is also a 5 week old guinea keet that was taken at 2 days because it didn't like following the chicken who hatched it. Will we have to destroy these three as well? they have had no contact with the chickens since then. Anyway just wanted to update you. We have lost 6 chickens and one duck since the last time I posted.
Will let you know as soon as I hear back from the vet.
Thanks again
Melissa

 

[PunkinPeep]

Melissa, thank you so much for keeping us updated. Hope your job is going well and your other family emergencies are looking better than they were.

As to the babies in the house, i would expect (though i have never dealt with these people) that they would want ALL fowl to go, in or out. It is possible that you could carry whatever germs on your clothing or shoes, near the entry way birds, so i would think they would want to stop any possibility of spreading the disease, if indeed it is something AI or END.

I hope you find out something much less severe than this. I'm glad though, that you're willing to do what has to be done if necessary. I certainly don't envy your situation, but i respect your clear headedness to do what needs to be done.

 

[mypicklebird]

First of all, I am sorry for your multiple multiple losses, and hopefully you will have an answer soon you can live with.
Second, I feel the strong need to let you know- I think part or all of the problem lies in your open farm situation- if this turns out to be an infectious disease. In your list of how many chickens you have lost in the last year, you mention multiple visits to auctions & swaps. You brought multiple birds home from places which are a mixing ground for disease. Swaps & auctions are FUN, but actually a really great place to pick up diseases- like carrier birds and incubating birds. You also continued to sell birds during several months you were incurring deaths from this unknown cause. You were unknowingly or unwittingly are potentially spreading whatever this disease is to other peoples flocks. Maybe this is just a toxin or poison on your property- but if this is one of the nasty respiratory bugs- you have likely sold carriers or incubating birds to other people- and the cycle will continue. I know you would not willingly have someone else go through what you are going through. If you have not already done so, I really really recommend closing your flock-- NONE in NONE out, until you know what you are dealing with and have a solid plan in place. In the future, I would also seriously reconsider your buying habits at auction. Safest thing to bring in is chicks or hatching eggs from good hatcheries or breeders. Most dangerous is to bring in started or adult birds in from swaps IMO. Again, hope things turn around soon & you get some good news.

 

[bossynbella]

mypicklebird yes I know that. I guess I had just gotten lucky one to many times. Also my friend and I had planned to start raising a few breeds next year, and we only picked healthy looking birds. We did just fine until the last kalona auciton, and if I had actually bought the birds I thought I was bidding on... I doubt this would of been an issue. I plan on do nothing but buying hatching eggs next year. As far as spreading it. I have kept in contact with the people who have boughten from us in the past. So far so good. No one has lost any birds, except for my friend who took home the polish from my house. She lost everything she had at her house except one barred rock cockerel who is alive and doing great!
Work is going okay. I am sooo tired though. My sister has surgery on thursday, they found she has not only pancreatic cancer but also bileduct canter. It also sounds like the surgery could very well do as much harm as good. She will be layed up for a long while afterwords and the survival rate with the surgery is still only a year and a half. I hope to be able to go out and see her soon. So I am keeping hopefull and praying that everything will turn out okay but I am also trying to be realistic and deal with what may happen.
Thanks for all the support
Melissa

 

[drumstick diva]

bossynbella, my prayers go out to you and your sister.

 

[bambi]

Melissa, my prayers are with you and your family