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

Boosynbella, do you have a compost pile? I am leaning towards a virus/bacteria infection of some sort. But something to think about: I had a dog, cat and chickens get sick with the watery, mucousy greenish diarrheaand actually to young cats died and like your pets the deaths came fast. I kept thinking they were being poisoned as well. I wondered what could be getting all different types of animals sick. I started to get paniced and thought about calling for help. As I was researching to see what was going on I came across several articles about composts and how they can poison animals. Our compost is near a hill that when it rains the run off forms a pretty good puddle. So my animals were drinking the run off water. We actually did away with our compost pile until we find a better location, and coincidentally no more sick animals. I never had my pets tested, but I believe from the symptoms and the fact they got better when the compost was remove, that was the problem. They would be fine one day then the next, extremely sick and die very shortly after. If the calf and deer deaths are not related to the chickens maybe this is a possibility.
 
I did not think that it was Fowl Pox simply because the info you gave on the symptoms just didn't match. But at least you have something started now. I hope they can figure this out quick!!!

I'll be away for a few days, but please update....best of luck to you!!!!
 
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I hate to say this but I had horrible luck with Mcmurrays birds. Our first go with chickens we got 50 from them, lost 28 over the course of 2 weeks. They were dropping like flies. This was years ago tho but if memory serves me right not too long ago I read a thread on here of folks who had similar problems with Mcmurrays and that there was something going on within the hatchery. I am sooo sorry for your losses
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Well there are none dead this morning to test. I wish the vet would of just let me send some into him to test. I have three sick birds right now. Could just kill and test one of them but how do you go about killing a chicken without cutting into the windpipe? which I would assume would mess up the results because it would let blood into the windpipe right?
I do not think it is Fowl Pox either I have been looking at pictures (just searching Fowl pox and Newcastle disease on google but only looking for images) and it looks nothing like Fowl Pox and everything like NewCastle Disease. The vet didn't take me very seriously as far as that went though. I have no idea how it could of gotten all the way to Iowa without someone else noticing but those chicks I saw on google images look just like mine.
I haven't had a lot of luck with mcmurray either but they have so many more breeds that are sexed then others and they are cheaper, still in the long run I'm not sure its worth it.
We do not have a compost pile. Our dogs and cat that live outside all the time are just fine. I think the rabbit was unrelated. All are rabbits are doing great, and they have the same water as the chickens and ducks. As to the deer and the calf I listed it because I wasn't sure. I'm still not sure but I wonder if they had a low immune system anyway ( the deer had been bottle fed since they found it) and the calf was one of a set of twins if they didn't catch the mild form of Newcastle that can affect mammals it says it just gives them a case of conjunctivitis or mild flue like symptoms but because they already had the lowered immune system they died from it?
I will keep you informed as to what happens today.
Melissa
 
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Is the person you talked to a State Vet type person or a local vet?

It definitely doesn't sound anything like fowl pox.

I would think the state would want to know about something like this.

I'm eager to hear what real answers you get and very sorry for your loss and your trouble.
 

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