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

[kathyinmo]

Are you talking to the state or to a local vet? The state dept should be at your house immediately. I would be on the phone raising all kinds of stink, that's for sure. You need to DEMAND that they come to your house immediately. PM me with your phone number and I will get on the phone with them for you, if you don't want to.

By the way .... I have a home in Iowa, also.

 

[icemanchicken]

hello I just joined the forum to try to help you. I am no vet and very new to chickens all together, but ive seen this already. I recently purchased some young Delawares from a local market, and some Black copper Marans from a reputable breeder. The breeder was kind enough to point out to me that the 8 hens and 2 Roos that I bought were in fact 10 roos! Lol. So i stopped by a friends house and dropped them off to free range around his place. Upon removing the BCM's from my truck i noticed one of them not looking to well, and my hens started attacking them so i moved them to another pen. 24 hours later the BCM's eyes were swollen shut and she was gasping for air. 12 hours later one of my laying hens dropped dead. 12 hours later the BCM died and another one was sick. Like i said before im new to chickens so i tried washing the chickens eyes and found that they were filled with white puss. I looked around the net for those symptoms and didnt find much either so i called my local breeder and he said that there is a recent epidemic around my area (Alabama) going around the markets and auctions that was spreading a Respiratory infection. He said that it affects some birds and some it doesnt and that it affects all breeds differently. He also told me to go to the local feed store and buy some detramycin (tetracycline) antibiotic and mix it with the water. Of coarse i took his advice and did this, all the sick chickens i fed by hand and gave them treated water with an oral syringe. Its been a week now and i havnt lost any more chickens and the sick ones are almost %100. Not sure if this is your problem but the symptoms seem alot alike. Hope this helps and GL with your birds.

 

[le neige homme]

Kathy is totally right. It's gonna be like E.T. up in there and I won't be surprised if they burn everything.

got biosecurity?

 

[kathyinmo]

No one should be telling YOU to do a necropsy. He told you to disect the bird??? OMG!!! THEY need to be doing it!

I would start by calling the state vet .... Dr. David Schmitt. I am sure he is interested! If not him, keep calling all the way up to the Secretary of Agriculture. You WILL get someone's attention. KEEP CALLING!!!! Get them out to your house today! Scream and cry and yell, do whatever you have to, but DEMAND they get out there now! If these contacts don't help you, call the FEDERAL Dept. Here are some state contacts for you ....

Iowa Department of Agriculture:
http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/animalIndustry.asp

http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/emailContact/index.asp

Bill Northey- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
Position Secretary of Agriculture
Address 502 E 9th St
City Des Moines
ZipCode 50319
Phone 515-281-5322
Fax
Bureau Administration
---------------------------------------------------
Dr. David
Last Name Schmitt
Position State Veterinarian
Address 502 E 9th St
City Des Moines
ZipCode 50319
Phone 515-281-8601
Fax
Bureau Animal Industry
-------------------------------------------
Dr. Randy
Last Name Wheeler
Position Assistant State Veterinarian
Address 502 E 9th St
City Des Moines
ZipCode 50319
Phone 515-281-0866
Fax
Bureau Animal Industry
---------------------------------------------
Gary
Last Name Johnson
Position Bureau Chief
Address 502 E 9th St
City Des Moines
ZipCode 50319
Phone 515-281-5597
Fax
Bureau Meat & Poultry Inspection
----------------------------------------
Janis
Last Name Hochstetler
Position
Address 502 E 9th St
City Des Moines
ZipCode 50319
Phone 515-281-8858
Fax
Bureau Meat & Poultry Inspection
------------------------------------------
Deb
Last Name O'Neil
Position
Address 502 E 9th St
City Des Moines
ZipCode 50319
Phone 515-281-8600
Fax
Bureau Meat & Poultry Inspection

 

[Winsor Woods]

Well Said, Kathy! I just checked in to see what developments happened and I was so shocked to read the vet's response. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I was so ready to say the same things that others have about staying on the phone and being a squeaky wheel. It's close to unforgiveable the way they're handling this. Time is EVERYTHING here. I feel so bad for OP and her family with all the losses and the lack of support from the local area.

Dan

 

[CityChicker]

I agree with everything Kathy has said. I can't believe a vet told you that, let alone a vet with the state vet's office. I was born and raised in this industry and what you are saying is just not right. They don't tell someone, especially someone like you that is so blatantly obviously "green", to necropsy their own bird. It just doesn't happen. If you talked to someone at the state vet's office and they honestly told you that it was probably some undergrad research assistant or someone doing a summer internship (no offense to either). When you mention the losses you are having and the symptoms you are seeing, and especially say the word "Newcastle's", the response you supposedly got is NOT one you would get from any real veterinarian (and if they are really a vet and responded that way, they have no business being a vet, period).

I am not convinced this would be Newcastle's, but this is not something that I can tell you nor can anyone here on a website like this. You need to get veterinary care for your birds and have proper testing done, including necropsies of the dead birds. I will really have to bite my tongue or else I will say something very unkind. You NEED TO TREAT THIS SERIOUSLY. Get on the phone and get to the bottom of this. You are coming across very "lack-a-daisical". Pen up your birds ASAP and begin to truly monitor them. You might start with finding out how many you have and how many are dying. That might be a better approach than just waiting to find bodies. Seriously, in fairness to everyone else in this hobby and as a courtesy to the poultry industry, take this seriously and get the state on it IMMEDIATELY. If it is Newcastle's, you are putting the livelihoods of so many people in danger. Problems as you are describing don't typically just solve themselves without taking action other than getting advise on a backyard chicken forum.

 

[kathyinmo]

Please update us. I sure hope you had some luck and contacted the state.
Best wishes.

 

[easttxchick]

Can I get your permission to send this thread to the Inspector for the State of Texas to see what his thoughts are?
Can't hurt to get several opinions, right?

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I think she would appreciate that. She is begging for answers here, I believe. That is very thoughtful of you!

 

[easttxchick]

Bossynbella,
I sent a link to this thread to the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab which is attached to Texas A&M University.
I asked our poultry inspector(actually I begged him) to please look at this and give us an opinion as to what could be going on with your birds.
I am so hoping I get a response from him. Of course, IF he responds, I will certainly post his opinion.