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

[nuchickontheblock]

Bossynbella,
I have no words of advice -- just a word of encouragement. I would imagine that you have been busy the past few days and hopefully have been able to take it one day at a time getting through this difficult situation. All my prayers that you are doing OK.
Take care of yourself if possible while you are taking care of your family and your flock.
When you have the time and energy, your friends at BYC would like to know how you are managing.
Paula

 

[drumstick diva]

I think in one of the ops last postings she said no more had died. Maybe she feels the "event" is over and no reason to add any comment. We're feeling cheated tho out of "the rest of the story,", as the late Paul Harvey would have said.

 

[bossynbella]

I am so sorry it has taken me this long to get back on here. First know that I am not in any way taking this lightly however other things have been happening that have taken me away from being able to deal with this the way I should be. I found out last week my sister has pancreatic cancer and has at the most a year and half to live. Whats worse is she is in Colorado and I have no job and no money to be able to go out and see her. She will have surgery which is very risky in a week, if she makes it through that she will have to have chemo. Along with that my in-laws live near the Wapsipinicon River and we had to spend last weekend down there, My husband and his friend have been working on their trailer for a few weeks and they had over 5,000 dollars worth of siding and what not laying on the ground. So Me and my DH had to pick it all up put it in a wagon and move it out of the way of the flood waters. Which just went down enough for them to get out yesterday.

Now as to what is going on. The place I called was the Iowa State University: Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Ames Iowa.
Ste 4700, 2711 South Loop Drive
Ames, IA 50010-8664
(515) 294-1950
I was as surprised as you when he asked me to do it myself. We have tried three times and can not tell if there is yellow stuff or blood in the windpipe, I admit I was so frustrated at that point I took a couple day break. We also did not loose any chickens for two days last week. Then on Tuesday of this week we lost 9! I do believe whatever it is came from the hens I brought home from Kalona because they are all dead now.
I must be a retard because somehow it didn't occur to me that they could get the wildlife sick! I will pen them up today. Part of my problem is that i am looking for work, my husband is looking for work. We have no income at the moment, so free ranging them was helping with the amount of feed I was having to give them.
After Tuesday we are back to loosing 2-3 a day. If someone else wants to try to deal with the state vet for me go for it. I have to say I try to stand up for myself but when someone who is a licensed veterinarian is telling me what to do I have a hard time saying No that's not what is going to happen.
Otherwise I will Try some of the other vets. Disease may not rest over the weekend but state vets seem to. There is no one in those offices on Sat, and Sun.
Anything else you have to offer would be great. I have a job interview this afternoon at Wal-Mart and then have to go to In-laws to help clean up from the flooding. But will be back here sometime tonight and will try to check this then or tomorrow morning.
Thanks
Melissa

 

[bossynbella]

I just emailed Dr. David Schmitt , State Veterinarian. I will let you know what he tells me.
Thanks again for all your support
Melissa

 

[PunkinPeep]

Melissa, what a week you're having!

When you called the university, did you discuss sending them a dead chicken for necropsy? Maybe if they won't come to your place and show some interest, they would if you sent them one of the losses, and they discovered the problem.

Short of that, i'm very sorry to say, that i think i would seriously consider culling this flock to prevent whatever this is from spreading any further.

So sorry for all your difficulty lately.

Further - and slightly off topic - i encourage you to not take the doctors' word for how long your sister is going to live. There is awesome power in faith-filled prayer, and also simply in hope and a good attitude. Don't let doctors (who don't really know everything) tell her when to die. Many blessings and prayers to you and yours.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Oh my goodness. Best wishes to you and yours and I hope you get this sorted out quickly!

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Thank you for taking the time to let us know. Sounds like you have more than just a full plate.
This probably won't be a popular view...but you and your husband and family come first.
People, and jobs, and family, and life and death issues with people come before chickens.

I'm not in your shoes so I cannot tell you what to do. If it were me, then I'd sit down with a cup or a glass of whatever works for you and decide your priorities because it sounds like you just can't do it all. Any one of the issues you are facing is enough to be considered a lot...there is a limit to what one person can take on.
You just might have to put some things down and walk away from them and I do not see putting down jobs, and family before chickens happening.

I don't know if it is advisable to dig a big hole to bury them and cull them all...it would have to be what I'd do but I'm not in your position. Then I'd disinfect everything and start all over again. That will be devastating and a huge disappointment but you may have little choice. Think next Spring when things may be easier for you. I find when I try to do too much that I end up doing nothing 'right' or very well. Your job, your husband's job, your sister, and family in trouble all will trump chickens as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure that your chicken issues will for some be of paramount importance to them...but you have to do what is best for you and your family even if that does not meet with everyone's approval.

If the vet or the state does not want to address the issue that does not turn anything into your job or your responsibility to figure out what is wrong. I think it is my responsibility to make sure my chickens don't spread disease throughout my neighborhood...but I can make sure of that with a big deep hole. You are not going to make everyone on this board happy no matter what you do. Don't try. You have enough else to handle.

Good Luck with your interview...

 

[bossynbella]

Well I was just outside and honestly we still have over 50 chickens! Not to mention ducks, and guineas Im not sure its feasable to simply cull and bury 50 chickens!It doesn't help me any that over half of those chickens are not mine. They are my friend Anna's She can not take them to her house even if she did have a place set up for them because they could be infected even though at the moment they are healthy and look good. I have considered that many times though and am still considering it. Simply killing and burying or burning all the chickens. I would just like a proffesional opinion about what this is. I would hate to do that and then find out that those that don't die would of been fine. If I do end up going that route I will probably only kill the chickens. Leaving the ducks and guineas as we have not lost one in a long while. Cleaning and disenfecting the coop/garage and keeping the ducks and guineas over the winter. The crazy thing is that I had only planned to have 20-30 chickens this year. I was downsizing because when you end up with this many there is no way to really KNOW the chickens. I miss being able to name every chicken I had and recognize them all and know when something was wrong or one was missing. Taking Anna's chickens was suppose to be short term it ended up long term and now... well they pretty much have to stay here till we find out whats wrong with them or till they die. The amount of food that 50 some chickens, 17 ducks, and 4 guineas one of which has 12 keets with her, eat in a day is amazing we are going through two 50lbs of cracked corn and two 40lb bags of layer feed a week. And they free range and still mob us every time we go outside to do anything.
One spot of what could be good news but these days seems almost like bad news. A while ago before we knew what was going on and realized they where sick we took some turkey eggs from my father in law. The mother turkey was killed when they mowed hay and we took the 6 eggs which sat for three days before I put them under my broody hen. Well now we have two baby turkeys. I hate to sound pessimistic but they will probably die soon.

Such cute little things too. Well I have to go get ready for my interview soon. Will upload the pictures I just took of the flock sometime soon. Who knows maybe the last pictures I get of them.

 

[le neige homme]

I still don't believe you're taking it seriously enough. I'll almost believe that you think you are, but you're just ignorant to the severity of the situation.

It's something like this that's going to get backyard chickens banned all over the place, right after the state issues the order to destroy/burn all flocks within X miles of you.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Just exactly is it you expect her to do? Offer a suggestion or help...

How ANYONE can judge what someone else takes seriously or not is a mystery to me.
I see no ignorance to the severity of this issue. Seems like the severity is being properly addressed.

Does anyone know for sure what the 'laws' are in Iowa?
Without a court order the 'authorities' have the right to go on private property and destroy more private property?

I'm going to stick my neck out here and suggest that this incidence is not in any degree going to get backyard chickens banned.
That's a lot of laws to get changed anytime within OH, say...ten years? Twenty?

It appears the state doesn't have much interest...it does not sound likely they care enough to issue anything.