Yes I am still located in Iowa. I contacted the veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Ames today this morning the vet was out. When I called back at 4:30 i talked to a vet and explained the symptoms, I said there where lots of chickens who had died one duck and though I wasn't positive of the connection a rabbit, deer and calf that where in contact with the chickens died as well. He zeroed in on the fact I brought home chickens from an auction and said it sounded like Fowl pox to him. We are suppose to dissect a chicken who died and look in the windpipe for yellow mucus stuff or blood if that is present it is Fowl pox. I have been reading up on fowl pox and it doesn't sound like it at all to me. Still tomorrow we will do that. We had already buried the chickens who died today. We have been burying them 3' deep. Though our yard is starting to look like a graveyard instead of a farmyard, the other chickens are not scratching or bothering with the area we are burying them in. We are to call the vet back tomorrow and let him know what we found.
I feel like this is all my fault from buying at Kalona, I have gone there and brought home chickens, ducks, and rabbits, even a miniture horse three times this year and never had a problem, Still I don't think I will be going back again.
I contacted the person who returned the buff cockerel she said hers are all fine except she had one with a gunky eye the other day, they took it to their vet and he put it on antibiotics and said it was just and eye infection but it worries me. Thinking back on it. The auction was on a Saturday and she returned the buff the following Monday, so which ever way the infection came her chick I traded her for was exposed. All our Guineas seem fine.
Another difficulty we have is that because they free range and we have so many right now (with mine and my friends combined) its hard to tell if we have lost any unless we find the bodies. I have considered penning them all up but it seems like that may just spread the infection faster. I know I saw one of my friends black Americana 4 month old chicks looking sick the other day, but today I couldn't find it anywhere, dead or alive. I wonder how many other times this has happened.
Thinking of the hatchery, we have had nothing but bad luck this year with our chicks. We ordered 28 buff orpingtons and 28 black australorps my friend ordered 28 Golden Polish, 28 White Orpingtons, and 10 Bantam golden laced cochins from Mcmurray as well as 28 California whites from Welp. She lost all but 10 of the Golden polish the first week and they reshipped them to her. Over the next few weeks we lost quite a few California whites, black australorps, polish, and bantam cochins. When they reshipped her polish she kept them at her house and that same day that the lady traded the chicks , my friend took home the 5 Polish and 1 bantam cochin that where left at my house. We lost alot of chicks early on i just attributed it to trying to raise to many at one time. In fact I said a couple times never again will we try to raise more then 25 chicks at a time. Could it be something that the chicks had from the time they hatched on?... I just don't know. Anyway We lost three today, one full grown 2year old Barred rock, and two buff orpington 3 month olds. I have a 4 month old blue silky who doesn't look good, and just watching the others walk around you can pick out between 5 and 10 that could be coming down with whatever it is. I noticed some have the green watery stools but honestly those are the ones who look the healthiest. I just don't know. I will update you all again tomorrow after the autopsy and my conversation with the vet.
Thanks for all the help and support I don't know what I would do without u all.
Melissa
