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

[nuts4chickens]

It has to be something that can infect several different types of species and is easily transmitted, or even airborne. Tularemia can infect several species according to a web search I just did on my blackberry. I can't really research it well because I only have access to my blackberry right now and it is very difficult to navigate different web pages. Whatever it is, it sure sounds pretty scary. I hope you are able to get to the bottom of it very soon. Maybe you should burn the carcasses. Please keep us updated! How are they doing today?

 

[perolane]

easttxchick is correct....only that one strain was eradicated, there are still others.

Everything I've looked at points to Newcastles....all of the symptoms match....and THERE ARE STRAINS transmissable to fowl, mammals, & humans. I can't stress enough the importance of sanitary measures here...protect your family!!!


"The most virulent strains can cause up to 90% mortality, damaging nervous and respiratory systems. Nervous symptoms can include depression and paralysis, for example. Respiratory problems can include coughing and gasping. But other problems could include swelling around the eyes, diarrhoea, and damage to egg development."



I hope with all my heart that all of this is wrong...please call soon & keep us informed!!!

 

[Winsor Woods]

Quote:
Wow! I just read through that link. Scary stuff. In my untrained opinion, I think this is a very strong possibility.

OP, please keep us posted. Under your avatar, your home is listed as Iowa. Are you still there? I can understand an outbreak in CA back in 2002 because it's a coastal border state. If you do have NVD, I'd be very interested in how it arrived in the heart of our country. Hopefully it can be isolated with a minimum amount of damage. I sure do feel for you. Keep meticulous notes and start writing everything down. Start with your original post you made here at BYC and then keep adding to it as you remember more and more specifics. Nothing is too minor of a detail to exclude. This will be a great help when the State Vet starts their investigation. It sounds like there are three likely sources, the buff roo lady, the auction, and the hatchery. If it was the hatchery, then who knows where they shipped the NVD to. Hopefully it wasn't them. While you can remember, write down everything you can remember about Buff Roo lady. Her name, address, phone number, (Did she pay by check or cash?), height, weight, vehicle make model, license plate? They're going to want to talk to her. It's not about causing trouble for her, it's about preventing trouble for lots and lots of people.

Dan

 

[Lorije1]

just wondering if OP was able to do any follow up on this?

 

[honeydoll]

Bossynbella, I am so sorry to hear of your horrible situation.

I bet it is overwhelming. Please let us know if you contacted your state vet. Your in my prayers.

 

[Kimiko]

I'm sorry for your losses

It's heartbreaking and frustrating to watch something like this sweep through your animals and have no idea what's causing it or how to stop it.

I'd expect at least some of your birds to exhibit neurologic issues with Newcastle and you still have a deer, calf and rabbit with similar symptoms.

Clostridium perfringens enterotoxemia would be on my list since you have involvement of so many different species and such high, fast mortality. See if your state vet would at least be willing to test for it since it is also a cause of disease in humans.

 

[bossynbella]

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

 

[Beekissed]

Another possibility may be the water, as was mentioned briefly by another post. Metal toxicity is very damaging to the neural system and can present symptoms like the ones you describe. Run off from fertilizer, commercial manure applications to fields, etc. can produce a deadly toxin in the waters as a byproduct of certain algae growth and also produce fatal symptoms that start in the nervous system as well.

Get your water tested at the local health department and this shouldn't cost a dime. Take samples from your waterers and other water left standing on your place.

 

[bossynbella]

Just wanted to point out that the water really isn't the issue unless my well and my friends well both have the same problem even though we live 30 miles apart.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Quote:
In case you were unaware you can contact your local State vet at the department of agriculture take the dead birds at least 2-3 and place them inside ziplock bags I suggest using 2 Since we are unsure of the cause I would Ice them down outside somewhere make sure what ever you do don't freeze them. The state vet will send them off free of charge. (at least here in Oklahoma) at least this way you can see if its an epademic which it truly sounds like one Since so many unchicken related things are dieing.
Another thing I know Is Dirt holds Poo' and Coccidiosis it can lay dorment for years apon years A hard rain fall can bring High levels of coccidiosis to the surface. However assuming you at least started all your chicks on a medicated feed and the fact that they have free ranged means typically they have built an immunity to it. But The state vet told me Sparrows can reintroduce it to the flocks.
You mentioned mulberrys could the tree been sprayed and treated? Could the fruit be molded and spoiled? Does everyone have access to the same berrys? all things to look at. I am terribly sorry for your loss I hope you find anwsers soon.