mcmurry sick chicks please post here

[barefoot]

I think this thread is covering two, totally separate issues.

1. One is this strange leg problem that most people are seeing in chicks that are approximately two weeks old from McMurray. This illness is unexplained and we're searching for answers.

2. The second issue is mortality due to shipping, especially during cold weather. To me, mortality is expected if chicks are ordered during very cold weather. Yes, there are some ethical questions involved in this.

So, I am only interested in issue number 1 above. Has anyone gotten an actual diagnosis for this leg/neurological problem, or come up with a successful way to treat it?

Mine were shipped during very mild weather on the first week of March. After two mortalities on the first day (two from shipping stress and one because the bird was severely deformed, with no eyes and misshapen beak), the babies all perked up and have been growing like weeds for two weeks. All of them. Happy, healthy and thriving. Then, after 14 days of perfect health, some of them suddenly have trouble walking (especially a Light Brahma and a Speckled Sussex). Their legs just seem very, very weak and they fall over on their face when they try to walk. There has also been a head twitch associated in one of the sick birds and some dark brown diarrhea and extreme lethargy/sleepiness. This does not resemble spraddle leg, more like rickets or something, from the research I've done. Mine are on three inches of wood shavings, so no hard surfaces to cause leg problems.

I'm giving them vitamins, terramycin and Purina Medicated Start and Grow. Could this be an issue with that brand or lot of feed. How many people who are experiencing this are feeding their chicks this brand?

 

[barefoot]

I said this in my post above, but I want to ask it as a separate question in case it gets overlooked in my previous post:

What brand of feed are people using who are experiencing this leg/weakness issue? Let's try to rule out that there might be a bad batch/vitamin deficient brand of food out there.

I am using Purina Start and Grow Medicated.

 

[UnttouchableRose]

Quote:
We are pretty much in the same boat as you. OUrs got sick in the middle of the 2nd week. They were healthy and fine up until then. They are still about the same. We are using Purina Start and Grow but I am unsure if it's medicated, we'll have to look at the bag and see.

They are moving better but still seem to have no control over their heads, they walk and just fall into the floor or can't walk at all.

I think you are on the right track with your post though. Mine were shipped in good weather, properly cared for and then boom this...

Let's hope we can get it all sorted out.

 

[carousel]

My chicks are eating Honor medicated start/grow
I also have a bag of Purina that I was going to use next. My friends chicks are on purina.

BUT I did a but lf looking,
HONOR is made by Purina!
ack! http://www.honoranimalnutrition.com/

I will stop by the feed store and pick up something different on the way home if we see a trend.

this could mean nothing.
the thing to rembember a lot of brands are just the same food! different branding......

cs

 

[MNKris]

It's not the food. The first group is fed our feed mill's own mix (not purina, dated 1/18/08). The second group is on non-medicated Start and Grow (12/3/07).

 

[Mrs MIA]

Stepping one step off the path here - side note - something to keep in mind, for people in the colder climates - I purchased chick starter/grower from our local feed store, and I found out afterwards that they had to pull it from storage. It was the last sack from last season's stock, because nobody (but me, the crazy chicken lady) is trying to grow chicks right now. It had been kept high and dry, so it was probably fine, but it was not fresh.
I realize this probably has nothing to do with the problems that people are seeing, but it seemed appropriate to put it here.

I also hope that someone gets a definitive answer from authorities today... otherwise, there's quite a few of us that will be without fingernails soon!

 

[carousel]

before people rush to decide it is not the food you need to understand how most food is made, most "kibble" no crumbel or pellets when made often purchase vitamin packs sot o speak to add to their food - this would in most cases come from a main source or supplier.
so I think infomation is good,,,,, so people can sort things out.

it is 2 of my biggest chicks that were having problems so I was wondering about nutrition as this was all going on. And since I have started adding the vitamins they are for SURE no worse, no one else is getting sick AND it think they may be ever so slightly better.
cs

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

Had to put our first chick down this morning DH didn't want to but the chick had not eating or walked in two days I did not want the poor thing to suffer any longer 5 are pending

Has any one's chicks stated to get better or are all of their fates doomed ?

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

For got to mention our chick food was from TSC I really dont think its the food

 

[MNKris]

OK, so here is the deal. I just got off the phone with McMurray. They are AWESOME. I decided to throw in the towel on this second set of replacements, but they refunded my money. They aren't vets, so they can't really give any hints as to what is going on with our chicks and the U of MN hasn't gotten back to me yet. I am obviously still concerned, but if it were highly contagious, our own hatched birds would be ill, and they aren't. I have opted to destroy the sick birds (about 28 total out of the first 115, and most of the 50 of the second set). I have some "not normal" walkables that I may also destroy. They walk around with "bobble heads".

MM does not pay to have chicks analyzed for disease, but they may do their own. They have a pretty strict regiment of rules that each of their flocks must follow to avoid having problem outbreaks. That said, I know this wasn't our doing. Hopefully we will hear more over time.