mcmurry sick chicks please post here

[Stormhorse23]

My mom is a veternarian's assistant and she is totally clueless about what this is. She's researched, worked with them physically and given them medications. She has been for about 18 years and cant even figure this out. Usually she knows a disease right off the bat and can treat it easily. Neighbor's dog loses a leg, shes right there. Chicken needs stitched up, she does it. But this? its crazy

 

[farm_mom]

stormhourse, you may want to look into crazychickens suggestion of AE. When I read the description, the head shaking thing is a major factor of AE. I didn't see any such symptom in my chicks. Perhaps we're dealing with multiple illnesses here.

 

[MNKris]

I wanted to post on this thread one last time and then shut up about it, unless I have a report back from a Lab.

To all that have chick problems, I believe we need to get experts involved here. If ours start acting up more in this second group of 50, I am going to take some down to the University Lab for analysis. As we have all experienced, this isn't a routine issue or the obvious.

I think I am starting to see some signs in this second group, but I will watch them for a few more days. In the first group, the breeds that weren't affected originally, still aren't and they are doing very well. Of 115 in 11 breeds, we have 28 sick/recovered/dead in just 5 breeds, with a major concentration on just 4 breeds (10/12 cuckoo marans, 6/7 buff rocks, 5/8 EEs, and 6/7 partridge cochins.) Not affected so far are 12 andalusians, 1 free chick (I think it is a White Faced Black Spanish female), 11 Red Stars, 7 Australorps, 7 white rocks, 28 bantam EEs, and 7 RIRs.

I don't think any of our chicks have all or even most of the symptoms described in these new diseases. Ours do NOT huddle near the heat source and do not have paralysis. These chicks were vigorous for the first 12 days. If something isn't eating or drinking, you would see signs long before the first 12 days were up. Chicks are usually gone within hours of seeing signs. As stormhorse23 said, if you feed these guys, they will last for quite awhile if they are willing to drink water.

McMurray was very nice to us and replaced everything we lost. Unfortunately, it isn't going to do much good if they just die again.

 

[amaliayosa]

Could somebody please describe what the common symptoms are among the sick chicks so i will know what to look out for? I have lost three, but that was during the first 48 hours, and they arrived weak probably due to cold and an extra shipping day.
Thanks
Amy

 

[Chickee's Mom]

Quote:
This is what is happening with one chick now, and I see some of the BLRW acting kind of sleepy,

 

[Stormhorse23]

Quote:
Here are the steps mine went through...

1. Got a little stumbly. Not much to worry about, or so we though
2. Slept in food because they couldnt walk well
3. Started getting stuck on back but would stumble around after righted
4. Head started shaking constantly
5. I usually just end it for them here, if I dont, they eventually quit moving and i have to kill them

 

[Stormhorse23]

I am going to go take pictures. I have an advanced case I am keeping alive to observe and a few that are just weak

 

[CritterHill]

Why don't you take that advanced case to an avian/poultry vet and get an answer?

I know they aren't easy to find. Took me an hour of phone calls to find one in my area. But I know I will probably need one (knowing my luck) once my chicks arrive next month.

 

[Stormhorse23]

there is an avian veternarian in our town but they almost didnt let me see my Gracie girl when she was put to sleep and at first didnt want me to even see her in the exam room. ill probably end up killing it and taking sending it to purdue

 

[Alleyoops25]

Quote:
You knolw what I topld them about this in my complaints with th kids in my club loosing all of their chickS. Itold them that I knew of a forum with a thread running with at the time 95 posts about these sick chicks. She asked which forum it was but I havent replied yet. I will be sending them the adress and link after while. Doubt it will make a diference. I am curious how many times they have inbred the chickens. Like I said I sen the deformd one, and I know most inbred creatures ar born with some state of retardation going on. I am wondering if this has anything to do with it. I will send them the link BUt I bet we dont evr hear anything from them at all. THey have a lot of questions to asmswer where alot of peopl can read it. I don't think they will say anything that might affect them one way or another. And if they do it will be just like the email I got with teir whole commerical spew about how long they have been in bussiness, and how many chicks they ship a year. And how if they shipped sickly chicks they wouldnt still be in bussiness. And then evnb accused the kid in the 4-H club of neglecting the chicks. I can se if I am smart enough to post the mail I got. I am not good with this kind of thing but it has let me P.O. since last night. And I know that it is going to take a huge amount of effort in figuring out what they ar doing to make the chicks sick. Anmd why they arent doing more to change whats going on. Since its a huge hatchery that ships chicks country wide It would probably have to actually be inspcted by th Dept. of Agriculture to get any where. And I dont know how many of you are willing to take it that far. As I told a few people privatley I think that thewy are becoming to worried about loosing money. Thy are putting money before the health of the chicks they ar shipping out. Its pure greed, and they rather push blame of o n the costumer or weather than say, "YOu know What? We might hav something going wrong with our birds." And take a hit in the bank. What I find is stupid is they ar telling people that It is weather rlated illnesses. BUT its in their gaurentee that they will ship the birds and they will arrive healthy. And We dont have a ton of complaints rolling in about all the other hatcheries that have ben shipping the chicks in th exact same weather conditions. Somethings seriously wrong. And YEs you guys wouldnt be going wrong by getting a vet to look at your chicks. If they cant do anyting else for them they can take a prossfessional opion, veiw, and a RECORD on them. I have a Horrible feeling in the pit of my stomache that this issue is going to get a lot worse. And the sooner there is a papr trail the sooner something can be done.