mcmurry sick chicks please post here

[TheFunnyFarm]

Add my chicks to the list ...picked up on March 2 Now Two weeks later I seperated 6 that cant walk just lay their

3 light brams
2 silver laced wynadottes
1 rare chick ( free from MMH )

I dont know what to do for them Iv'e tried hand watering they drink but wont eat at all do I put them out of there misery Ive stad up late to nite and have read everyone's notes but with no answers I fell so hopeless ......................................

ps chicks were vac and have vits in water

 

[jjthink]

It's only been a little over 2 weeks of posts here (and elsewhere on BYC where folks also experiencing problems were linked back to this thread) and yet a litany of stories with these troubling problems with chicks hailing from MM. If this is the "normal" amount of suffering and dieoff to be expected, then it's a sad state of affairs for chicklets in this world. Maybe that's just the way it is. And maybe more chicks are ordered from MM than from other hatcheries and hence the problem seems skewed their way - I don't know. What is clear is that it's not right to ask that chicks be shipped during challenging weather conditions. IMHO, it's wrong for any hatchery to agree to do it. More wrong maybe, because they are supposed to be the experts. These are little tiny beings that have no choice but to rely on the good sense of humans or fall victim to our bad judgement.

Beyond this, the information contained in this valuable thread may well be pointing to something additionally troubling that needs to be brought to light and I again commend the folks that initiated the compilation of this info. It may be time soon to share the info with a state veterinarian if Iowa has one (some state Ag departments do) and/or other appropriate folks who may be able to ascertain what, if anything, is going on beyond the "normal".
Isolated incidents would never go noticed (or likely reported) but since you've compiled a number of 'like' incidents, it may be invaluable to anyone evaluating the situation.

JJ

State of Iowa Agriculture website is www.agriculture.state.ia.us

 

[MNKris]

Quote:
Maybe it's just me, but I find this post very insulting. I sat on it overnight rather than reply right away, but it is still bothering me. I have ordered hundreds of chicks from MM too, and never had more than one or two die off. To imply that I do not care for my chicks, or know how to care for the chicks is very presumptuous.

 

[farm_mom]

MNKris, no, it's not just you. I've been suprised by a number of rather insulting posts here, but I am new to the boards. I thought perhaps that this is par for course.

 

[halo]

Im still of the belief that the majority of these illnesses people are seeing are caused by the weather. These chicks were all shipped during the worst possible weather. Maybe they didnt die during transit, but they were stressed far more than chicks normally are when shipped in warmer weather. Stressed animals get sick; it may not be for a day or a week, but their immune systems will be severely compromised. They will be far more susceptible to illness because of this. I received my chicks last week, lost a couple of them the first couple of days and the rest are fine. But they also shipped to Florida, where the cold weather wasnt an issue.

 

[MNKris]

Quote:
Ours weren't shipped.

 

[halo]

As I said, I think the majority of the issues seen here is shipping. From reading yours, and it seems to be breed specific, since you did have a lot that were fine, I wonder if the issue isnt the breeding stock used? Dont they have satellite farms from where all the eggs come from?

 

[MNKris]

Yes they do, and many of their breeders are new this year. I am not knocking MM in any way. Even if this is from them, they are the best hatchery I know and they have been great to us. I just want some healthy chicks and I LOVE the way their cochins look. I have never had such a frustrating and painful time with baby chicks. I just hatched out 35 out of 38 eggs in Dec and 31 are still alive with a LOT less care than these MM are getting. I lost two to bad legs and my DH left the brooder open and 2 chicks fell out and were killed by our laying hens. Otherwise, I have 100% survival. On my Marans I hatched that are 5 weeks old, I have lost one due to a leg dislocation, otherwise 100% healthy. I have 100% survival at week 5 with 6 of the 11 breeds from MM. I would be happy with 90% even, but 0-20% with these specific breeds from MM? No way.

Although a lot of people are losing chicks right away, and this is likely stress/weather induced, a lot of us aren't getting sick chicks until 10 or more days into life. I had the most beautiful partridge cochin, big and fluffy and just awesome. It was by far the biggest replacement chick I had gotten, now it is fighting for it's life and I know I am going to lose it. I am just sick over it. It was so healthy and fat and eating/drinking fine, and then on day 12 I noticed it kind of laying there a little bit sick looking. Today, day 16, it is near coma. I have lost 2 chicks from this second set, 100% of the buff rocks and partridge cochins are affected, about 50% of the cuckoos, blue cochins and EEs.

I have a call into the Poultry DVM at the U of MN. I am waiting for a call back. It's over 2.5 hours away from us, 135 miles one way and the cost to have them do an analysis will be about $100 but they look at 10 birds. I could do 5 from each hatch. I might bite the bullet and do it because I have some REALLY expensive Marans eggs coming in this week and I will be more than P.O.ed if this deal is contagious and will spread to them. I just finished bleaching my incubators and moved them upstairs. The sick chicks and the second set of chicks are downstairs.

 

[halo]

I hope you get a definitive answer to your issues. Good luck.

 

[EmptyNest]

Add me to the list as well. I drove to Webster City and picked up my chicks (42 of them) at MM on March 1. All were doing very well until they turned 2 weeks old. I've lost one golden polish so far, a jersey giant and golden campine are exhibiting the same symptoms the polish was - lethargic, staggering, etc. I'm getting some terramycin from the vet today and will hope that helps. I'll be interested to see what you find out.