MM Sick Chicks Official Diagnosis In...

[zchickens]

Thanks for all your work on this MNKris, it is much appreciated. Without seeing your posts, I had contacted MM around noon today (as I have had many of the same problems as many of you). Their customer service representative was very helpful, and said they were aware of the problem and were investigating it. They promised to take care of me and either refund the birds that died or replace them. I was told to wait until all my birds either recovered or died, and then to call them back for the refund or replacements. I mentioned AE to them, and they just said that they are investigating it, and would not confirm a specific diagnosis. They asked me to treat my birds with Teramycin for for the next four days, but the CS representative admitted that it probably won't help much. While the refund obviously can't make up for the disappointment and sadness I have had to experience through the process of seeing many of the chicks I received suffer and die (especially because this is the first time I have ever had chickens), it at least is a step in the right direction; and I have to give MM credit for that.

Z

 

[JaciesCoop]

I am not directly involved with this because I didn't have birds from MM but I've been watching this whole thing evolve from the very first alarming message and call for help by I think stormhorse.
I just want to say thank you to all those that have kept this problem out front and done something about it such as the testing, etc.
It has been a great education even to those of us not involved!. You are to be commended on the way you have handled this terrible situation and because of your diligence maybe no one else will ever have to go through this.

Thank You!

Jacie

 

[ColoradoMom]

Well, this is my very first post and I certainly didn't want it to be about this subject.

BUT

I have an order of hatching duck eggs from MM coming in about 10 days or so...is AE a duck issue as well? I think the ducks and chicks come from different places as well.

Before answering no - PLEASE consider that I have thousands of dollars, not to mentions years of LOVE - invested in my Umbrella Cockatoo. If my parrot got sick from this I don't know what I would do. I would be beside myself with grief.

I am definately canceling my chick order coming in May - I just cannot take this risk but if the duck eggs are not affected, I might not cancel that.

Thank you for reading and any responses,

Julie

 

[RedTailRanch]

Julie, I don't have an answer for you, but hopefully someone here does. But if it were me (and I do have chicks that are affected) I would be as careful as possible. If you can get your ducks from somewhere that has not had any problems this year, then I would do that.

It seems that AE is not deadly to adult chickens, so I would also asssume, or hope, that it would not affect a full grown cockatoo/parrot. However, I have learned that you should take EVERY precaution you can to safeguard those that you love. It will be worth your peace of mind in the long run.

-Chris

 

[dannypritchett01]

Someone pointed this out to me, and I am glad they did so I could also share my experience.

I ordered a order of 30+ chicks from McMurray Hatchery in January. My order also was a Feb 9th Hatch. I took photos of my order, they were almost all dead only 5 surviving, and they are alive today. They sent me a replacement order and they all were dead too some were barely moving. I have had problems since I took those 5 chicks out and put them in the brooder with some of my fowl falling on their legs and just trying to walk that way. I am so glad now I know what it was, I had vaccinated for mareks thinking it may be that, even though the chicks I ordered had been vaccinated for mareks. So what are we supposed to do? I even took some chicks I hatched and placed them in the box that McMurray's chicks were in and used it to hold them to take photos of them and stuff. Will those chicks be affected.

Photos are on my image gallery of my mcmurray order.
http://www.dannysgamefowlfarm.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=3&pos=5

http://www.dannysgamefowlfarm.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=3&pos=57

 

[EmptyNest]

Thanks for all your work on this MNKris, it is much appreciated. Without seeing your posts, I had contacted MM around noon today (as I have had many of the same problems as many of you). Their customer service representative was very helpful, and said they were aware of the problem and were investigating it. They promised to take care of me and either refund the birds that died or replace them. I was told to wait until all my birds either recovered or died, and then to call them back for the refund or replacements. I mentioned AE to them, and they just said that they are investigating it, and would not confirm a specific diagnosis. They asked me to treat my birds with Teramycin for for the next four days, but the CS representative admitted that it probably won't help much. While the refund obviously can't make up for the disappointment and sadness I have had to experience through the process of seeing many of the chicks I received suffer and die (especially because this is the first time I have ever had chickens), it at least is a step in the right direction; and I have to give MM credit for that.


Agreed. This is exactly what the rep at MM told me this morning when I called them. My chicks will be 4 weeks old on Saturday. I've lost 1 golden polish and have 2 Jersey Giants, 1 silkie, 1 buff orp and 1 white orp that are not looking good.

 

[ruth]

I have been following every one of these threads from the beginning and have not posted because I was waiting on someone to have a test result posted first.

First let me say how sorry I am that you all are going through this.

Second, and most importantly, I am begging you all NOT to over react. Please don't put down your sick chicks. The way to fight and erradicate a virus is to live through it; become immune; and pass the immunity on to your offspring. If the sick chicks live, they will be immune for the rest of their lives and their chicks will be immune.

Treat them just as you would sick kids with the flu. Isolate, keep them warm, give them vitamins and feed them scrambled egg for extra protein and vitamins. If they die, you did all you could BUT if they live, there is no proof they won't thrive and grow and go on to live happy lives - immune from AE with chicks of their own who never have to worry about AE.

Please everyone - don't panic and go on a mass killing spree.

 

[fowltemptress]

How would the cockatoo come in contact with the ducklings?
I have a parrot, and scrub myself clean everytime I play with my chickens before considering going near my bird, regardless of how healthy I believe everyone to be. No other birds are allowed to be in the same room as my girl.
I would think, regardless of sickness, as long as you make sure to keep the cockatoo isolated from the other birds, and to scrub after handling them, it wouldn't be an issue.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Quote:
That comment is just spreading fear. Our vet said nothing of the sort, and in fact, said birds that are exposed to this and are "normal" and healthy are potentially good breeders because of the natural immunity. I asked if I should vaccinate my non-MM chicks and he said he did not see a reason to vaccinate everything. This virus is primarily passed hen to egg and through the hatcher.

Sadly other that have had positive test results today were told just that, all chicks must be culled and all hens that got sick with this will pass it on through the egg. Some of the reading I have done supports this, some supports what your vet has said. Really then the truth just may be that we don't know for sure.

This is the frustrating thing with disease, you get many conflicting facts and opinions. When I was in the middle of the AI outbreak not two vets or 'experts' on the subject came to the same conclusion. Sorry, but in this case, as with AI I would strongly go with the most conservative idea and I would cull all the chicks. Hopefully your adult flocks have not been exposed.

Don't say that there will not be disease spread based on one vet's opinions, you would hate for that to turn out to be wrong.

 

[speckledhen]

I posted this quote from the Chicken Health Handbook in another thread and it does answer the actual carrier question, but only for adult outbreaks:

TREATMENT-none; chicks may survive but should be culled since they will never be good layers or breeders; survivors of an adult outbreak are immune and are not carriers.​