Mystery malady! Slimy poop, not drinking

[LaFleche]

Ps the vet never ever tests for anything here, I'm not sure why. Leaves me feeling like I'm throwing random antibiotics at her hoping one will work

That was my thought also while reading your post.

Testing is important to know what you are dealing with.
Random antibiotics can make it even worse as they often have serious side effects and will weaken the birds natural immune defense.

But the problem with treating chickens is that they hide their unwellness so well and pretend to be healthy for such a long time, that when we finally notice that something is off it is often too late for testing and waiting for the results to come in, as this will often take up to 7 days and if we waited until then to treat the bird, it would have died before we could even start the treatment.

This just to explain why vets often don't test prior to prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics for chicken/birds.

 

[A Swede in France]

That was my thought also while reading your post.

Testing is important to know what you are dealing with.
Random antibiotics can make it even worse as they often have serious side effects and will weaken the birds natural immune defense.

But the problem with treating chickens is that they hide their unwellness so well and pretend to be healthy for such a long time, that when we finally notice that something is off it is often too late for testing and waiting for the results to come in, as this will often take up to 7 days and if we waited until then to treat the bird, it would have died before we could even start the treatment.

This just to explain why vets often don't test prior to prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics for chicken/birds.

That does make sense. I guess they also generally know what's going around and what's helped before

 

[LaFleche]

I am really sorry to be here again

So am I! It is so hard when your animals get sick and just die on you despite all the good care, vet and medication.

This time it's a little silke, Susu

How old is she and since when do you own her? Did she come with your other birds or from a different seller?

The vet suspected chlamydiosis and subscribed baytril but Astrid died shortly after her first dose. Thinking about it afterwards we also thought it might be canker of the crop or a more internal trich, so we had that in mind now for Susu.

Do you have a lot of pidgeons around your chickens?

She should be vaccinated against Marek's or I would be scared of that. The fact that she is off balance really throws me - the stumbling and assymetry of posture seemingly without pain.

Sadly, the vaccination does not protect against the infection, it only slows/reduces the development of the tumors.

And as a lot of different Marek virus strains exist, the vaccination does not cover them all.
Some chicken breeds like Silkies, Barnevelder and Sebright are more susceptible to Marek's.

But the Avian Leucosis Virus presents with very similar symptoms and the difference can only be detected by having the deceased bird examined/necropsied by an experienced veterinarian laboratory.

 

[A Swede in France]

She's not even one, we got her early May together with four other girls of different breeds.

We don't have many pigeons around, but plenty of blackbirds and other songbirds.

Now she started to spasm and one of her legs seems to cramp up. Looks neurological, and looks like the end We're debating whether the nicer thing is to kill her, and whether we poisoned her with medicine

 

[LaFleche]

She's not even one, we got her early May together with four other girls of different breeds.

We don't have many pigeons around, but plenty of blackbirds and other songbirds.

Now she started to spasm and one of her legs seems to cramp up. Looks neurological, and looks like the end We're debating whether the nicer thing is to kill her, and whether we poisoned her with medicine

You can put her out of her misery. I know I would at this point.

 

[LaFleche]

She's not even one, we got her early May together with four other girls of different breeds.

Which other four? All Silkies? Was it a breeder you purchased them from?

 

[A Swede in France]

Which other four? All Silkies? Was it a breeder you purchased them from?

The others are an Araucana, a Padoue/Polish, a Faverolles, and a Noiran. Got them at a farm coop run by a chicken enthusiast. They get them from elsewhere.

 

[LaFleche]

The others are an Araucana, a Padoue/Polish, a Faverolles, and a Noiran. Got them at a farm coop run by a chicken enthusiast. They get them from elsewhere.

With all the varieties I assume that he is buying them from or trading them with a lot of other chicken keepers.
Which will then bring a bunch of different germs and viruses into the mix.

 

[A Swede in France]

With all the varieties I assume that he is buying them from or trading them with a lot of other chicken keepers.
Which will then bring a bunch of different germs and viruses into the mix.

True, I never thought about that. Do you think it's better to source from small individual breeders?

We didn't kill Susu yet. She settled down and seems to be sleeping. Probably not a sign of improvement but less distressing.

 

[LaFleche]

Do you think it's better to source from small individual breeders?

You could infect your flock buying from just one reputable breeder that has had the bad luck to bring home some deseases from their clubs poultry exposition, or you could be lucky and purchase from two or three different breeders without any problems at all.

Some chronic diseases like Mycoplasma gallinae only show when the birds are rehomed and/or suffer from heat or cold stress or having to deal with new additions to the flock.

Talk to them and ask if they show their birds routinely.

Ask if their birds are vaccinated and against what.

Ask if they also keep pidgeons (trichomonosis) water fowl or turkeys (blackhead disease).

Ask how many breeds they keep and if the birds are allowed to free range daily.

Ask how often they deworm and what they use as dewormer.

Ask what they use as pest prevention and treatment (lice, poultry mites, scaly leg mites).

Ask what they feed their birds and where to buy it.