Necropsies

[pepperluvsmee]

It is absolutely ALL about the green. Don't you all know what happens to all the chicks that do not get sold? If you do not, you don't want to know.
I canceled my order with them and will not under any circumstances order from a hatchery in the future. It has turned out to be too stressful.
I would prefer to find my chicks locally and from private owners.
-Theresa

 

[KsTornado11]

I have a question regarding AE: If indeed chicks are found tp have it,must they be destroyed? I thought I had read that they will always be carriers.

 

[pips&peeps]

I just wanted to pop in on this thread and let everyone know that AE is not a reportable disease. I found this out by calling the USDA's office of NPIP.

If it turns out that more tests results show it is AE, more than likely, nothing will be done.

 

[farm_mom]

Quote:
There's a lot of great advice, research to help with your questions on page 7 and 8 in this thread. Hope this helps!

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

Quote:
I would love to know too, I have no other chicks or chickens I just wanted to raise my own ,have a few eggs and let the kids do 4-H
If someone knows about a link on here or the net I could really use the info please.

 

[kstaven]

Its in one of the 90 threads on the subject Funny farm. One of our mods and dlhunicorn posted info sheets on it. Unless some one remembers exactly where, I would say you will get a chance to put the search function to good use.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
There's a lot of great advice, research to help with your questions on page 7 and 8 in this thread. Hope this helps!

Page 8: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=417803#p417803

 

[therealsilkiechick]

this wll help answer some more questions.

Avian Encephalomyelitis
Synonyms: epidemic tremor, AE
Species affected: The disease is most prevalent in chickens less than 6 weeks of age. Pheasants, corturnix quail, and turkeys are natural hosts as well, but less susceptible than chickens. Ducklings, young pigeons, and guinea fowl can be experimentally infected.

Clinical signs: Signs commonly appear during the first week of life and between the second and third weeks. Affected chicks may first show a dull expression of the eyes, followed by progressive incoordination, sitting on hocks, tremors of the head and neck, and finally paralysis or prostration. Affected chicks are inactive. Some may refuse to walk or will walk on their hocks. In advanced cases, many chicks will lie with both feet out to one side (prostrate) and die. All stages (dullness, tremors, prostration) can usually be seen in an affected flock. Feed and water consumption decreases and the birds lose weight. In adult birds, a transitory drop (5-20 percent) in egg production may be the only clinical sign present. However, in breeding flocks, a corresponding decrease in hatchability is also noted as the virus is egg- transmitted until hens develop immunity. Chickens which survive the clinical disease may develop cataracts later in life (see Table 2 ).

Transmission: The virus can be transmitted through the egg from infected hen to chick, accounting for disease during the first week of life. The disease can also be spread through a flock by direct contact of susceptible hatchlings with infected birds, accounting for the disease at 2-3 weeks of age. Indirect spread can occur through fecal contamination of feed and water. Recovered birds are immune and do not spread the virus.

Treatment: There is no treatment for outbreaks. Infected birds should be removed, killed and incinerated. Recovered chicks are unthrifty.

Prevention: A vaccine is available.

 

[carousel]

I wanted to add to this,
A lot depends how "affected" the chick becomes, how old it is when it gets sick as to if it can recover and how well.
The vet I'm working with said IF it is AE - my chicks not affected should be 100% fine. It suggests they may have had some passive/maternal immunity.
The vet I'm working with also again said that IF it is AE
most mortality is with chicks less than 4 weeks of age.
Really your best defense is limit contact of flock, clean and dispose of properly litter or dead chicks. The vet has suggested I delay my order from Ideal that I'm supposed to get next week. (I'm thinking I will go ahead as I have a good place to isolate them.)
again IF it is AE - she said if I can get through 2 weeks with no more chicks getting sick chances are the virus has been contained.
Next week is my spring break (gotta love being in your 40s and getting spring break

and I plan do do a very good job cleaning the room the chicks are in with Virkon S and hope for the best.
I should have the lab results for the chick we necropsied on Monday.
CS

 

[coopist]

Cheers to a fellow spring breaker in their 40's, Carousel. It's back to the salt mines for me next week

I feel a little guilty since I partly used my break to get my pens in order and to spend time on this board (er, instead of grading midterms right away). You have a much better reason...