If you recall, a few weeks ago, a group of bantams at the Fall Festival where I was working began coming down with illness. Some developed eye infections, some had runny noses or coughs and some died without any symptoms at all. Not all the chickens got sick. Well, after the 4th chicken died, I asked the adoptive "mom" to have a necropsy done so we could know what we were dealing with. The results are in and it seems the rooster that died had a new bacteria called "ornithobacterium rhinotracheale".
http://www.poultry-health.com/fora/turkhelth/turtec24/vdbosch.htm
(Hope the link works, if not, google it). The state vet said this bacteria is sensitive to sulmet and tetracycline. So it is not infectious coryza or any of the other illnesses we are familiar with. It is something new and can be masked if the chicken develops further complications. Not only that, the article says a bird can just suddenly die without any symptoms. That happened to the 2 that died at the festival. 4 others have succombed at two peoples' farms but all of them had symptoms. According to the people who have these birds, the rest appear to be fine or recovering. (I dearly hope that is the case).
Don't know how this whole thing started. At the beginning, everybody seemed healthy and happy. I got the birds from 2 places...somebody's farm where they were kept in immaculate conditions and an auction, which is where it probably came from. Unfortunately, the owner of the festival doesn't have the time to isolate as everything gets up and running in a week or so and then all the animals have to be ready for the public's adoration. I still believe the barn where they were kept was at least part to blame. It was sooo dank and dark and the NW wind just whipped through there and the poor chickens didn't really have a shelter from the wind. After problems started cropping up, I put two heat lamps close to the ground and a huge wall of cardboard to block the wind and give them a warm place to go to and, believe me, they used it!!!
Next year (and I intend to go back next year because nobody else is an advocate for the poor birds), I will insist not a single animal be placed in that barn and that we do NOT get poultry from an auction. In fact, I am going to strongly insist that we only get ONE order of assorted bantam chicks (that worked out great) and have ONE flock of layers with a rooster. (That also worked out great but they were outside where they could scratch in the dirt, sunbathe, etc.) With ducks, turkeys, guineas and all the other farm animals with four legs there is absolutely no need to trek in all those other chickens. The problem with the owners is they are concerned with having more and more "stuff" to impress people and don't think about the lives of the animals. Sorry this is so long but I needed to vent and have closure on all of this! Thank you for reading if you got this far.
Ellen
http://www.poultry-health.com/fora/turkhelth/turtec24/vdbosch.htm
(Hope the link works, if not, google it). The state vet said this bacteria is sensitive to sulmet and tetracycline. So it is not infectious coryza or any of the other illnesses we are familiar with. It is something new and can be masked if the chicken develops further complications. Not only that, the article says a bird can just suddenly die without any symptoms. That happened to the 2 that died at the festival. 4 others have succombed at two peoples' farms but all of them had symptoms. According to the people who have these birds, the rest appear to be fine or recovering. (I dearly hope that is the case).
Don't know how this whole thing started. At the beginning, everybody seemed healthy and happy. I got the birds from 2 places...somebody's farm where they were kept in immaculate conditions and an auction, which is where it probably came from. Unfortunately, the owner of the festival doesn't have the time to isolate as everything gets up and running in a week or so and then all the animals have to be ready for the public's adoration. I still believe the barn where they were kept was at least part to blame. It was sooo dank and dark and the NW wind just whipped through there and the poor chickens didn't really have a shelter from the wind. After problems started cropping up, I put two heat lamps close to the ground and a huge wall of cardboard to block the wind and give them a warm place to go to and, believe me, they used it!!!
Next year (and I intend to go back next year because nobody else is an advocate for the poor birds), I will insist not a single animal be placed in that barn and that we do NOT get poultry from an auction. In fact, I am going to strongly insist that we only get ONE order of assorted bantam chicks (that worked out great) and have ONE flock of layers with a rooster. (That also worked out great but they were outside where they could scratch in the dirt, sunbathe, etc.) With ducks, turkeys, guineas and all the other farm animals with four legs there is absolutely no need to trek in all those other chickens. The problem with the owners is they are concerned with having more and more "stuff" to impress people and don't think about the lives of the animals. Sorry this is so long but I needed to vent and have closure on all of this! Thank you for reading if you got this far.
Ellen
