Need help trouble shooting pullet weight loss

[ChickyMudder]

I have 10 week old Black Copper Marens. They went outside a few weeks ago and began losing weight.
I switched their feed to game bird food and still no weight gain. Crops seem fine.

It’s been hot. They seem to eat well enough. Fresh water. Not sure what to do.

Haven’t seen bloody stool yet. I’m watching for it.

Do I worm them with ivermectin, fenbendazole, or treat with Corid?

Do I isolate them?

Do I keep them on game bird food and supplement boiled egg yolks?

Do I get them more grit?

What’s going on with these babies?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It would be a good idea to weigh them so you get a baseline weight, then you can track it every week (at least) and see how they are doing.

 

[Tookie]

I haven’t weighed them but they all feel much thinner - fragile and bones.
No messy bottoms.
No lethargy
No free ranging because the one year olds are zealous about putting them on the pecking order . They need to get a bit bigger first

Okay.
I agree with @Wyorp Rock . I'd just weigh them for a bit and see if they lose much more weight.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I weighed them. The two roos each weigh 1.6 kilograms. Their keels stick so far out. Just all bone and no breast muscle. They are 13 weeks old and one developed a splay leg???
His brother developed it at two weeks old and was culled because it turned almost all the way around! It was hot and swollen joint. I posted pics a while back. I’ll try to link it.

Now this guys leg is doing the same thing. Anyone have ideas?
Treatments?

From previous posts and other threads I think we narrowed it down to nutrition/absorption problems or mycoplasma synoviae.

I’ve brought the boys indoors for closer monitoring, vitamins, and maybe Tylan 50. I don’t see any issues with the pullets - other than feeling bony and small.

Just don’t know.

What are you feeding them?

What's the Tylan50 for? You suspect MS/MG? Any respiratory symptoms in your flock? Any swelling of the joints like fluid or oozing?

If you need it, Tylan50 dose if 0.25ml per pound of weight given orally 3 times a day for 5 days in a row.

3.5lb for a 13wk old BCM is not too bad, imho. Adult roosters (1yr or older) should be at a weight of around 7-8lbs, so they are already at 1/2 of adult weight at just 13wks.

Splay leg could be due to rapid weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, disease....hard to know.

I'd feed them a 20% protein chick starter or an all flock feed. Get a bottle of B-Complex vitamins and give them 1/2 tablet daily.

I'd keep them in separate kennels if that's where you are going to keep them. If your weather is good, I'd try to keep them outdoors so they have fresh air and sunshine and more space to move about.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I haven’t seen any mucous or sneezing at this time.

I thought maybe MS. But I’ll wait, do what you advised, and get them tested.

O.k. I see you added more photos since I was last on, these are helpful.

Sadly, I'd lean more towards this being a leg bone deformity. Valgus-Varus, with this being Varus deformation.
Usually this is not correctable, and it can be genetic. Sometimes parent stock nutrition deficiency can be the cause or poor incubation.

Let's tag in @Eggcessive and @coach723 to read over your thread too and see if they have a different opinion and/or suggestions.

Classification of leg deformity. (A, B) Normal stance with mild flexion of the hock. (C, D) Valgus of right leg. (E, F) Right and left varus.​

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/disorders-of-the-skeletal-system-in-poultry/noninfectious-skeletal-disorders-in-poultry-broilers#:~:text=Valgus or varus deviation of,in turkeys than in chickens.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790586/?page=3

https://www.researchgate.net/figure...ith-mild-flexion-of-the-hock-C_fig1_332949715

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for all your feedback. I’m encouraged. I switched feed, wormed, gave fuvilic and humic acid and supplemented vitamins to correct for absorption issues.
I have a call into the state testing lab and will see if they can do a PCR test while he is alive.

Praying it is just a genetic issue and I can let this line of BCM live out their days as layers - not breeders.
My gutt says it’s genetic because we don’t have others with MS symptoms and the pullets seem to have a slight narrowing of the same exact hock. Like they all inherited it but he got bad because he isnt absorbing nutrients/feed got old/stress from joining flock/got worms/???

The first roo that got it could have been swollen because I splinted him he was culled.

I will post the results of the tests.

I believe MS and MG are tested at NPIP.
Sadly hatching eggs or even day old chicks can be infected with with mycoplasma.
I thought I was practicing great biosecurity but this scare had made me realize that even hatching eggs can be an issue.

Ask the breeder what the NPIP testing is "required" for qualification in your state or your state should have that listed. Most NPIP do not require testing for MG/MS, it's usually Pullorum, Salmonella and Avian Influenza.

I agree, I would not use that breeder anymore. It does sound like this may be a genetic problem instead of MS/MG since the breeder is acknowledging past leg issues. But getting the testing will give you the information you need to move forward.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[Tookie]

How much weight loss are we talking?
Do you free range them?
Do any have messy bottoms?
Are any of them acting off or lethargic?
There's no need to isolate them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have 10 week old Black Copper Marens. They went outside a few weeks ago and began losing weight.
I switched their feed to game bird food and still no weight gain. Crops seem fine.

Do I worm them with ivermectin, fenbendazole, or treat with Corid?

Do I isolate them?

Do I keep them on game bird food and supplement boiled egg yolks?

Do I get them more grit?

What’s going on with these babies?

Photos of them, their poop and housing would be good.

Do you have other chickens or ?

How much weight gain are you expecting?

 

[ChickyMudder]

How much weight loss are we talking?
Do you free range them?
Do any have messy bottoms?
Are any of them acting off or lethargic?
There's no need to isolate them.

I haven’t weighed them but they all feel much thinner - fragile and bones.
No messy bottoms.
No lethargy
No free ranging because the one year olds are zealous about putting them on the pecking order . They need to get a bit bigger first

 

[ChickyMudder]

I haven’t seen any mucous or sneezing at this time.

I thought maybe MS. But I’ll wait, do what you advised, and get them tested.