New Hampshire!!

[holyhart]

(((((((((((Angie))))))))))))

I'm so sorry. That is just so horrible. Let us know what the results are.

 

[DraigAthar]

Hi Neighbors.

I am so devastated, I think I am going to have to cull my whole flock. My girls all of a sudden started getting sick last weekend and we lost three so far. I sent one to UNH to be tested and heard from the pathologist yesterday, he said the chicken I had the necropsy done on had a tracheitis from an infectious disease. I am pretty sure it's ILT, but the final results should come back today. I can't believe this is happening.

Hi Angie,

I'm very sorry to hear of your woes, it's never easy to lose feathered friends.

ILT is caused by a herpesvirus, but that's not the only infectious disease of poultry that has tracheitis as a symptom. Mycotic tracheitis can be due to aspergillus or other fungal infection, you'll see tracheitis in CRD from M. gallisepticum. Infectious bronchitis, avian pox, etc. can all cause similar symptoms. So hang in there and wait for the final results to know what you're dealing with and how best to handle it. Keep us posted, okay? What outward symptoms were your girls displaying before they died?

Thinking of you!

Amy

 

[vnsseed]

Hi Neighbors.

I am so devastated, I think I am going to have to cull my whole flock. My girls all of a sudden started getting sick last weekend and we lost three so far. I sent one to UNH to be tested and heard from the pathologist yesterday, he said the chicken I had the necropsy done on had a tracheitis from an infectious disease. I am pretty sure it's ILT, but the final results should come back today. I can't believe this is happening.

I brought in new chicks a couple weeks ago but I know it's not from them, they were from a local person who's flock is NPIP tested. The only thing I can think of is either the wild ducks that come on our property passed it onto our flock, they will come right up with the chickens and even steal their feed. Or... I had someone visit our coop that had recently been given some older chickens and it sounded like they weren't the healthiest birds. That happened about a week before my chickens became ill.
I am kicking my self, I will never let anyone in my coop without better biosecurity now and I should have never let the chickens near the river- what was I thinking! I guess I figured since I had healthy birds, kept a clean coop and hadn't brought in any new birds since I started my flock (except hatching eggs and these new NPIP chicks), I never thought they could get an infectious disease.

Does anyone have any experience with ILT?

I have the chicks I brought home a couple of weeks ago who are in a outside brooder and I have a hen with her chicks, I'm wondering if they are safe? They are separated from the flock but still are in the same general area. I just don't know what to do

Angie

I'm sorry this is happening to you. FYI - NPIP testing in NH only tests for AI and Pullorum. Birds can still carry other diseases, just because they are state tested, doesn't mean they are clean of all disease. We ALWAYS quarantine new birds as far away as possible from our main flock for at least 4 weeks. We also never let ANYONE into our coops and those that come anywhere near our runs have to walk through a bleach solution with their shoes.

 

[DraigAthar]

I'm sorry this is happening to you. FYI - NPIP testing in NH only tests for AI and Pullorum. Birds can still carry other diseases, just because they are state tested, doesn't mean they are clean of all disease. We ALWAYS quarantine new birds as far away as possible from our main flock for at least 4 weeks. We also never let ANYONE into our coops and those that come anywhere near our runs have to walk through a bleach solution with their shoes.

This is so smart, we quarantine but I haven't done the bleach solution before. That's a great idea, I will have to start using that for visitors.

 

[serenityNH]

The pathologist said it definitely wasn't AI, so that's ruled out. I think the symptoms of ILT fit the closest but IB has a lot of similar symptoms. It first started with sneezing then gasping and takes. Also it looks like a couple of them have herpes infection in their eye. We adopted a cat who had a herpes infection in his eye and its identical. Everyone has diarrhea seeing a lot of green. Also some have yellow urates which I read could be liver failure? Our egg production has just about ceased and those who lay have very thin or no shell. We had them on Tylan 200 for 5 days and it made no difference.

I will never let anyone in my coop again even with bleached shoes. I was told it could come in on car tires and even clothing! I don't think it's the chicks, at least I hope not. I thought since they were babies it was safe, they haven't been around my flock but I haven't practiced biosecurity when going between them and my flock.

I hope I hear from the pathologist soon!

Angie

 

[DraigAthar]

The pathologist said it definitely wasn't AI, so that's ruled out. I think the symptoms of ILT fit the closest but IB has a lot of similar symptoms. It first started with sneezing then gasping and takes. Also it looks like a couple of them have herpes infection in their eye. We adopted a cat who had a herpes infection in his eye and its identical. Everyone has diarrhea seeing a lot of green. Also some have yellow urates which I read could be liver failure? Our egg production has just about ceased and those who lay have very thin or no shell. We had them on Tylan 200 for 5 days and it made no difference.

I will never let anyone in my coop again even with bleached shoes. I was told it could come in on car tires and even clothing! I don't think it's the chicks, at least I hope not. I thought since they were babies it was safe, they haven't been around my flock but I haven't practiced biosecurity when going between them and my flock.

I hope I hear from the pathologist soon!

Angie

Mycoplasma can cause conjunctivitis along with the respiratory symptoms, too. The diarrhea could be due to a secondary infection. It's tough, because once they are weakened by one thing, other bugs jump on the bandwagon and complicate the clinical picture. I am going to hope that you can get through this without culling your entire flock, but I understand that's a possibility. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Amy

 

[blackbirds13]

Oh Blackbirds, that's awful. I didn't realize you had so much land back there. Does it go mostly straight back? I didn't even realize you had a pond!

The girl I got from you is so sweet! My daughter was just telling me this morning how when she lets the chooks out in the morning, Shirley (the CL) generally flies up and roosts on her arm or shoulder. She is such a love.

Did you ever get the jubilee orps you were looking for? How are those choc. orps? They were beautiful. I did end up getting my LC orp and she is beautiful, even if she doesn't have the barring...lovely color.

I did get the Jubilees!!!!!!!! - 1 male and 2 females. 1 pair is about 8 weeks and the other female is 12 weeks so I may have eggs in a few months if all goes well. My chocolates are too cute but the hubby is frowning on the number of roosters I want to keep so I may let a pair of chocolates go and keep two females - thinking about it and the price has to be right. My marans are growing but I may not keep any males from this batch as I am not keen on any so far and the one I do like the most may have a side sprig on his comb but I have to watch it as he grows - they are only 8 weeks and need more time I think. I'll know in another month or so. I think I may over-winter my legbar rooster and Jubilee rooster and if no Marans then the Chocolate may have a chance...I am going to sell off my younger Legbar boy since I think he is not quite as cream as I would like and I plan on putting my alpha legbar over my younger cream colored female to see what comes of it. I'm looking for a single newborn chick since my broody hatched out one (she killed the first so I took this one away) but I'm thinking a white egg layer.
The pond is a nice size I think not too small not too big but will need some work - I guess it's a good size for some ducks and geese later on. It was hidden from view because of the trees and brush but now you can stand in the back yard or look through the back of the house and see it directly I've not seen any birds on or in it too date tho'.
It's nice she is so friendly - i tend to keep mine at arms length right now. I think until I know who's staying I really don't want to get to friendly plus it's not easy when I have to cull them if I like them - found that out the hard way and hubby's no fan of taking that task off my hands. We are having quite the debate about the 'correct' color for these birds here on BYC and Facebook. Let me know how it goes. I gave some of my early maybe-mixed birds away to someone and she thinks one of hers is pure so let me know how yours works out as your girl should be purebred but I am concerned about getting things mixed up. and since I have only 2 offspring left I cannot verify for myself. I'm to much of a worrier my husband says.
Read you enjoyed the Sharkies Chickenstock - so wanted to go just could not swing it. Maybe next year.

 

[blackbirds13]

Hi Neighbors.

I am so devastated, I think I am going to have to cull my whole flock. My girls all of a sudden started getting sick last weekend and we lost three so far. I sent one to UNH to be tested and heard from the pathologist yesterday, he said the chicken I had the necropsy done on had a tracheitis from an infectious disease. I am pretty sure it's ILT, but the final results should come back today. I can't believe this is happening.

I brought in new chicks a couple weeks ago but I know it's not from them, they were from a local person who's flock is NPIP tested. The only thing I can think of is either the wild ducks that come on our property passed it onto our flock, they will come right up with the chickens and even steal their feed. Or... I had someone visit our coop that had recently been given some older chickens and it sounded like they weren't the healthiest birds. That happened about a week before my chickens became ill.
I am kicking my self, I will never let anyone in my coop without better biosecurity now and I should have never let the chickens near the river- what was I thinking! I guess I figured since I had healthy birds, kept a clean coop and hadn't brought in any new birds since I started my flock (except hatching eggs and these new NPIP chicks), I never thought they could get an infectious disease.

Does anyone have any experience with ILT?

I have the chicks I brought home a couple of weeks ago who are in a outside brooder and I have a hen with her chicks, I'm wondering if they are safe? They are separated from the flock but still are in the same general area. I just don't know what to do

Angie

This sounds dreadful and is my worst fear. I let someone into my coop area just once and then worried about it for the next couple weeks - won't do it again! I feel terrible for you!! let us know how it goes and what comes of it. Hoping for the best for you and a speedy road back. Take care Angie.

 

[serenityNH]

Well I just called UNH since I hadn't heard anything. Apparently the DR wasn't even in today and I won't hear anything until Monday

What am I supposed to do until Monday? Watch my chickens suffer all weekend.

All they could tell me is that the chicken they tested tested negative for Macroplasma. I have not idea what that even rules out?

I don't know if I should just cull my flock to be safe and not let them suffer, or do I wait until Monday to see if this is something that isn't as bad as it seems. URGH!!

Angie

 

[DraigAthar]

Well I just called UNH since I hadn't heard anything. Apparently the DR wasn't even in today and I won't hear anything until Monday

What am I supposed to do until Monday? Watch my chickens suffer all weekend.

All they could tell me is that the chicken they tested tested negative for Macroplasma. I have not idea what that even rules out?

I don't know if I should just cull my flock to be safe and not let them suffer, or do I wait until Monday to see if this is something that isn't as bad as it seems. URGH!!

Angie

I think they mean Mycoplasma. So that rules out CRD. If you cull the entire flock, that isn't exactly playing it safe, heh. Do any of the rest of them have symptoms? Do they act like they are suffering? Most respiratory diseases other than CRD move through a flock FAST, so if you've lost some birds already, chances are the rest of them have already been exposed to it. If it's viral, there's a good chance your survivors got it, got over it, and are now immune to it. If it's bacterial, that can be trickier. But culling the whole flock may be a little drastic when you don't yet know what it is.

That said, I am not a vet so take everything I say with that in mind!