new update: been told e coli, cocci... still losing chicks

[threehorses]

Actually the reason you use the OACV (only organic) is that the 1 teaspoon per gallon actually is beneficial for the bacteria - there are living bacteria in the unfiltered organic vinegar. That's why you use organic - it still has the "mother" gunk in it - which is living bacteria, the mother of the vinegar. Those bacteria are the same (lactobacilli) that colonize the gut.

Good bacteria like the more acidic pH of the vinegar and adding a little to their water tweaks the pH of the gut to be good for GOOD bacteria, and bad for BAD bacteria (who DISlike the pH) as well as bad for fungi morphing into the bad kind of fungi, etc.

It's best in the water, then.

But smart thinking.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

I will put it in the water then tomorrow Thank you for posting to me

So far so good today... Everyone seems to be doing just fine. I sure hope I go out to healthy chicks again tomorrow!

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
I hope so, too! Let us know.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

Our 8 week olds still seem to be doing well. I have some teenage chickens that are more like 12 weeks old that are kept about 100 feet away (maybe more). Well, tonight I noticed that my little cochin is gasping for breath. My son said that he heard her "snoring" and that is what it sounds like.

She is one of my favorites!!!!!!!!

If she died should I just take her body to be autopsied? (I put Sulmet in with those chickens tonight)

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

Any advice? Does it sound like I am dealing with cocci or e coli still?

 

[threehorses]

Well honestly cocci/e.coli aren't gasping. That's respiratory - but it doesn't even mean it's antibiotic. It could be unrelated, or could be tied in since you never really determined what caused the deaths in the first place.

Definitely if you lose one, I'd take one in for a necropsy. If you do, cool with running water (don't wash anything off), pat dry, put in a plastic bag wrapped in the last paper towel you used to pat dry, and refrigerate - don't freeze.

Awful advice to have to give - awkward and just icky - but a friend of mine gave that advice to me when I needed it, so as a chicken-friend I pass it on to you. Do you need help finding a place ahead of time that maybe can test your birds, etc? If so, we can help with that.

Separate the cochin - start her on vitamins. Make sure that all your family knows to wash up between the different flocks; that's going to be a big important deal. When I had a possibly sick cockerel here this year, we split up chores - I was the only one who did that cage, and I did it last so that I wouldn't carry that illness to the other birds. (And he wasn't really sick - just a slightly visible conjunctiva, possibly swollen, and a sneeze.)

In the mean time you're going to want to look for any signs of respiratory anything. You can't really just start antibiotics because they all work for only a limited number of illnesses per antibiotic. Then again gasping...

Did these babies get any of the sulmet before?

Have you ruled out things like bedding (no cedar for example, making sure there's no mildew or wetness in the bedding, that they have a lot of ventilation, not too hot, etc?).

Nathalie

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

The cochin didn't make it. It is going to our extension office for a necropsy as soon as they open. I didn't know to wash it to cool down the body (the body was already room temperature when i went out this morning).

We practice strict biosecurity. I deal with each pen separately (different times of the day) & I even change my clothes & shoes. The shoes are sprayed off with bleach spray.

There is no wetness or cedar; plenty of ventilation. It was hot yesterday, but they had plenty of shade and a nice breeze (They are open chicken tractors for the summer.

It may be something totally unrelated. I am just suspicious that it might be the same thing. Maybe I didn't notice the gasping of the other chicks.

I don't know of anyone in our area that checks small flocks before a problem. I talked to our regular vet (who also does large animals) and he didn't do poultry. He is the only one in our area that does livestock. I may call the NCSU vet school & see what they suggest... or if you have suggestions for me I am glad to hear them

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

Well they wouldn't do a necropsy b/c it was already dead. Next one that is sick we need to take to Raleigh alive & they will kill it there.

They said that it is probably a virus. They did think that they were all related. Before we never saw any bloody droppings, so I never felt like cocci fit.

Blah!

 

[Judy]

I am so sorry. And how totally frustrating.

 

[Brindlebtch]

I am so sorry, especially for your favorite cochin.

Sadly, taking a live animal for a necropsy seems strange but we were told the same thing for a friend's dog. We drove it up to A&M and they put it down there and then did the necropsy immediately.
It was a terrible drive.