Newcastle Disease

[Hound42]

Hi all,

First post intro: I've been reading the forums for a while now and really appreciate the helpfulness of you all.

This is my first time posting. I got my first flock of 13 (3 leghorns and 10 Sex Links) in May from our local feed store. I am now pretty sure that one of the chicks had Newcastle Disease from looking at pictures, especially the ones where necks are bent into the strange angles.I had read about it before getting them but never looked up any pictures and being new at this I thought that it had just broken it's neck. That chick died a few days later (back in May)

The reason I am asking about this now is because a couple of days ago, one of my other birds died in it's sleep with no warning. It had been running around outside the day before, went in and made itself a nest in the shavings, and the next morning it was dead and stiff. A day or so before I had noticed while it was sleeping on the roosting stick that it's wing kept drooping down. So far all of the other birds are fine, but we have stopped eating their eggs.

They are all semi-free range (we lock them up at night to keep the weasels away) and are raised on standard commercial food (starter, then grower, and now laying ration)

So, my internet experts, what's your opinions? What are the chances that my first chick had Newcastle (if you google it, the chick looked exactly like the first picture that comes up), what are the chances the disease could lay dormant all summer and resurface 7 months later, and how worried should I be?

Thank you

 

[Pyxis]

Did the chick have other symptoms that go with Newcastle's, such as nasal discharge, paralysis, bubbly eyes, respiratory distress etc? Also it's very contagious so your other birds really should have gotten it too if they were kept together. If it was just the neck issue, it was probably just wry neck, which is caused by nutritional deficiency and can be treated with vitamins. Chances are the mystery death was not Newcastle's related either, since they show symptoms and then die instead of just dropping dead. Was she nearing egg laying age? About how old was she? Something may have not been right internally and she just died. This usually happens around egg laying age because that it when something is most likely to go wrong.

 

[Eggcessive]

Newcastles disease is not found in the US, at least the exotic type which is the most serious. If you had that, your whole flock probably would have died. You possibly had Mareks or some other problem going on. Chickens can get wry neck from vitamin deficiencies, head injuries, or infectious diseases. Drooping wings is another neurological sign that can be due to dehydration, Mareks, or late signs of serious illness. If you lose another, then it would be worthwhile to get it necropsied by your state vet. I would get some Rooster Booster vitamimins for the feed to give your flock dsily in case of a deficiency.