Newly bought chicks are dying of a strange disease- seems neurological

[Pickaduck]

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They need a place to go to get out from under the lamp if they get too hot. Chickens don't do well with heat and if they get too hot and can't cool down it can be deadly. Though I'm not sure if that's really what you have going on.. it just struck me when you said that and I wanted to offer that suggestion.

 

[RedHead]

which hatchery did you get them from, out of curiosity?

 

[PAchickenlover]

Wow I had no idea about that disease. That is why I love this site, you find out about things that you had no idea existed. So sorry about your chicks. Wish there was a better solution to your problem.

 

[Avalon1984]

Thank you all. I have a therometer laying down where the chicks are to control temperature. They all seemed ok with the temperature from what I can tell. I have just been told by the hatchery that their birds are 100% healthy and how dare we question them and that the ones we bought are dying because we brought a dirty carrier, which we never even used to transport the birds (it had gotten wet, not dirty, from the sprinkler and we didn't see it till we got there). We were also told that all of our birds must be sick and we don't know what we are doing from this person who has 50+birds in a small enclosure sitting in mud. I don't feel like participating in such a silly argument as I know that his birds are sick. I will try to find him if he is with the Better Business Bureau but highly doubt it. Lesson of the day, do not buy birds from a place that smells of decomposition. In the end it is only the birds that lose out. I will not release the name of the place on this forum but if you PM me I will let you know to save somebody else the same experience.

 

[RedHead]

If they're sooo convinced their birds are 100% healthy then they should have no problem with providing PROOF of such. I would personally contact maybe the CDC or someone of that nature and let them know. I only say this because god knows how many other people out there have had this problem that they just chalked up to " they're chicks, it happens". At the very least are they supposed to be NPIP approved/certified?
Sorry if I sound a little heated there but I can't STAND things like this. There is no reason, and if that IS the disease they have, it IS preventable by proper housing/care (on the hatchery's part). First though, I would have a necropsy done to know for certain what killed them. Do you have a reliable vet nearby you could go to?

 

[Avalon1984]

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He was all proud about the NPIP part but that doesn't explain the burning pit next to the chicken houses that rieked of decomposition. If your chickens are sooo healthy, you shouldn't have to worry about burning them, or worse, leave dead ones on there long enough to start stinking. I am all for protecting themselves from people that just want to get free birds but to come back and accuse us of not knowing what we are doing is rediculous and shows that something is wrong. I was doing everything right in his opinion until I said that I want my money back. Chicks may be fragile and all but I managed to save 10 that almost died in the actual hatching process, that were shrink wrapped, had to be hatched to soon, and still made it without any signs of disease or weakness. It is called taking care fo them. What is the CDC? I don't know if it will help much to know what disease it is since he is convinced it is on our property and refuses to refund me my $15. No sense spending more. Seems easier just to cull the remaining which is sad but I need to protect my flock.

 

[EquestrianGal]

I am so sorry for what you are dealing with. And it definitely sounds like they came with a disease (not that you had any doubt, but sometimes it helps to hear it from someone else too).
Encephalomyelitis was my (very uneducated) guess. I haven't faced it yet (hopefully never will), but I came across it while researching some other stuff and it matched. (Horses can get a form of it too.)

 

[Avalon1984]

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Well thank you so much. I always try to question what I do and will rarely complain but at the rate that those guys are dying it becomes a bit obvious. We have horses as well. Should I be worried? I isolated the guys and put them in the house, far away from all horses and chickens. I disinfect my hands after handling them and was going to bleach their brooder after culling them which I believe may be inevitable. I will give them a few more days but it doesn't look good.

 

[RedHead]

The CDC is the Center for Disease Control, and they could probably not only help you identify the disease but would be able to send someone to that hatchery to run tests, etc.. Avian Encephalomyelitis doesn't seem to be a zoonotic disease, but they should at the very least be able to point you in the right direction if they can't help you. That hatchery has NO business being in business if a.) their birds are infected with a transmutable disease b.) they don't take care of the birds they have and c.) refuse to listen to what the customer is saying. If it's not you that reports them for this inexcusable behavior and business practices than someone else will, BUT not until after they've had the same experience as you. I'm just saying this out of concern for the future birds they are bound to produce, sell and by doing so, kill.

 

[Avalon1984]

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Center of Disease Control, that is a great idea RedHead. I don’t need anybody having to go through the same nonsense I am going through. I feel in my heart that I will have to end up killing those chicks to prevent further contamination and that stinks. Should I dig out the latest departed ones from the trash can and freeze, or just wait for the next ones to go? I believe there is an avian vet up here in Cedar Creek that I could ask to do a necropsy and he may be able to help me with the CDC concerns.