Now what? A CYST?!?!?!

[starting.from.scratch]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your time and concern. Don't lose sleep over my babies, I am doing that well enough on my own!

Upon looking at that diagram, I did think the cervical air sacs were the correct ones. The masses are filled with air, so it seems. I'll be tending to them one more time tonight before we all attempt to go to bed and I'll post anything I find tomorrow.

I did find a vet here that was referred to me by our regular vet. (Thank you for the link - there isn't one within 4 hours of me!) Problem is, they stay booked up - which kind of works because I'll need back up if I'm trying to take the birdies and babies, or attempt to find a sitter. Cross your fingers for me.

About the woman, I think once we go to the vet, depending on the findings, I may have to contact the state Poultry Service. I've been thinking that at least around here, if anyone else had gotten these birds, they'd be culled by now, along with how many others. I need to find a home for the rooster, but can't in good conscience do it until I know for sure what he has - or doesn't. That MG is terrible. Ugh.

 

[threehorses]

Well I can't help it - I do lose sleep, and I tend to wake up at 4 a.m. and 'trouble shoot'. (Actually last night I had dreams all night about mites...yay). But then again it's when my thoughts are more clear.

Speaking of, sometimes birds can get mites in their air sacs. A whole other situation. But since they're pretty bug-free now, I don't think there's an issue - and if there was there's no way we can really tell without a vet.

Your vet sounds like a great idea, especially the back-up. Of course, like it or not, I will worry about your babies as if they were my own and will do so til I hear good news from your vet visit.

And I do hope it's good news.

I like your idea about the woman. If they do have something big, she'd need to know. Not that she'll do anything about it, but her misbehavior is her own problem.

In the mean time, I'm hoping and literally praying those babies just are nasty and don't have anything major. It's still been a short time for them since they've been there considering how very long they've been in bad conditions before that!

I'm curious to see if your work on the sacs makes them inflate less tomorrow? And yes, I thought with the other picture it looked more like cervical.

Boy we'll be air sac experts after this! LOL

Lots of hugs to you and the little chickens. I'm really quite attached to them now. /sigh

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Ok, I'm feeling better about things today-Thank you so much!

The sacs were much smaller-I saw Limpy's neck! Yesterday saw the biggest improvement, when in the morning, I was just so frustrated. I guess that's the way it goes though...

Once I realized how sick they were I've tried to be caring & compassionate without becoming blindly attached like I usually do, but that's over. Now I know I have to eventually rehome the little roo, but there's going to have to be visitation rights after a lengthy adoption interview! I'll keep you posted...

 

[threehorses]

Well there you go - that's great news. There must be something to what you're doing, which goes in line with what we've supposed here lately.

So you're attached, huh?

Awwwww!

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Ok, it's better but worse-I'm attaching pictures. I got the Chicken Health Handbook (finally) and was concerned about these babies being carriers. Don't want anyone else to have to go thru this when I rehome the roo, or have my BO's get sick!
Didn't want to fool with a local vet (not any good avian ones anywhere near here) so I called the Poultry Pathology Lab for MS in the back of the book. And I am soo glad I did! There's a dr. coming out tomorrow to sample all of the birds, even my BOs just in case. She said I'd be better off in the future just getting day-olds from a hatchery. She was extremely nice.
I don't know, but that seems to be a good way to get peace of mind about questionable diseases.

The first picture is Limpy's neck! Yay! He's got one! But...the second picture is the cervical mass, seems bigger again. I took the needle to it before the picture, so it was bigger. Can you see better?

Thank you, she's coming in the afternoon when I'm usually on here (nap time) so I'll post how it went after bed time.

 

[threehorses]

I'm sending prayers that the birds don't have anything significant, that if they do have anything it will be something light. Birds will end up being carriers of a number of things - but you just don't want MG, ILT, pullorum/typhoid, that sort of thing.

When she comes out, I'd ask her thoughts on which 'carrier' illnesses are acceptable for backyard flocks, and which aren't. I know P/T is'nt - nor ILT. But I'm curious about what she has to say about MG and more so about M. synoviae (which it wouldn't surprise me if these guys had).

In fact, I might call my local colleges and see if I can talk to someone about those things. let me know if you want me to ask any
specific questions for you.

By the way, that baby looks absolutely fabulous compared to what he has looked like only days before. Amazing!!!!!!

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Ok, have a second, first-the dr. was super nice. First we got the BO girls, she took blood & fecal from both. Then we went to the babies, and honestly, from your kind comment about how much better they're looking to her thinking maybe I blew it out of proportion on the phone with her (I took that as a compliment once she saw them!) things are definitely looking up.
I didn't have the chance to see your post before she got here, but she's planning on calling sometime next week. She thinks all the tests should be available by late next week.
The swollen hock on Limpy may have been a bacterial thing, simply because he still limps, but the swelling has gone down so quickly. The droppings looked good, but she took samples of those too. I am sure if the neighbors were checking on my "down low pollo" they were less than thrilled to see her suited in a haz mat looking thing helping me chase my chickens around my backyard!

All in all, she thought everyone looked good, but told me to wait til the tests come back before I make any plans to rehome my roo. But now I can say that my chickens are state - tested!

So thank you so much! My brain feels like it's going to explode, I was soo worried she'd get here and think my house needed to be quarrantined and all birds culled for cadavors. Nice.