please help! not sure what to do next??

[Kittymomma]

A fecal sample is a good place to start, but if you have been feeding the youngsters laying pellets from the beginning that could also be part of the problem. Layer has too much calicum in it for the little ones and can cause them to have organ faliure.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
At 6 and 18 months they should be old enough for layer feed, but this is true; maybe the neighbor's chickens are younger?

 

[aymer]

we took a fecal sample to the vet two weeks ago and it came back negative. i will take another tomorrow.

we gave the babies chick starter for the first three months then switched them over to laying pellets cut in half with scratch (my hens kept eating the medicated chick food so i had to switch earlier than i would have liked). the neighbor's chickens are 7 months old.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
At 6 and 18 months they should be old enough for layer feed, but this is true; maybe the neighbor's chickens are younger?

I agree, but am unsure if the younger ones have been getting layer since they were really young or not....I was thinking if they've been getting the layer since they were still in the brooder or shortly after that that might explain the falling over dead at six months...

ETA: I see that they went to layer at 12 weeks--still too young IMO, but not as bad as from the brooder. I'm still at a loss.

It might be worthwhile to see if one of the colleges or the local ag extention in your area does free or low cross necropsies. Many areas do and if you lose another one that would be the best way to figure out what is going on.

 

[aymer]

thanks kittymomma! i am at a loss too. UC Davis takes the dead birds for free and runs about $800. worth of testing. it is amazing!

from davis:
roo's results were coccidiosis (about a month ago and have since treated the flock with sulfasol and then had another poo analysis which came back negative).
little black and white with mareks (neighbors flock).
ruth is still pending.

 

[Judy]

SOMEWHERE I've read that 12 weeks is old enough that layer won't harm them. Have no idea whether that is true. I agree, sure would like to see what a necropsy says. Staying subscribed; sure hope to get updated as this develops. It's such a mystery. A few cocci would not be surprising. Marek's is not always fatal (I wonder if they determine which Marek's.)

 

[aymer]

i got ruth's autopsy back:

"6-months-old chicken with a history of retarded growth.
Coccidian enteritis with:
1- Cecum: typhlitis, necrotizing, focal, moderate with intraluminal coccidia oocysts. Etiology consistent with Eimeria spp.
2- Small intestine: intraluminal coccidia oocysts and coccidia schizonts. Etiology consistent with Eimeria spp.
3- Severe emaciation with atrophy and rhabdomyolysis of the pectoral muscles.
Additional laboratory tests results:
Coccidia oocysts detected in feces."

so she had coccidiosis and the sulfasol did not work on her. i am using corid on three of my little ones right now and they seem to be coming around! if they make it, it will be a miracle! i have never been able to bring a chicken back from this close to death.

these little girls are really skinny. i am giving them scrambled eggs with plain yogurt mixed in to help fatten them back up. is their anything else i should be doing?

one of the little girls has diarrhea. anything i can do for that?

SOMEWHERE I've read that 12 weeks is old enough that layer won't harm them. Have no idea whether that is true. I agree, sure would like to see what a necropsy says. Staying subscribed; sure hope to get updated as this develops. It's such a mystery. A few cocci would not be surprising. Marek's is not always fatal (I wonder if they determine which Marek's.)

i read the same thing. that is why i switched them over to laying crumble with chick scratch at 12 weeks. it made it easy to feed the whole flock the same food.​