Salmonella and chicks

[birmann]

Just talked to the manager he assured me that if my flock looked healthy they should be fine. And if I am too concerned to get them tested. He never really answered my exact question.

 

[azygous]

I was given the phone number of the Rocky Ford Diagnostic Lab here in Colorado by my university extension office as a place where I can get chicken poop tested for salmonella. I will be calling them first thing in the morning.

Besides asking them the question of baby chicks being exposed to salmonella and carrying it in their gut and whether they need to be treated for it to rid them of it even though they appear healthy or will they "outgrow" it, are there any more questions you folks would like me to ask?

I may decide to package up some poop from the flock and send it to them to see if salmonella is present in their guts. I may have them test the chicks poop separately so I'll know for sure if they have it in them or not.

I will report back here as soon as I contact them.

 

[birmann]

That is my main question I would love to have answered. I would for sure like to know how your samples turn out as well.

 

[azygous]

This isn't going to cost a lot - around $20 to have a collective sample tested from the flock. I'm going to have them test the sample for parasites while they're at it for another $15.

Now, for the question we have regarding chicks contaminated by salmonella at Privett. The chicks can have salmonella in their gut and not show signs of illness, but it could later make them sick if they get run down for some reason and their resistance is lowered. They do NOT outgrow it. And even if you test for it, the test isn't conclusive, meaning if it comes back negative, it doesn't mean the chicks don't have salmonella in their gut.

And there may me no good way to get rid of it if they do have it.

So, I'm going to gather some samples, the lab tech said around 10% of the flock will do, and a separate one from the chicks. I'm to dip some cotton swabs in the fecal material, place them in sterilized jars and mail them off in overnight mail, which is normal snail mail here - I'm just three hours away from the lab.

So, this business from Privett is more enraging than I thought. But, I'm going to reserve my full wrath until I get the lab results back.

 

[azygous]

I just heard back from my lab on the samples I sent in to test for salmonella after learning the chicks may have been exposed to this pathogen at the hatchery.

The samples all turned out negative for both salmonella and parasites. My chicks were hatched a few months after Privett had their problems, so they may have cleaned things up by the time my chicks came through.

At any rate, it's a relief to know they aren't carrying any extra baggage.

 

[Sally_O]

If your chicks ever do have/get salmonella, is there a way to rid them of it? Preferably without antibiotics.

 

[mendocinobirds]

Ducks can sometimes swim in the pond on day one even without a mom. I know they drown most of the time but we had some hatch from an abandoned nest and they ran out with the other ducks and into the pond and no problem.