Should I just stop raising chickens?

[scubaforlife]

I have a call into my state extension office, they have an avian diseases branch.

 

[Lesa]

Excellent- they should be able to help you. Keep us posted! Good luck!

 

[scubaforlife]

Trouble is, this puts me on the radar. Now if the egg farm 200 miles away has a problem they can say "well that guy you talked to in April is causing my problems." In case you haven't figured it out, I don't like the government in my business.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Too tired to read the whole thread....
Has anyone asked about your ventilation? How many chickens in how much space? Too many chickens in a poorly vented coop can cause the symptoms you described.

 

[AnastasiaY]

This might sound dumb, but what kind of bedding are you using?

 

[scubaforlife]

I use pine shavings for bedding. I turn the bedding daily and add new every other day, deep bedding. I have open soffet vents. I have 28 birds in a coop that is 4 x 8. They aren't in there in the day, they are on a pasture during daylight.

 

[scubaforlife]

Extension office said it is so common he doesn't need to see any. Its ILT, vaccinate for it.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Glad you got an answer!

 

[scubaforlife]

Well, we haven't had a very good run of it. I lost a bunch of CXs during the cold spring (our fault). A coon broke into the brooder and killed a bunch of chicks (I guess our fault too). The mystery illness is starting up again in the flock. I think I just need to kill everything and give up, the stress isn't worth this. I like the idea of meat and eggs that I raise to my standards but its just too hard to have to bury/compost birds every few days. I wish it would be simple, but the reality is it just isn't. My extension office seems to be wrong about what it is and so I am now out of answers and solutions.