Sick and dying hens.

[amymboxer]

Hello recently my flock of hens and my 4 silkies have gotten sick and are dying rapidly. I am worried that bug service came in a poisoned them. I lost 3 hens and a silkie. They get sick very quickly and start having trouble with their balance. I have treated the water now with antibiocs. I currently have 2 sick silkies and am going to the vet provided they make it that long. Some of the hens that passed away were vaccined for merricks and a couple were not. I do not have alot of chickens. I just had a pen with 4 silkies and a pen with 9 hens (now 7). The two sick silkies are moved. I do not know if they will be alive when I get home. Ideas of what is going on with them?

 

[Eggcessive]

Insecticide poisoning could be a problem if they got sick right after bug service was performed. Other considerations should be moldy feed poisoning, botulism from eating dead animal carcasses, vitamin deficiency, and coccidiosis. I would look carefully at my feed and any treats such as scratch or corn, which can become moldy overnight. If you lose another, consider contacting your state vet or poultry lab for a necropsy on 1 or 2 birds. Bodies must be fresh, on ice or refrigerated (not frozen) and shipped or driven. Here is some info about that:
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[amymboxer]

We have 1 sick silkie now. Vet is not sure what she and the others are sick with but seems that feed issues most likely. If she dies I will be sending hwr to our local state center for an autospy to see if toxin or possibls disease.

 

[amymboxer]

Not posioning. I have had several die now. Most of them actually. Have one that can no longer walk. I am taking her for a neurocropsy tomorrow. Pretty sure it is Mareks. However now I have 2 hens with scabbed over eyea that look like fowl pox. The remaining silkie I know was vaccinated with scabbed eyes amd face but was vaccinated for Mareks and no neurological symptoms...so not sure if she has Mareks or not. I removed the scabs from her eyes so she could see and she is quite active other than her eyes. I put antibiotic ointment on them. The strange thing is I thought my feed store chicks were vaccinated but one died and the other is on her way out...I am so confused why the vaccinated chickens are getting Mareks? I have 3 healthy hens left...so far, and those were not vaccinated.

 

[Eggcessive]

Most feed store chicks are not vaccinated. If they come vaccinated for Mareks, they cost more, so most don't sell them. If you get a necropsy done, the body needs to be refrigerated and as fresh as possible. Let us know what you find out.

 

[amymboxer]

Confirmed Mareks...and contracted fowl pox from the local birds. Wonder if it came from my neighbor down the street. Found out how far it can travel. I had no idea how prevalent it is. They think the chickens got it older from wind or feed bag or who knows. My chickens were only on my property. I did not have deaths until recently. Fowl pox are from the sparrows that come eat the feed with the chickens. Silkie that was vaccinated is fine. I have two easter eggers and a Belgian Maline hen left with the Silkie. My Amerucana disappeared last night I have looked all over for her, I do not know if she died or something got her before going in the coop last night...she was almost blind from the pox. The gal said it is very very common but the vaccine here works extremely well as long as they are vaccinated no later than day 1. These chicks were all very healthy. Guess I should have vaccinated myself.

 

[amymboxer]

Does fowlpox cause molting? I found my poor blind amerucana. Washed her and brought her in. I noticed the last couple weeks she is molting. She is only 5 months old. Is that commom with pox?