Sick birds this spring.

[KathyAnn]

Just came in from the chick house, and I have two more in quarantine area now, they were falling ontheir sides trying to hold themselves up with their wings.

The very first one that got sick several days ago is still alive, I thought it would be dead.

kathy

 

[clananderson]

It seems we may also have AE infected chicks. We've had three waves of sick birds, each successively less acute, but typically loose them in pairs. Until today, we didn't know what we are dealing with. *sigh* Appreciate all the posts. The three that are currently quarantined have tremors and sit around more often than others, but at least they are mobile and appear to be eating and drinking. They are notably smaller than all the other birds, and lagging in feather development.

Of 27 chicks ordered from MMH, hatched on 03/01/2008, and immunized for Mareks and Coccidiosis:

26 Red Stars - 7 dead / 3 quarantined
1 Rare - Small black w/ feathers on feet - tiny, but apparently healthy

 

[ChickNLittle]

Can someone please tell me if their chicks that are sick or have died, did they have diahrhea? I had one chick I put in with two chicks I hatched myself, and that one chick died (diahrhea, tremors, listless, etc)., now my two hatched chicks have diahrhea?

 

[silkiechicken]

If you hatched them yourself, and they died soon there after, it may be something else. The majority of these chicks from this particular hatchery start to show symptoms at about 2 weeks old I believe. And it is just tremors and paralysis. Might want to make a new post in emergency/diseases/cures, and post all your information there according to:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3569

 

[KathyAnn]

None of mine are dead yet, now wait, I have lost 5, but I thought those were other conditions, besides the virus. they all died when they were just a few days old. one did drown in water, the other dead on arrival, the other 3 I thought just got smashed by others.

since they started getting sick, I have not lost any yet. I have quarantined 5 of them, and noticed I had some others that were stammering around, wobbly I set one aside to put it into the quarantine area and it litterally flew to be with the others and Il ost him in the crowd so I left him alone. I"m not quarantining any others, They all seem to be eating and drinking, even the ones I have quarantined.

My chicks were 3 days old on the 10th when I got them so their l7 days old now, Do you think their getting over it by now? maybe those others did have the virus, I couldn't tell, I wasn't paying much attention till the other day when I noticed all the staggering around. they were walking kind of squatty like.

The sick ones don't even have diareah though, nobody does.

Even if they do survive, I've heard others say that the egg production will drop .

What will happen if I save their eggs when they start laying in the future and incubate them? anybody know?

 

[KathyAnn]

I just got a full refund from MMH this morning, including shipping charges. I asked about any reports of AE and they said they've not had a one report , has anybody sent in any proof that they had AE? anybody who's had their chicks tested? I didnt thinkthey'd say yes to my question, They said they 'd had different folks calling in with different sickness's and they didn't know what it was that was going around but that it definitely wasn't AE. This is just what they told me, maybe to keep me satisfied. Don't know.

But if folks are having testing done, I hope their sending the test results copies to MMH and to the state. MMH isn't doin g a thing in their hatchery to guard against AE right now, their refunding for dead chicks, cause what else can they do. But they said their parents have all been vacinated for all virus's and they didn't have AE in their facility. I just wanted folks to know what they told me this morning when I called about my chicks.

 

[carousel]

Hello,
2 part answer
1 - I had 3 chicks euthanzed last week.
I'm working with an Avian vet and I plan to send a copy of ALL notes and necropsy results to McMurray as a curtiousy. My vet was also willing to contact McMurray directly. McMurray has made notes on my account that I had sick chicks and that I was taking them to an avian vet. With a bit of luck we will have preliminary lab results today.
2 - I had 5 affected chicks - 2 were recovering very well so we did not put them down. They are big and strong and doing very well - they are in fact bigger than some of chicks that have never been sick. they are now doing all the same "normal thing" my other chicks are doing - they are once again standing when eating and drinking, dust bathing, preening etc..

Only time will tell what was wrong with my chicks? and the long term outlook for my 2 less affected chicks.

So deep breath, and waiting.

CS

 

[CritterHill]

As far as what McMurray knows, I talked to them this morning and they told me that there had been "one confirmed case of AE so far and a lot of rumors". They did mention that their birds were all vaccinated and they do not know where the chicks with the confirmed diagnosis could have picked it up.

So they do know about the issue and are not denying anything. I politely canceled my order "until the situation resolves" and they were totally professional about it.

Now I just have to find me some chicks.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
That's where I'm at, too. They were very professional with me, too, and courteous. I will order from them again next season.

 

[darlinclem]

I bought 28 chickes from MM for delivery on 10 Mar 08. That day I had 19 arrive. 10 had been cancelled. Of the 19, two were DOA on arrival. In the next 60 hours I lost a total of 9 (including the original 2). That weekend was COLD and since only 19 were shipped I figured the loss was due to stress and cold. I later lost 3 more to a cat who got into my brooding room. The loses effected all breeds I ordered and were:

4 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes
1 Buff Minorca
2 Blue Andalusians
2 Delaware

I honestly don't know what killed them. I disposed of the bodies before I knew anything was going on with orders from MM.

Major question: Can you vaccinate to keep the egg production from falling off and from transmitting the disease? Will it inffect the whole flock? Can humans be carriers? Can you eat infected birds? I know we won't get it fro the chicks but..

This is really freaking me out. I am so scared because I got another 63 chicks that have all been housed with my 7 I have left from MM. I don't want to cull all of them! I bought the others so I could have more choice and then planned to sell the rest. I don't want to pass on infected birds!

I am willing to sacrifice some of the other birds (I would prefer it not be my MM birds) to test to see if I have it in my flock (of chicks). They are seperated from the main flock right now.

ARGH!
Darlene
North Central Kansas