Sick chicken

[LalaP]

Is that possible you have Marek's in your flock? At the end of their life stage, most my hens with Marek's stopped processing food. Did the vet test for Marek's? Or did the vet find any tumor?

Sorry I never saw your post and questions until now. I got the hen as a chick from a farm store and I’m pretty sure they had been vaccinated against marek’s. Isn’t it common practice to vaccinate the chicks being sold commercially? There was no tumor.

 

[azygous]

Yes, you are doing well to use your existing thread to discuss the possible cause of death.

Grain mites do no harm to chickens that eat the infested feed. However, the presence of grain mites can indicate feed that is old, degraded in nutrients, and worst, feed that has become damp which can be a bigger danger than the mites as mold toxicity can cause death.

Mite infested feed won't have a bad odor, but moldy feed will smell very bad. Unless you have a seriously compromised sense of smell, you would have noticed the smell.

 

[LalaP]

Yes, you are doing well to use your existing thread to discuss the possible cause of death.

Grain mites do no harm to chickens that eat the infested feed. However, the presence of grain mites can indicate feed that is old, degraded in nutrients, and worst, feed that has become damp which can be a bigger danger than the mites as mold toxicity can cause death.

Mite infested feed won't have a bad odor, but moldy feed will smell very bad. Unless you have a seriously compromised sense of smell, you would have noticed the smell.

I don’t think the feed was moldy. No smell and I live in a very dry climate. We have to work to keep things moist here. I think it was old and degraded. I offer both layer feed and all-flock and sometimes if it’s on sale I’ll buy a couple bags of each. I think the mites had plenty of time to eat and multiply. I’ve learned a lot of lessons about feed storage and how much to buy at a time.

 

[Love Donkeys]

Sorry I never saw your post and questions until now. I got the hen as a chick from a farm store and I’m pretty sure they had been vaccinated against marek’s. Isn’t it common practice to vaccinate the chicks being sold commercially? There was no tumor.

I checked with an associate at my local Rural King that cares for the chicks. She stated the customer has to order vaccinated chicks. Chicks that are sold in the store are all unvaccinated, that's why they are cheaper. I didn't ask about the Guineafowles, Ducks or Quail....
By the way Rural King and TSC buy their chicks from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa.

 

[LalaP]

I checked with an associate at my local Rural King that cares for the chicks. She stated the customer has to order vaccinated chicks. Chicks that are sold in the store are all unvaccinated, that's why they are cheaper. I didn't ask about the Guineafowles, Ducks or Quail....
By the way Rural King and TSC buy their chicks from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa.

Wow. Thank you for that information. I didn’t know that and have a new thing to check into now.

 

[gtaus]

Isn’t it common practice to vaccinate the chicks being sold commercially?

Not where I live...

I’ve learned a lot of lessons about feed storage and how much to buy at a time.

I buy my feed when it goes on sale. I transfer it into plastic 5-gallon buckets with good airtight lids. I have a bunch of 5-gallon buckets that I got from Harbor Freight. They have periodic sale weekends where you get a FREE bucket with a small purchase...

Assuming your feed is good when you buy it, it will stay fresh in those airtight buckets for a number of months. I buy my feed on sale and save a lot of money on feed costs by storing them in 5-gallon buckets.

Another benefit, for me, of using the 5-gallon buckets is that each bucket holds about 25# of feed. It is much easier for me to move a 25# 5-gallon bucket of feed with a nice handle than trying to lift and move a 50# bag of feed with nothing to grab on and hold.

Also, I store my chicken feed in my garage, so having a good lid on the buckets keeps the mice out! Nothing worse for the old ticker than scooping out chicken feed early in the morning and a mouse jumps out and runs up your sleeve!

Google picture of what my feed bags would like back in the day before I started to using the 5-gallon buckets...

I checked with an associate at my local Rural King that cares for the chicks. She stated the customer has to order vaccinated chicks. Chicks that are sold in the store are all unvaccinated, that's why they are cheaper.

FWIW, I have never purchased vaccinated chicks in my 40+ years of raising birds, on and off, but it also depends on where you live. If you have known problems in your locale, then I guess I would have the chicks vaccinated.

 

[LalaP]

Not where I live...



I buy my feed when it goes on sale. I transfer it into plastic 5-gallon buckets with good airtight lids. I have a bunch of 5-gallon buckets that I got from Harbor Freight. They have periodic sale weekends where you get a FREE bucket with a small purchase...

View attachment 3954739
Assuming your feed is good when you buy it, it will stay fresh in those airtight buckets for a number of months. I buy my feed on sale and save a lot of money on feed costs by storing them in 5-gallon buckets.

Another benefit, for me, of using the 5-gallon buckets is that each bucket holds about 25# of feed. It is much easier for me to move a 25# 5-gallon bucket of feed with a nice handle than trying to lift and move a 50# bag of feed with nothing to grab on and hold.

Also, I store my chicken feed in my garage, so having a good lid on the buckets keeps the mice out! Nothing worse for the old ticker than scooping out chicken feed early in the morning and a mouse jumps out and runs up your sleeve!

Google picture of what my feed bags would like back in the day before I started to using the 5-gallon buckets...

View attachment 3954747



FWIW, I have never purchased vaccinated chicks in my 40+ years of raising birds, on and off, but it also depends on where you live. If you have known problems in your locale, then I guess I would have the chicks vaccinated.

I was just speaking to my husband about getting buckets for the feed. I’m glad to hear that it is working for you. Do you get the lids that screw on?
I’m definitely wondering if my flock has Marek’s now. I’ll be taking a stool sample to my vet to be tested.

Thank you for your reply.

 

[LalaP]

I was just speaking to my husband about getting buckets for the feed. I’m glad to hear that it is working for you. Do you get the lids that screw on?
I’m definitely wondering if my flock has Marek’s now. I’ll be taking a stool sample to my vet to be tested.

Thank you for your reply.

I called the feed store where I bought my chicks 4 years ago and they said they’ve always vaccinated all chicks against Merek’s. Whew. One less thing to worry about.

 

[Georgia Chickens]

Can you give some info of what happened w/your chickie?
We have a Wyandotte @maybe 3 1/2 y/o.(got from husbands neice yr and a half back) She’s not laid eggs in about a yr.
Wk before last, was fine, roaming around, free ranging. Been moving around much slower than norm. Since mid last week, is not getting into coop @bedtime, so I’ve been putting into coop @nite. Still has a bit of an appetite, but very picky @WHAT and how much she’ll eat.
Flock of 9 + 2 babies have been getting herbal mix in water. All had a pumpkin early last week. (was told was a natural dewormer. (?)
She’s been given @least 1/2 syringe of NutriDrench a few times. This morn, she could not walk out of coop on her own; too weak. About to give a dose of Liquid B12 & a dose of NutriDrench. She’s inside, in quiet are. When picked up, could prominently feel breast bone. About to make some scrambled eggs to see if she’ll eat. Has a moist food w/a few meal worms.