South Carolina

[Larkspur88]

Had a long day. A bird of mine last night started swelling up in the face. By this morning she could hardly breathe! I've had so many birds die I wanted to figure out what is going on once and for all.

Took the dying bird and my Cochin to sunset animal clinic. Saw dr. Ogburn and dr. Brown. Very nice doctors btw. The polish died before I got there. She was so swollen her eyes were sunk in and not visible and were draining. She died because of suffocation because of her horrible adema.

The vets were in utter shock. Weirdest thing they've seen in a while they said. They immediately said most likely a virus. (oh great) and they checked out my Cochin. They said he was under weight. Oh and they still have coccidia.

Well I took the dead polish by the Clemson facility for necropsy. I should have some results tomorrow. Hoping it's not viral. And they said if so I have to put down my flock if it's something very serious.

I'm on edge now. I wonder if I will have to put down my flock and if my eggs need to be destroyed too. it's just been a crazy day.

 

[Lroach711]

Had a long day. A bird of mine last night started swelling up in the face. By this morning she could hardly breathe! I've had so many birds die I wanted to figure out what is going on once and for all.
Took the dying bird and my Cochin to sunset animal clinic. Saw dr. Ogburn and dr. Brown. Very nice doctors btw. The polish died before I got there. She was so swollen her eyes were sunk in and not visible and were draining. She died because of suffocation because of her horrible adema.
The vets were in utter shock. Weirdest thing they've seen in a while they said. They immediately said most likely a virus. (oh great) and they checked out my Cochin. They said he was under weight. Oh and they still have coccidia.
Well I took the dead polish by the Clemson facility for necropsy. I should have some results tomorrow. Hoping it's not viral. And they said if so I have to put down my flock if it's something very serious.
I'm on edge now. I wonder if I will have to put down my flock and if my eggs need to be destroyed too.

it's just been a crazy day.

I'm so sorry for your loss!

I'll be hoping and praying for good results from Clemson. Hopefully it won't be something serious enough to have to put down your whole flock!! Definately let us know what they say.

 

[Joycats]

Had a long day. A bird of mine last night started swelling up in the face. By this morning she could hardly breathe! I've had so many birds die I wanted to figure out what is going on once and for all.
Took the dying bird and my Cochin to sunset animal clinic. Saw dr. Ogburn and dr. Brown. Very nice doctors btw. The polish died before I got there. She was so swollen her eyes were sunk in and not visible and were draining. She died because of suffocation because of her horrible adema.
The vets were in utter shock. Weirdest thing they've seen in a while they said. They immediately said most likely a virus. (oh great) and they checked out my Cochin. They said he was under weight. Oh and they still have coccidia.
Well I took the dead polish by the Clemson facility for necropsy. I should have some results tomorrow. Hoping it's not viral. And they said if so I have to put down my flock if it's something very serious.
I'm on edge now. I wonder if I will have to put down my flock and if my eggs need to be destroyed too.

it's just been a crazy day.

Can they force you to do that? What authority does Clemson have to insist you put down your whole flock? Exactly why I would be afraid to ask for help. I've heard stories from the old timers about what they used to do years ago, killing off whole flocks of canaries and chickens out of fear of the bird flu. That would be devastating, emotionally and financially for me. I hope it's something that can be treated. I hope you get some answers.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:

Yes they can. Especially if it is a contagion or something along those lines.
It is not Clemson themselves - they report it to the state - who then does whatever it is they do and decisions are made based on the findings and probably further testing of live birds.
Happens if you are getting NPIP tested & the birds test postive.

I know it is probably more detailed than this - but that is all I can explain at 4am

 

[Larkspur88]

If it were the bird flu or mericks they will come put them down. But if they all have a contagious disease that will just haunt my flock the rest of their lives I may personally have to start over. I've been trying to breed my seramas (no luck) and such but I can't possibly sell any birds right now for fear of transmitting something to another flock.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Had a long day. A bird of mine last night started swelling up in the face. By this morning she could hardly breathe! I've had so many birds die I wanted to figure out what is going on once and for all.

Took the dying bird and my Cochin to sunset animal clinic. Saw dr. Ogburn and dr. Brown. Very nice doctors btw. The polish died before I got there. She was so swollen her eyes were sunk in and not visible and were draining. She died because of suffocation because of her horrible adema.

The vets were in utter shock. Weirdest thing they've seen in a while they said. They immediately said most likely a virus. (oh great) and they checked out my Cochin. They said he was under weight. Oh and they still have coccidia.

Well I took the dead polish by the Clemson facility for necropsy. I should have some results tomorrow. Hoping it's not viral. And they said if so I have to put down my flock if it's something very serious.

I'm on edge now. I wonder if I will have to put down my flock and if my eggs need to be destroyed too.

it's just been a crazy day.

How terrible! I am sorry to hear this and know it was a really bad day for you! I hope that it isn't anything effecting the others and you won't have to destroy them all and start over.
However, I have read on a few other threads here and other sites where they had their birds tested and it was viral so they were all destroyed. The people would start over and the same thing would happen as the wild migrating birds just kept bringing it in. One person said they were going to totally enclose their birds and another got out of chickens completely while some said they were just going to live with it as they only had egg birds and what they had did not affect people.

Is the swelling face a symptom of Coryza? I can't think of anything else that has that but I never have been very good with medical problems. I like having my vet friends to help me out.

 

[Larkspur88]

Well, it was very disturbing. Very very disturbing. I'll post a few pics to show you Georgie's face. D: But be forewarned!





That was Georgie a previously very healthy bird I got from NC. That swelling and such literally happened over night.


Same bird pic taken in late December.

 

[Larkspur88]

I'm trying to keep positive thoughts. Like maybe these eggs will hatch and if all my birds are put down I will have a new generation or perhaps I will just invest in ducks. Are chicken diseases spread back and forth between ducks or are they pretty species limited?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

That is a good thing about ducks. They do not contract the same diseases or carry the same viruses that chickens do. They even are better at keeping out intestinal worms than chickens. On a whole ducks tend to be more vigorous than chickens though I did have a duckling from a shipped egg die when it was 2 weeks old. I have no idea why as it's sibling has done excellent and it has been almost 9 months. It could have simply choked on it's food as ducklings have often done if there isn't enough water to submerge their faces in while eating.

I enjoy my ducks because they lay only between the hours of 3 am and 9 am so I can let them out to free range the rest of the day without finding eggs all over the farm. Ducks are not as bad as chickens to fight among themselves unless there are too many drakes for too few ladies. They are better foragers and gather most of their own diet with plenty of room to graze, they do eat grass and their eggs are higher in protein. Very few fly so you don;t have to worry about getting them out of trees at night, they really seem a lot smarter than chickens and mine are super to learn key words. I have quite a few that I can walk up to and pick up, just like some of my chickens. MOF, one of my Muscovy has gotten me well trained to have to pick her up and carry her back to her pen in the evenings. She flies out over a 4' fence every day after laying her egg, wanders the farm and then will seldom come back to the pen when time to go up. She is being kept with some Runners and would rather go with her Muscovy friends but the drake is her father and she keeps going broody when in that coop and pen. So I pick her up and carry her back, set her down in front of the gate and open it for her. She bobs her head and goes right in. I just moved my lavs into that pen in hopes she will take up with that drake, too.

Anyway, DH has talked about only having ducks since they are so much more hardy but I love my chickens, too. I do plan to add many more ducks this year and have the Golden Cascades for their eggs laying ability like the sex links. But this year I am breeding Cayugas, Saxony, Pekin, Golden Cascades, Runners in 2 varieties and the Muscovy. My only fault with teh ducks is that I like them to have the big pools to bathe in and hate the work of dumping them all and refilling. But nothing is perfect and if that is all I have to really complain about then I am pretty well off.

 

[gvilledh]

Anyway, DH has talked about only having ducks since they are so much more hardy but I love my chickens, too. I do plan to add many more ducks this year and have the Golden Cascades for their eggs laying ability like the sex links. But this year I am breeding Cayugas, Saxony, Pekin, Golden Cascades, Runners in 2 varieties and the Muscovy. My only fault with teh ducks is that I like them to have the big pools to bathe in and hate the work of dumping them all and refilling. But nothing is perfect and if that is all I have to really complain about then I am pretty well off.

You could just work on building a pond....lot of work, but once it is done no more dumping! Of course, I am sure that is probably already on your dream farm list.