Sudden Death and an Epsom Salt Question.

[TommyDaDelaware]

Well. THis is a great start to a cloudy morning. my mom called me and told me to go out and give Poly-Vi-Sol to a naked neck hen who had been acting just a little off this morning. I go out 20 minutes later to find her Stone Cold Dead. I examined her (I'm no vet, just checked for the basics like you know a broken neck or leg or injuries, something obvious) and all I could find was a few mites, which we have been trying to control. She's at Point of Lay, we were expecting eggs soon, but looks like that's now up to our other Turken hen. Grr. I was wondering would a puffball mushroom poison a chicken? I wouldn't think it would be that quick to kill though. Or do you guys think it was just Sudden chicken Death? I know it happens. I've had a lot of them, but it still sucks.

The other question, which i'm trying to focus more on, is do you guys have any experiences with Epsom Salt flushes? I had a link to something about it, but then I lost the link. My mom wants to do it for most of our birds to increase health. But I'm not sure where I had found it, and was wondering if I could get any help?

Thank you for any info on either subject.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. A necropsy can be done on your refrigerated chicken's body by your state vet to find a cause of death. Epsom salt flushes are only done for treatment of a poisoning or in treatment of botulism to flush the toxin out of the digestive system. It causes diarrhea, and that is not done for health. The use of probiotics (Probios Dispersible Powder 1/4 tsp per gallon of water is good) 3 days per week,or occasional use of a small amount of buttermilk or plain yogurt would be a good thing to do to help boost immunity to intestinal disease. Also, worming the chickens with SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer or Valbazen once and again in 10 days would be good twice a year. Mites can kill a chicken by causing anemia and worms can cause intestinal damage. To rid your chickens of mites, the coop and nests must be cleaned out of pine shavings, sprayed with permethrin, and the chickens all need to be dusted with permethrin dust or sevin dust every 7 days until mites are not longer a problem. Here is a link with pictures of lice and mites:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

 

[deacons]

The use of probiotics (Probios Dispersible Powder 1/4 tsp per gallon of water is good) 3 days per week,or occasional use of a small amount of buttermilk or plain yogurt would be a good thing to do to help boost immunity to intestinal disease.

This is interesting info, Eggcessive. I give Probiotics for digestive health, and have been giving every day sprinkled as powder over food. Do you think every day is, well, "eggcessive" (sorry, couldn't resist ) My vet recommended the use of Probios but wasn't specific on the number of times per week, just said to follow the label instructions for amount.

 

[Eggcessive]

This is interesting info, Eggcessive. I give Probiotics for digestive health, and have been giving every day sprinkled as powder over food. Do you think every day is, well, "eggcessive" (sorry, couldn't resist ) My vet recommended the use of Probios but wasn't specific on the number of times per week, just said to follow the label instructions for amount.

It won't hurt to use it every day, but it is not necessary to use probiotics every day since you are just providing some good bacteria to boost the normal flora of the intestines. I don't think anyone can say for sure how often to use it, but 2-3 times a week should be more than enough.

 

[ladyearth]

Sorry for your loss. A necropsy can be done on your refrigerated chicken's body by your state vet to find a cause of death. Epsom salt flushes are only done for treatment of a poisoning or in treatment of botulism to flush the toxin out of the digestive system. It causes diarrhea, and that is not done for health. The use of probiotics (Probios Dispersible Powder 1/4 tsp per gallon of water is good) 3 days per week,or occasional use of a small amount of buttermilk or plain yogurt would be a good thing to do to help boost immunity to intestinal disease. Also, worming the chickens with SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer or Valbazen once and again in 10 days would be good twice a year. Mites can kill a chicken by causing anemia and worms can cause intestinal damage. To rid your chickens of mites, the coop and nests must be cleaned out of pine shavings, sprayed with permethrin, and the chickens all need to be dusted with permethrin dust or sevin dust every 7 days until mites are not longer a problem. Here is a link with pictures of lice and mites:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

just a saying.... " The Chicken Health handbook" recommends Epsom salt flushes for sour crop. Page 255 then copper sulfate.... We did one dosing today....now I hope we did screw up today...... thanks

 

[rebrascora]

Or do you guys think it was just Sudden chicken Death?

People kid themselves about this. It's a bit like people saying their chicken died of old age.....Death is caused by something physical... an infection, organ failure, a virus etc.... It doesn't happen for no reason, neither suddenly when young or because a bird is old.... there is a reason and "Sudden Chicken Death" is a phrase coined by people who don't look hard enough for the real reason. The only way to know is by looking inside them either by getting a professional necropsy done or opening them up yourself if you have enough knowledge and interest.

I've had a lot of them, but it still sucks.

If you are saying that you have lost a lot of birds suddenly, without showing any sign of illness, then that is all the more reason to find out what is killing them by having a necropsy done.

At point of lay, one of the most likely killers is Marek's disease. Usually it will cause paralysis but it can also cause sudden death without any other symptoms due to visceral tumours. If most of the birds you have lost have been juvenile/adolescents then that would increase he likelihood of it being Marek's, but without them being examined, all any of us can do is guess.