Test results in: not botulism but coccidiosis

[feathersnuggles]

I'm so very sorry your roo died. Please let us know what the test results are.

About your run, can you roof or cover it? Last year, our run was very muddy. Then we put on a roof, and it stays nice & dry now. The birds even took dust baths in it, all during our endlessly rainy winter/spring.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Thank you

He was my daughter's pet so it is so very hard. She kept saying, as all the other OEGB's got sick, that she hoped he wouldn't. That is the weirdest part. All the birds that died have been Barred OEGBs. My Silkie recovered but I really think hers was an injury. I am hoping that the test results show if there is a genetic problem too.

Part of it is covered but even that part gets saturated from the uncovered part so I think this summer I am going to have to look into something. It is covered with bird netting to protect from hawks but something else is going to have to be done even if it isn't botulism. I can't handle the mud for another year.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Thank you Kim for all your help

I thought about the food too and if it does come back as botulism, I will certainly look into that more. I honestly think there would be more deaths though since they were all eating the same food, not to mention that the other death occurred several months ago so that was a different bag of food. No other birds got sick at that time. If it is botulism, I think it is something in the ground, however as I just posted, I am now thinking genetic issues - maybe nervous system ones that mimic other things? The only birds that have been sickened and died are Barred OEGBs and all from the same hatch and the same breeder. It's very strange and I'm definitely looking forward to that report even if it is something other than what I'm thinking.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

your worry for a muddy coop, get an old tarp, one thats threadbare or a sheet or the weed shield matting stuff you use below flowers and flowerbeds...then get you some sand, about 2-3" of the stuff. Took care of our horrid muddy runs.the barrier helps keeping the sand and or gravel from sinking too far into the dirty again and allowing it to be come re-muddy, but with it being a breathable thing (why i say threadbare tarp) the water will still drain through it with the sand. ALSO sand is very easy to clean and helps big time with smells.

Sorry for your loss and I sincerely hope its something easy to deal with!

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
That is a great idea. Thank you

 

[MotherJean]

Another thing to consider is keeping the feed inside the coop where it won't be exposed to the rain and dampness. I use a small feeder and refill it frequently (every other day usually) so the feed doesn't have a chance to get stale or become contaminated. I wash the feeder weekly with mild chlorine bleach. I never put feeders or throw scratch grains in the run. I have a very large earthenware bowl in the run where I dump kitchen scraps and their treats. I clean that every morning. Anything not eaten gets tossed. I give scratch grains in the little covered area under their coop and then only a small handful so I'm sure they eat it all rather quickly. The only things I throw on the ground in the run are greens and veg from the garden. I also rake up anything not eaten each morning before giving them a fresh supply. Lastly, I keep the main feed supply stored in a utility room in the house.

Even if you find out that botulism wasn't your problem, the fact that you considered it means that you'll want to think about precautions to prevent the possibility in future.

 

[ZooMummzy]

That is very true, unfortunately I already do all those same things because of the dampness and my fear of illness due to spoiled food not to mention attracting rodents. This is why it is so upsetting. The only thing I haven't done but will be doing now is keeping their water in the coop too. I don't know if that had any effect on this but I will be changing it. Thank you for all the great ideas though. I have a big glass bowl but really want to find an earthen wear bowl.

 

[MotherJean]

If you've been taking all those precautions, then I'd be shocked to find out your roo died of botulism. It just doesn't seem to add up. I think there's a lot of folks watching this thread to find out what the necropsy shows.

So sorry for your loss.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Thank you. I lost two yesterday within hours of each other. The other one was a Barred OEGB pullet who had been sick for 3 weeks. She had the same symptoms but got better until yesterday when she just died. The only thing that it could possibly be is the mud puddles. It has been a full time job to keep them filled in because they love to scratch them back out as soon as I fill them. It's a small chance, but always a chance. I am hoping the necropsy tells me something. They told me botulism is not detectable in dead birds but hopefully they could get enough blood since they had just died when they received them. They are also sending the droppings out to see what that tells them. I will be even more frustrated if the reports come back inconclusive on things. They are very perplexed that only Barred OEGBs have been sickened and died.

 

[ivan3]

Some varieties (breeds) are more resistant to disease than others. As has been mentioned, feed (particularly crumbles) in a damp environment will start to mold within 48hr. (if actually wet and warm - even sooner). A good test is to stick a finger into feed, if it breaks apart into clumps on surface it is best to change out.

Sand and grade (slope) of run will minimize opportunities for obnoxious fungus/molds and associated toxins to proliferate. The shot below gives an idea of the angle of the ground in our run. We use a lot of sand (large rocks around fence on low side - can rake it back uphill after gully washers). We also put cheap window fans outside of fencing after big rains (3" yesterday/last night) to help `dry' it out (even with high humidity, the sand - lots of surface area - does dry out).

Wishing you better days!