The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Del, they are 6 weeks old. What are your thoughts on my birds now? Good size, too fat, too small, what?

Anyone else who raises meat birds, feel free to offer your thoughts as well.

 

[taylynnp]

I had a 13 week old cockerel Buckeye die this morning. When I let them out, he wanted to lay down in the feed shed. I scooted him out and saw he was walking very knock kneed. It was a very different gait than normal and he kept laying down. His comb was also very pale pink and he was visibly struggling to breathe. It was at least 86 degrees yesterday, down to 72 last night and cool yet this morning. He drank some electrolytes when I separated him.

While I was handling him, he started to seize. And then continued to jerk for a few seconds and stopped breathing.

He had some white on the end of his feathers around his vent. He smelled kind of bad. There was also some fresh watery white and another spot of light yellow poop near the shed. Didn't see who pooped it though.

Does that sound like anything? Heatstroke even though it was cooler today?

I FF with an organic feed. And it's the same feed we've been using. They free range most of the day.

I'm thinking about doing a necropsy but it will be the first bird I've processed. So other than seeing the pictures in this thread, I don't necessarily know what normal organs look like. So maybe nothing will be gained except some experience.

Other random- I did have a chicken get accidentally ran over yesterday while we were playing ball with my puppy. It was a total accident, not aggression. I couldn't see the number on the chicken to know which one it even was. Chicken was flattened but got up and ran away.

 

[aaggjg]

With her panting, that is not a normal simple bumble foot s/sx.  I think her infection may have gone septic.  IF that is the case the only thing that could help at all would be fluid bolus and immediate antibiotic and then it would still be very iffy  Do you know or think she has a fungal infection?  Where?? 

Yeah I didn't think it was normal.... She is a panter in general but when it's hot.... It's not hot .... I had a hen die a couple a months ago of a fungal infection do I'm concerned this is the same thing plus the bumblefoot. I'm fogging her giving her garlic ACV etc etc and hoping I'll see an improvement.

 

[aoxa]

Tina our silkie x barred rock is the proud mother to 13 chicks. Most of which are Heritage Barred Rock. Two are Lydia's kids (the whites) one is a Naked Neck. She is protective and hasn't lost a single baby.

 

[MumsyII]

The eight eggs I rescued from Bonney the Catdance hen at day fourteen are all nearly hatched. One to go. They look great. Those eggs were caked with hardened poo. I hated putting them in my incubator but they all candled with embryos so I let them hatch. Seven in a brooder in the house. Eleven went out into the chick house. Seven are under two broody hens in the barn. Two chicks have pasty butt today. Nasty pasty butt. And those two chicks are one each of the broody hens. All of the chicks that hatched in the incubator and are now in the brooders are all clean and healthy. It's not hot here. Day time temp in the mid to high 70's. Night time temp in the low 60's. The hens are good moms at covering the chicks and they are eating the same as the brooder chicks. So much for heat being a cause for pasty butt in chicks. And this is proof in my book that chicks raised naturally under broody hens can in deed get it.

I cleaned them up and applied Nu stock to their vents. Watching them carefully now. I won't put them in the brooder with the others in case it is a pathogen that can pass on. I will cull them if they don't recover quickly.

 

[Kassaundra]

Yeah I didn't think it was normal.... She is a panter in general but when it's hot.... It's not hot .... I had a hen die a couple a months ago of a fungal infection do I'm concerned this is the same thing plus the bumblefoot. I'm fogging her giving her garlic ACV etc etc and hoping I'll see an improvement.

At least in humans fungal pneumonia is the hardest and most costly to treat. Also fungal pneumonia (in humans) usually isn't "catchable" unless the body is already immuno - compromised. If you are having multiple chickens catching a fungal pneumonia (and are sure it is fungal) if I were you I would be very intent of first finding out what has my flock so immuno - compromised and secondly where they are getting exposed.

Panting b/c of heat is a good thing it is how they cool themselves, panting w/o heat not so much.

 

[annewandering]

At least in humans fungal pneumonia is the hardest and most costly to treat. Also fungal pneumonia (in humans) usually isn't "catchable" unless the body is already immuno - compromised. If you are having multiple chickens catching a fungal pneumonia (and are sure it is fungal) if I were you I would be very intent of first finding out what has my flock so immuno - compromised and secondly where they are getting exposed.

Panting b/c of heat is a good thing it is how they cool themselves, panting w/o heat not so much.

The biggest problem with curing fungal pneumonia is not that it is hard to cure. At least the kind my husband got. It is mostly misdiagnosed as regular pneumonia and gets the antibiotic treatment which is no good for fungus. Many people get Valley fever, which is fungal, in the southwest and central california areas. It can hit anyone but if you are immune compromised it is going to hit you.It is a terrible problem if you have Aids. My husband was treated with the same pill used for the vaginal infection. It worked very quickly and effectively. He did have to take the pills for a few months instead of a few days.
Arent there fungus treatments for chickens? Speaking of chickens there is a fungal infection they get which is transmittable to people so be careful. Its a nasty one.

 

[Kassaundra]

My Gpa got a fungal pneumonia and like you say they automatically treat for bacterial, but when they finally figured it out the meds to treat it were $6000 for a months supply.

 

[aoxa]

My Gpa got a fungal pneumonia and like you say they automatically treat for bacterial, but when they finally figured it out the meds to treat it were $6000 for a months supply.

WOW.

For you to pay?

I feel so lucky to have free medical care when I hear costs like these... :S

 

[Leahs Mom]

It's too bad that our med care will SKYROCKET with socialized medicine here. Hope it gets reversed before it ever gets started.

But...back to topic, Kassaundra, do you know what particular anti-fungal they treated him with?