They're Nearly All Dead

springchicken10

In the Brooder
6 Years
Apr 28, 2013
77
2
41
Hi, Some months ago i posted several times in the thread about fowl pox. I had about 8 chickens and one silkie came down with fowl pox. I used the suggestions given and treated her several times with iodine. This chicken has survived all that awful pox stuff and she's fine now. Meanwhile four Barred Rocks have died, two more silkies, a Polish and an australorp. I am basically wiped out. NONE OF THEM HAD FOWL POX. They all just weakened, fell over and were dead ten hours from that point. I don't want to get any more chickens until I know what's going on.
I also have an adult Barred Rock who is not sick and a young silkie rooster who is not sick. I want inoculated chicks but I don't want to buy 25 from Murphy. Any ideas on what to do? I don't want anything until Spring at least. Thanks
 
Thank you. The coop has been kept clean. It has not been overcrowded. They have 3 nest boxes (used to be rabbit hutches so they're big with roofs). They have had fresh water every day. They have never had moldy food. But they all have this virus. At keast I think it's a virus.
 
Thank you. The coop has been kept clean. It has not been overcrowded. They have 3 nest boxes (used to be rabbit hutches so they're big with roofs). They have had fresh water every day. They have never had moldy food. But they all have this virus. At keast I think it's a virus.
Hm. It does sound like a virus or bacteria. Although I am not good at classifying those and have little knowledge of chicken diseases, I know that someone who does know will be asking you these questions in order to narrow things down...
Did they show evidence of breathing problems? Wheezing, coughing, sneezing, ect.
When did you first notice the weakening, and how many hours did they fall over after that?
 
I'm so sorry! You need post mortem exams done, preferably at the state vet path lab, so a diagnosis can be made. Or tissue samples sent in, and advise from an expert. Check with your state veterinary school, or get leads from your county extension office, or something. I agree that getting more birds is a bad idea until you know what's going on and can deal with it. If Marek's disease, only vaccinated and then isolated birds will survive. Good luck, Mary
 
Agree you need to send birds or tissue for necropsy. I don't mind losing a bird here and there to unknown causes, but what you've got is something entirely different.
 
So sorry you're dealing with this. I hope you get answers soon.
hugs.gif
 
The symptoms for all of the dead ones are the same. NO BREATHING PROBLEMS. The heavy breed birds would continue to eat and drink but for several days before death their tails would be pointed toward the ground and they would sit hunched up with their eyes closed. The silkies "tried" to stay alive longer. They didn't sit hunched up but slowed down so much that I could easily catch them. They weakened. About ten hours before death the birds would be pretty much fallen over on their sides. There was never any exterior sign of illness. Unlike that nasty fowl pox, nothing ever showed on the outsides. I buried the birds within a couple hours of death so I have nothing to send off for tests.
Interestingly, I had 4 RIRs in the same coop for almost four years. They were never sick. I am wondering if wild birds could have introduced something. The pen sides are made of cyclone fencing. Probably a wren sized bird could get in there but a robbin sized bird could not. This all started happening when I bought new chickens in Feb'Mar of this year. They looked great of course when I bought them and the sellers' places looked good too.
The water has been treated twice since spring with fowl wormer. I am convinced that I have to get inoculated birds maybe 7 months from now but I can't buy a whole gaggle of chicks like McMurray wants to sell. Any ideas? Thanks to EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR REPLIES!!
 
Again, so sorry. Talk to a poultry expert; There are blood tests for a number of diseases that can be run; you may have carriers in your adult survivors. Investing in a diagnosis will pay off in being able to have a plan. I only buy from tested clean sources, necropsy every unexplained death, and generally do good biosecurity. It pays off for me. Mary
 

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