Three deaths in four months - one illness or several?

[anir dendroica]

We ordered 10 chicks from McMurray hatchery in February and got 13 - two extra cuckoo marans and one "free gift" silver-laced cochin. One marans chick was sneezing when we got it and died three days later. About four weeks later, I started seeing blood in the poo and oddly curled feathers, so I gave Sul-Met assuming coccidiosis. The blood problem went away. A month later a marans cockerel (the one with the most curled feathers) suddenly keeled over dead with no preceding illness. That left us with eleven. One of our two black star pullets always seemed a bit listless, and just last week (aged about 15 weeks) it sickened and died, with much nasal discharge. (Our silver-laced cochin died as well, but not from disease. Someone who shall remain nameless failed to secure an improvised wall, and he was crushed when the wind blew it over.)

Our pullets and cockerels have been integrated with our one-year-olds, and all seem healthy for now. Soon after we introduced the young-uns, one of our RIR hens started laying very thin, cracked eggs, but that has since improved. Should we suspect that all of our survivors are now carriers of something?

 

[PunkinPeep]

bump

 

[sammi]

what all did you feed the youngsters when they were chicks?
what all do you feed now?
what did you use for bedding?
what now?

the curled feathers is a symptom of something..sorry..can't remember right now..could be a nutritional deficiency..
maybe someone can help with that.

describe the droppings..color and consistency.

sounds to me like a respiratory illness is present..including sinus infection..
was/is there any wheezing?
any swollen eyes, head swelling or wattles?
did the nasal discharge have a strong offensive odor?

I'd try and get them on vitamins and extra protein..

you can try to treat..using Tylan 50 injectable, or soluble Tylan, LS-50, erythromycin..

here is a source for meds and vitamins..just click subject in the sidebar and a page will come up with choices of injectable or solubles, tablets...
when you click on the meds..it shows info about the med.

http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/store/

if the infection isn't bacterial..it could be chronic..(CRD)
an avian vet could test, or might be determined with a necropsy.

 

[anir dendroica]

what all did you feed the youngsters when they were chicks?

Starter/grower (Purina)

what all do you feed now?

Layer pellets (a bit early for the youngsters, but as they are now about the same size we can't get the two groups to eat from different dishes). Also grit and oyster shell offered free choice, some vegetable treats, and whatever they can find on their 1/8 acre range.

what did you use for bedding?
what now?

They are - and have always been - on straw, except for their first couple of weeks, when we had them on towels that we changed often.

describe the droppings..color and consistency.

More light brown/runny droppings than I would expect (although I know some of this is normal due to cecal voiding), with some dark brown/runny ones as well. The bloody ones were actually fairly normal in color/consistency but with some bits of membranous tissue in them.

was/is there any wheezing?

Many of them sneezed occasionally, and some of our bigs started sneezing as well after we put them together. Now that the weather has warmed I haven't noticed nearly as much sneezing, and the sneezing birds never appeared unhealthy.

any swollen eyes, head swelling or wattles?

No

did the nasal discharge have a strong offensive odor?

Not that I noticed, but I didn't sniff it. It was clear and thin, like human saliva.


They all appear healthy and happy at the moment, and I am not so attached that I can't stand to lose any more birds, so I would prefer not to treat them with anything for the time being. But I would like some insight into what appropriate treatment might be if the illness returns and affects multiple birds.​