Three of four chicks dead... from the same source.

[LTygress]

I recently visited another hatchery and purchased a quad of four porcelain d'uccle chicks. Three were females, one male.

ALL THREE females are now gone. It has been just over a week (I picked them up on a Friday) and the male is the only one left. He is also the oldest one.

The biggest issue that I was able to note, is that they had a respiratory infection that literally clogged their airways with dried mucus. They were all gasping for air during the last few days of their life. The first two died within 48 hours of bringing them home from the hatchery. The last one passed away today.

All of them had healthy appetites up until the VERY end. And none of them had bloody stool. So I'm really thinking it was NOT cocci. One of them did have a sore over her eye - almost like a pimple. But the others had no other signs of illness. The last one I think I extended her life by using an eyedropper to suction mucus out of her nose, putting Vet RX drops directly in her nostrils, and keeping her in the brooder.

ALSO, after picking them up, I had eggs hatch. The brooder was the only heat source I had for both the sick ones, and the hatching ones, so yes they shared space. But the ones I hatched myself grew and developed just fine, never seemed to "catch" this infection, and were eventually sold to a couple who have sent me photos and praised their health ever since then.

I did have TWO bantams in my main flock that seemed to catch something similar when I finally let the roo mix with them. My own porcelain d'uccle roo lost his crow and he and the hen who "caught" it seemed to "click" when they were breathing (kinda like how a person with a cold might do when switching from an inhale to an exhale or vice versa). But my own two cleared up absolutely fine with only two days of Vet RX drops in the nostrils and throat, one to two shots of Duramycin, and a couple of days of ACV.


Any idea what this could possibly be? I want to help the hatchery owner that sold me these chicks. He runs it all out of his house in a subdivision, but each chicken/chick SEEMS to have enough space. And apparently his "business" is booming so well that he said that is now his full-time job (along with his daughter, who owns the house he lives in). So this is a VERY serious issue around this area if he's selling sick chicks to everyone.

But first, I guess I need to figure out what it could be. Right now the last chick is in the cage by herself, but I'm thinking of putting her in a zip-loc bag in the freezer for a possible necropsy if no one can figure it out.

 

[ottbjumper06]

I would also be interested in ideas, I just lost a chick who showed symptoms like yours yesterday. How old were your babies? Mine was just over 48 hours old and from McMurray Hatchery.

 

[ten chicks]

I recently visited another hatchery and purchased a quad of four porcelain d'uccle chicks. Three were females, one male.

ALL THREE females are now gone. It has been just over a week (I picked them up on a Friday) and the male is the only one left. He is also the oldest one.

The biggest issue that I was able to note, is that they had a respiratory infection that literally clogged their airways with dried mucus. They were all gasping for air during the last few days of their life. The first two died within 48 hours of bringing them home from the hatchery. The last one passed away today.

All of them had healthy appetites up until the VERY end. And none of them had bloody stool. So I'm really thinking it was NOT cocci. One of them did have a sore over her eye - almost like a pimple. But the others had no other signs of illness. The last one I think I extended her life by using an eyedropper to suction mucus out of her nose, putting Vet RX drops directly in her nostrils, and keeping her in the brooder.

ALSO, after picking them up, I had eggs hatch. The brooder was the only heat source I had for both the sick ones, and the hatching ones, so yes they shared space. But the ones I hatched myself grew and developed just fine, never seemed to "catch" this infection, and were eventually sold to a couple who have sent me photos and praised their health ever since then.

I did have TWO bantams in my main flock that seemed to catch something similar when I finally let the roo mix with them. My own porcelain d'uccle roo lost his crow and he and the hen who "caught" it seemed to "click" when they were breathing (kinda like how a person with a cold might do when switching from an inhale to an exhale or vice versa). But my own two cleared up absolutely fine with only two days of Vet RX drops in the nostrils and throat, one to two shots of Duramycin, and a couple of days of ACV.


Any idea what this could possibly be? I want to help the hatchery owner that sold me these chicks. He runs it all out of his house in a subdivision, but each chicken/chick SEEMS to have enough space. And apparently his "business" is booming so well that he said that is now his full-time job (along with his daughter, who owns the house he lives in). So this is a VERY serious issue around this area if he's selling sick chicks to everyone.

But first, I guess I need to figure out what it could be. Right now the last chick is in the cage by herself, but I'm thinking of putting her in a zip-loc bag in the freezer for a possible necropsy if no one can figure it out.

There is not always blood with Coccidiosis.

 

[LTygress]

There is not always blood with Coccidiosis.

I know that, but I didn't JUST say I saw no blood. I did mention that they also didn't lose appetite, which is usually THE first indicator of cocci. They still drank, ate, etc. But then again, I've personally never known Cocci to cause such large amounts of mucus in the nostrils either.

They DID seem lethargic, but the mucus build-up could cause that. If they can't breathe, then they are definitely going to be lethargic.

 

[LTygress]

I would also be interested in ideas, I just lost a chick who showed symptoms like yours yesterday. How old were your babies? Mine was just over 48 hours old and from McMurray Hatchery.

The guy didn't say. But I'm thinking the two younger ones (both pullets) were right about a week old. The older ones (one pullet one cockerel) were probably closer to about a month.

 

[ten chicks]

I know that, but I didn't JUST say I saw no blood. I did mention that they also didn't lose appetite, which is usually THE first indicator of cocci. They still drank, ate, etc. But then again, I've personally never known Cocci to cause such large amounts of mucus in the nostrils either.

They DID seem lethargic, but the mucus build-up could cause that. If they can't breathe, then they are definitely going to be lethargic.

Just wanted to make sure you understood the symptoms of Coccidiosis,loss of appetite is not always an indication either. There is so much incorrect information regarding Coccidiosis,most people believe that if there is no blood,then they do not have Cocci.

That being said,i agree i have never seen mucus with Coccidiosis,not to say that it can't happen,i personally have never seen it.

 

[LTygress]

I finally took the chick corpse to the vet and was told that it is definitely a respiratory infection. And it's HIGHLY contagious.

And now I've got a large-fowl hen coming down with it. She's currently sitting on top of several towels on my bed with a heat lamp clamped to my headboard pointing down at her. She's my favorite chicken in the flock, so she's definitely going to get the absolute BEST care.

The vet stated that antibiotics DO help and it stops secondary infections. And he said the VetRX that I use in their nostrils and throat is also a good choice, to help break up the mucus so they can breathe. Apparently the germ itself is NOT deadly, but the mucus build-up kills them by cutting off their airways. I did not happen to ask if the actual cause was bacterial or viral, but I'm assuming bacteria since he said to keep up with the antibiotics.

And he confirmed that it almost definitely came from the other hatchery that I purchased the porcelain d'uccles from, since no other chickens were introduced recently from outside sources, and since none of mine were affected by it until these new ones arrived.

Unfortunately, since it has hit my main flock, it's probably only a matter of time until every last one of them come down with it. I have them all staying inside of their pen right now, and I'll add powder-form Duramycin to their water here in a few. If and when each chicken comes down with it, I'll just pull them in under the heat lamp, and keep treating the symptoms with VetRX drops. I'm just SO VERY THANKFUL that my chickens are incredibly healthy, as that seems to be the only thing that is keeping them from getting it so bad that the mucus build-up kills them. I can't do anything for the chicks that came from there that I lost, though. I just feel angry that the guy denies anything wrong with his own chickens aside from "mites".