Two dead chickens in two days please help.

[True Grit]

I see nobody else has mentioned Mareks but I seem to recall reading one of the symptoms is one leg forward and one leg back. I'm not experienced.

 

[Qi Chicken]

If your chickens have cocci it is not a big deal. If you catch it early it can be treated quite well with Corid. Chickens with cocci though usually (but not ALWAYS) have bloody poop (fresh red blood, not intestinal lining) They are also usually listless and puffed up. Like a previous poster said you do not have to cull your entire flock if they have cocci. It is not that big of a deal if you get the meds into them quickly.

That said, I don't think you have cocci. I would do a serious and fast search on Mareks. The one leg up and one back is classic and chickens usually die quite rapidly. Death rates are very high. If you haven't already isolated each one at the FIRST sign of symptoms you need to start doing that right away. Sounds like you may have another one???

Show your hubby the picture of Mareks posture that you will find on here or any google search. There is no treatment for Mareks although some birds do survive. The only way to positively diagnose is necropsy. There are 4 kinds of Mareks, all caused by a virus. The one that does that to the legs is the neurological kind. At necropsy the vet would find lots of small tumors in the organs and spinal cord. The legs do that because the sciatic nerve is affected.

Don't put the Welsummers out with the others until you know exactly what is going on. They can handle being lonely a few days. I can't remember if you can eat the eggs if they have Mareks but I wouldn't. Cocci is in the soil. It is spread by regular birds. All chickens have it, they just build up an immunity. baby chicks eat their mom's poop to do this. Cocci symptoms occur when the protozoa overwhelms the bird. You don't need to cull a whole flock for cocci. But you may want to with Mareks.

Sorry, I just read through the thread again, and you have a third chicken down. Antibiotics won't help with Mareks or cocci. I wouldn't give them anything until you know what is going on. Especially human meds.


I'm so sorry. I really feel for you but keep whoever is still isolated--isolated.

 

[Luvroos]

I had a roo just up and die 2 weeks ago Sunday. Virginia offers free necropsy's through our Agriculturer dept for all or most livestock so I had taken him in and still awaiting the results of his death. I would suggest that you research your states dept in order to possibly have a post mortem done. I think United States is highly concerned about the death of chickens due to virus's ie:avian influenza, that people can catch. Good luck in your findings and I hope its nothing serious.

 

[southphoenixchick]

Just lost the Plymouth Rock. Going to toss out all the eggs we have in the fridge. I think it is Mareks she was definately showing signs of paralysis. I figure the flocks as good as dead, probably going to have Hubby cull the flock so they don't suffer tomorrow. My only remaining question is, do I have to worry about this having passed to any of the family. The day this first showed up my 16th month old daughter visited the chickens in their run for the first time. Thanks.

 

[southphoenixchick]

Just found online that there is no danger to my family from Mareks. I'm just so sad right now. The one who just died was the leader of the flock and my favorite. She was the first to ever let me pet her and she was always the one who greeted me in the mornings. I honestly don't even know if I want to try again. We had so much trouble keeping the dogs from killing the chicks, managed to dog proof the run and coop (we were disappointed because we'd hoped to free range), took us thirteen chicks to get a flock of six hens, made it just over six months, were getting good eggs everything seemed so good and now this. I just don't know if my heart is up to going through this again. I'm not even sure we could clean the run and coop enough to be safe of the next flock not getting sick if this is mareks. My daughter so loved to go out and watch the chickens with me. Words just can't express my sadness. Thank you all for everything and I'll let you know how the story ends. If this flock dies completely I've told my husband a month before we even discuss starting over, my heart needs a time to grieve. Silly as that sounds since they were egg and going to eventually be meat birds when laying production declined I still feel so much for them.

 

[tallyho]

Were your chicks from a hatchery? Do you know if they had the Marek's vaccine? If they did, my avian vet told me it gives them immunity for several years. She's seeing a lot more Marek's now since there has been an upsurge in home incubation and chicks not getting the vaccine. Our farm store sells only vaccinated chicks but I'm not sure it's standard procedure at all hatcheries to automatically vaccinate.

I'm so sorry for your losses. Don't give up.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
If it were me, because I just have chickens for fun, pets, and eggs, I would just see who survives! Then enjoy the chickens. Here is a list of diseases transmissible to humans, and Marek's isn't on the list: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps019

In other words, I wouldn't worry about it anymore after the crisis had passed. There are many diseases out there. As long as it isn't transmissible to humans, why not just enjoy your chickens (the survivors)? You can build your flock back up again with new vaccinated chicks later.

Put your armor on, and do the right thing, whatever your heart says that is. If you don't want to have chickens anymore (or for a while), then you know that is the best thing for you. I just wanted to offer words of encouragement. From what I have been reading, this Mareks stuff is everywhere.

 

[southphoenixchick]

I got my chicks from three different local feed stores I'm not even sure how to find out if they'd been vaccinated. I will ask from now on if I ever get anything. I currently have two chicks showing no signs of it. Maybe they were vaccinated chicks? I wonder if they are safe? They've been exposed because we stupidly kept them in the run with the others to protect them from our dogs. We really had no other safe place to keep them and after we started watching the hens die we figured it was too late to move them anyway even if we could find a safe place to put them.

Now that I think about it I got one of the remaining hens from the same feed store I bought these chicks from. I wonder. I can hope.

 

[southphoenixchick]

Chickens are Sweet - Thanks. My husband and I talked that over last night. We are going to not cull but we are going to watch and if one of the two remaining hens or the chicks show signs we will mercy kill but otherwise let the two chicks and two hens have a chance.

Would you recommend buying my chicks from now on from online or do you think I can ask and trust the local feed stores if the chicks have gotten vaccinated?

Anyone - Where do you get your chicks from?

 

[southphoenixchick]

The last two to die were from a feed store I just called that said yes their chicks are all vaccinated for Marek's does this mean that this isn't what I have or do you guys think they are lying?

I called the other two I bought from and they did not know if their hatchery do it. That tells me they probably don't. Both of the remaining hens are one from each of those stores. I've called around trying to find the vaccination. Although I guess it's too late to give it to them?

I read online that vaccination at this point isn't sure, but may safe other chickens if they aren't infected yet is this true?