VERY sick birds - One sacrificed today for lab testing *Update* page 2

[pips&peeps]

IB is infectious bronchitis: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/206500.htm


MG is mycoplasm gallisepticum or CRD:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/203402.htm

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Thank you - I did read those and IB sounds very much like what they might have, except the lab results didn't show anything abnormal with the kidneys.

I can't remember where I left off so here's an update: We took the one hen back Thursday. She was euthanized and they did a necropsy. The vet called last night to say that the bacteria in her lungs was normal. He sent the samples to the Oh Dept of Pathology for further testing and we are hoping to have the results back late Monday. I was fully prepared to cull the flock today but he said not to; wanted to wait and see what the new tests showed in case they could save them. I haven't lost any more yet but they are all having trouble breathing, one in particular. In spite of that, they are eating and drinking just fine and acting normal in every other way. I'm really hoping they will get through this. I do have to think past my selfishness though because I hatch and sell baby chicks and DBF has a flock of his own. I don't want to take a chance on spreading this horrible disease so I'll do what they recommend.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Cindy,

I'm so sorry to hear that your flock is so sick. This is awful, not only for them but for you & everyone else.

You're not the first, nor will you be the last, to have inadvertently introduced sick birds into an otherwise healthy flock. Gumpsgirl had an awful experience last year. Your story is a prime example of why closed flocks & good quarantine practices are so important.

Do keep us posted.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Thanks Jenn. I do remember hearing about Gumpsgirl's last year. I'll have to look up that thread.

I let them all out today to play in the sunshine. Haven't lost any yet but they are just standing around and sometimes they even lay down for a while in the grass which they NEVER do. I made them a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, crushed shells, and strawberry yogurt. They loved it! Nothing wrong with their appetites.

I've stopped crying and have accepted the very real possibility of what I have to do this week. Hopefully I'll hear good news from the vet today or tomorrow.

At least I know that I've done all I can do for them and made their last few days somewhat good ones.

 

[pips&peeps]

Any results yet?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

No

No word from the vet yet. He said Friday he didn't expect to hear until later tonight. I told him it didn't matter if he called at 2am so we'll see.

They are all still hanging in there but not breathing any better. I had Mom on the phone yesterday; I was sitting in my back room with the window open and the hens were in the grass right off the deck - maybe 15 feet away. Mom said "oh I hear your rooster crowing!" I said um...no...those are the hens breathing. She was pretty shocked. Poor roo tries to crow and gets halfway through and starts coughing.

I'll be sure to update as soon as I hear.

 

[pips&peeps]

 

[vnploveschickens]

I hope and pray your chickens are doing better. Have you heard from the vet yet?

You take care too.

 

[tdgill]

ditto

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

OMG I'm so sorry - I have so much on my mind that I forgot to update. Here goes:

The vet called late Monday night and said the results came back as viral and not bacterial as he first thought. Said the doxycycline that we've had them on wouldn't help. More testing to determine the exact virus would have cost a few hundred dollars and at that point the vet said no (which was fine with me).

So...what to do now? My options are keep trying to get them well and hope it runs its course. It seems to be; it's been a week today and all of them seem better except two, and I think they were the last two to get it. The rooster even got a full crow in this morning without stopping halfway to hack up a lung! I do know that even if they recover, they will be carriers for life so that means no new chickens in my coop as long as these are here. I will also have to practice strict biosecurity measures so I don't contaminate DBF's flock or the chicks that I hatch and sell. Since both of these are in other locations and nowhere near my coop, I think (I hope) that this will be possible to do.

Option #2 is to put them all down and start over. I have two big problems with this: one, I love these birds - they are wonderful, friendly chickens, and two - it would take me until next year to raise new breeding stock.

The vet said the virus would not transfer to the eggs so I should be ok hatching them.

Opinions welcome - thanks!