WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!

[Erica]

Hi DirtLaneFarm,
I think what you're doing is very sensible (keep watching, and think about having a sick bird tested). There's no way anyone can diagnose online, so it's always best to read and think for yourself.

One thing to bear in mind is that the list of symptoms above includes some that are unusual. A bird that's had CRD for a while may well not show any other symptom than the raspy gurgle. But on the other hand it might not be CRD at all. I'm sorry to have sounded so definitive; the word 'if' should have been used a bit more in my post. Good on you for watching and playing safe.

Thanks for your vote of confidence, CMV.

I hope this all works out well.

cheers
Erica

 

[DirtLaneFarm]

I do appreciate all the help. It gives me something to look for. When I go home, I will check on the ones with symptoms and see how they are progressing. I've been keeping notes. I called to see about testing, but no one in the local office today.
I will keep this updated.

 

[DirtLaneFarm]

Oh yea, all the symptoms only started after I wormed. That was on Saturday.

 

[dawg53]

Oh yea, all the symptoms only started after I wormed. That was on Saturday.

That is not what you stated originally.
In your first post you stated that you noticed raspy breathing and neck stretching in one of your Leghorns that you introduced and thought it was gapeworm. You then wormed them with safeguard paste and stated the Leghorns had worms, specifically tapeworms and roundworms. Then you stated that this was a valuable lesson to quarantine your chickens before integrating them into your flock.
I agree that you shouldve quarantined the Leghorns. While quarantined you wouldve discovered the raspiness and neck stretching, and while quarantined you wouldve inspected them for lice/mites and any other abnormalties, and you wouldve also wormed them as a precaution.
Your Leghorns were infected with worms before you got them. Worms weaken the immune system allowing different types of diseases to invade their bodies. In this case, they picked up a respiratory disease. Since respiratory diseases are contageous, most likely all your birds will become infected.
As for the worming goes, you did the right thing by worming...probably the root cause of it all. Safeguard is probably the safest wormer on the market (hence the name SAFE-guard.) If you gave your birds a "pea" size amount of the paste to swallow, it would take 10 times that amount to have any adverse effect on your chickens. So it's not the wormer that caused all these problems. You've actually solved a piece of the puzzle by worming them properly as they should have been in the first place. The real problem is the respiratory disease you're dealing with. It doesnt matter which one it is...the results will be the same; they are contageous, survivors will be carriers for life, no birds in, no birds out...a closed flock. That's if you decide to treat them, it will be ongoing and there's always resistance to antibiotics to consider...where does it end? I recommend that you cull them.

 

[DirtLaneFarm]

Sorry. You are right about the Leghorns. The day I wormed them was the same day that I noticed the raspyness.
I was hoping you might chime in. Should I cull only the ones with symptoms? The one that I am hand feeding does not have breathing problems. Just can't walk still. Picked everyone else up and listened to their breathing. Everything sounds clear. The Leghorns are not housed together with the others.
Or, do I need to start completely over? Sorry, a little heartbroken right now and looking for any excuse not to do what might have to be done.

 

[DirtLaneFarm]

Just so that everyone knows, these are my first chickens. We have worked real hard to keep everything cleaned, ventilated, sanitized and have not lost one chick since we started. I kept them in a box in my craft room and carried them around with me until they got big enough to put in their coops. Even then I brought then in and out until it got warm enough for them to stay out at night. Now, I brought this to them. Not a good feeling.

 

[DirtLaneFarm]

One last question that might be answerable. The trio of Sumatras have not been with the other chickens. All the Sumatras and all the Ameracaunas came from a NPIP farm and have had vaccinations. Does this count for anything at all? Or is this something that can't be vaccinated for?

 

[DirtLaneFarm]

"Unanswerable "

 

[DirtLaneFarm]

Well, the decision has been made for me. The one who could not walk, died tonight. I am segregating and fixing to end this. What can I do with them afterwards? I want to dispose of them properly.

 

[Erica]

Hi DirtLaneFarm,
you've been really unlucky.

The one that couldn't walk would seem to have had something a little different to a respiratory disease. At this point it's probably not something you can do anything about. Your vaccinated Sumatras, if they were kept separate, stand a reasonable chance of being fine. I wouldn't think too much on the leg issue, just focus on the respiratory thing for now.

All I can say is what I'd do. I'd probably cull all the birds that have been exposed to the leghorns. I'd keep the sumatras and watch them like a hawk. I wouldn't let them anywhere near ground where the others have been. If I saw sniffles, rattles or rales I'd know they'd been infected, then I'd make a decision what to do. MG (the CRD germ) moves fairly slowly and there's a reasonable chance it didn't get to them, as long as you weren't walking from one pen to the other with mucky boots.

I wouldn't get any new birds for a while; in that way I'd be effectively self-quarantining the sumatras until I had a better sense of what I'm dealing with. I'd give them 30 to 60 days alone, and if no sign of anything came up I'd relax a little. However in that time, I wouldn't coddle them. In fact I'd be switching feeds a couple times, just to add a little stress... that will help show up if they've caught the respiratory thing. Other respiratory diseases would probably show up in that time too.

Now that's what I'd do; others I'm sure will suggest more (or less) radical options.

Incidentally, over here (Australia) many people claim that chickens get 'colds', and they continually breed and sell birds harbouring MG (the CRD germ). The show ones treat with antibiotics (often before symptoms appear); the harsher ones cull the obviously sick birds and so maintain a reasonably healthy flock, but go on breeding and selling. I suppose there are many ways to do things, but I prefer starting with a clean flock and maintaining quarantine.

Erica