What is this?

[twinnotwo]

I am posting this on behalf of a friend. She recently bought some baby chicks and they are dying. They seem to have difficulty breathing, get really weak, and can't stand. They appear to have seizures, and then die. Some die suddenly and some die slowly. One I saw today was walking okay, but every time it would take a breath, it's mouth would open wide, like it was peeping, but no sound came out. It kept shaking it's head. Another one got weak and appeared to have a seizure. It seemed fine a couple of minutes later. Then it had another "seizure" and died suddenly. She has had chicks die from this in the past, but she's not sure what it is, or if she can get rid of it. Any advice?

 

[silkiechicken]

Is it possible to get more info on the source of the chicks and how they are being kept? I am not sure what is happening really. Could be anything from stock source, handling up to point she has them, to the litter they are on.

Hope she can get it figured out and someone here has a better idea.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Assuming the feed is fresh and the birds are not overheated, from the limited info you gave, it sounds as though it might (possibly) be what they term "brooder pnuemonia"... read about it here:
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disfungi.htm

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/206100.htm

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/artic...p-the-hatchery-free-of-the-fungus-aspergillus

 

[twinnotwo]

silkiechicken, she keeps her baby chicks in one of her barn stalls. The conditions aren't all that great, in my opinion, for keeping chicks. The walls are wood, the floor is mainly dirt with a little hay thrown around. She keeps two lamps on at all times to give them heat. They are not protected from wind that comes through the barn. We live in southeast TN, so the nights are quite cold at times. Based upon what I read from the links that dlhunicorn provided, I do believe it's brooder pneumonia. This is the same stall where she has always kept her babies, so it's probably contaminated. This isn't the first time she's lost babies to this disease. I will let her know what I have found.
Thank you both for your responses. God bless!

 

[dlhunicorn]

with the new info you gave I am assuming these are chicks she hatched herself??? If so , dirty eggs can also be the source (when my birds sit >I let the eggs collect up< ) I do not candle but I DO throw away any soiled eggs I see as soon as I see them properly sitting.

 

[twinnotwo]

These last chicks were bought from an ad in a local newspaper. She didn't know the man, or anything about him. She says she won't do that again. However, she has hatched her own chicks before. Well, the hen did, I guess. She does watch for bad ones and throws them out. My suspicion is that at one time, she got some sick ones, and her stall is still carrying the illness. Any thoughts on how she can get rid of it?

 

[dlhunicorn]

scrape off top layer of soil... totally clean and then bleach and replace all bedding etc. That will help but with so much organic material around and pous surfaces it will not disinfect.