AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

I know how you feel Deb I too have had this and its very upsetting indeed I hope your luck has changed and its only good chook health from here

Thanks Little Lionmum,

All seems well at the moment - fingers crossed. Three of my hens are feeling well enough to try to start a family (they've claimed some eggs in the nestboxes)! All the baby chicks, ducks & turkeys are fine.

Welcome to the forum, by the way!

Deb

I wasn't sure if I'd posted something that happened to me on Thursday, but it seems I haven't (in this thread at least) so here goes.

I was driving from home to Maitland to pick up my dead-in-shell ducklings (oh joy! ) and halfway there I came across a brown thing on the road. I slowed down and realised it was a hen - looked like an ISA brown or similar. I put my hazard lights on and got out to get her off the road - until I got closer and saw that her eyes were gummed shut with pus, and she had a streaming beak and nose as well! The poor thing was just standing on the road, but I just couldn't even pick her up to move her as I was so scared of taking another illness back to my flock. It was the worst feeling to drive off and leave her there, but when I drove back an hour later she was gone so hopefully someone put her out of her misery - maybe a fox.

I rang the local vet to report it, then rang Maitland DPI who said they couldn't really make a note of it unless there was an actual outbreak so they gave me the number of the local RSPCA (not sure why) who then put me through to Yagoona Animal Shelter. I'm hoping it wasn't the first case of H5N1 bird flu to hit the country because that isn't the way I'd like to see it dealt with. I don't know if she fell of the back of a truck taking a whole load of infected birds away for "processing", or if she had wandered off a nearby property. I just thought it was worth reporting given my own recent experiences.

I have spoken to two other breeders (both of whom live about 1/2 hour from me) and they have had resp problems in their flocks also, however symptoms seem a bit different to my birds. Autopsy results can't be too far away now...

Deb

I would have done the same thing, it's just not worth the risk. Good on you for making the effort to report it, there should be more like you



Jeff

Deb, Have you heard anything back on the autopsy and what was this dreaded illness?

Hi Deb,

I'm just putting something together now.

Okie Dokie

Well, I have an interim diagnosis on my departed chookies. It seems that they had Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT). It seemed to be a fairly nasty strain as they had no real symptoms leading up to death other than respiratory distress (ie. laboured, rapid breathing).

They had no noticeable eye discharge, nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing or head-shaking - all the classic signs of respiratory illness.

They just looked a bit "dazed" the morning they died - not sleepy or fluffed up, more surprised - were breathing deeply and rapidly (but quietly), and then basically just got strangled to death from the inside over a space of a few minutes.

I am lucky to have lost only three of my flock all up, a mortality rate of only around 8-10%. It can be up to 70% or more.

I've done a lot of research in the last few days, including speaking with a source at the forefront of poultry research with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and will share what I've found. Please note this is my interpretation and NSW DPI won't be held responsible for any information that I pass on.

The disease is reasonably common in Australia, but under-diagnosed and under-reported as generally backyard breeders don't have autopsies performed. A few birds die, then the rest don't and life goes on.

There are different strains of the disease, however to have it "typed" to find out the particular strain involved costs a minimum of $500 so i haven't gone that far.

There have been recent outbreaks in Sydney, Mangrove Mountain area, Parkes and possibly Raymond Terrace (near me, but not me). I would confidently say it is also present in the Maitland area as I suspect that is how my birds became infected.

Vaccines are available and the DPI is currently investigating the efficacy of vaccination of commercial flocks. It appears that some vaccinated commercial flocks have still become infected, however there is a theory that this may be due to the methods employed for mass-vaccination (ie. in the drinking water). The most reliable method of vaccination is intra-ocular drops (ie. eye drops). Birds need to be vaccinated twice for lasting immunity - once around 4-6 weeks, then again around 14-16 weeks. The opinion of the DPI source is that vaccination with a strain of the virus is better than no vaccination as it should offer some protection to birds challenged by a wild strain.

There is a remote chance that vaccinated birds can shed the vaccine virus at a later date, however in DPI experiments they have found no trace of the virus in vaccinated birds at 6 weeks or more post-vaccination. This is not to say that a vaccinated bird will never cause problems in a naive (unexposed) flock, however it is believed that the danger posed by such a bird is much less than that posed by a bird who has contracted the wild-type virus and recovered.

Birds that are exposed to the wild-type virus and recover will remain carriers and can spread the virus to other birds, particularly during times of stress. Vaccinating a bird that has already contracted and recovered from the wild-type virus won't change that bird's carrier status. Ducks and other waterfowl, and turkeys, can be infected but usually won't display symptoms. Pheasants, including peafowl, are at risk from the virus. It doesn't spread to parrots.

ILT is not transmitted via eggs, so eggs from carrier birds can be hatched in an incubator and won't be exposed to the virus. Eggs hatched under carrier birds will be exposed to the virus upon hatching.

[u]My flock management strategy

All my eggs will be hatched in the incubator. My apologies to the five broody hens who have currently taken over all my nest boxes!!!

I have decided to vaccinate my young birds that have not been exposed to the virus - ie. my day-olds to 6 week olds that are still kept in the house away from the flock. They have always been fed and watered first and I wash my hands and change clothes before going near them so they should be fine.

The vaccine is not cheap ($110 plus freight for 2000 doses - the minimum available - and they have to be done twice) and needs to be kept in the freezer and used within about 90 minutes of mixing.

Unfortunately, I am beginning to believe that ignorance is bliss when it comes to bird diseases, as when you do get a diagnosis you feel responsible for the health of the entire bird population of Australia. However, realistically, I didn't produce this virus on my property: it obviously came from another breeder and as I usually deal with reputable breeders I think we can safely assume that these bugs are everywhere.

I went through this about 12 months ago with Pscittacine Beak & Feather Disease Virus (PBFDV) in parrots as we had a bird diagnosed with that. For a long time I paid to have every new bird tested, however in the end I have decided that as long as the ones I have seem healthy and happy I am not going to worry. There is no vaccine for that disease, otherwise I would have had all my birds done.

In conclusion, I will do all I can to keep my flock healthy, including vaccinating any new birds. I believe we are all vulnerable to these diseases unless the only birds you ever own are fully vaccinated or never, ever exposed to outside birds (and that includes free-ranging, having other poultry owners visiting your property, you visiting other poultry owners' properties, taking birds to shows, etc, etc, etc). If you are able to keep a completely "closed" flock then I take my hat off to you. Realistically, most of us are going to buy,sell or exhibit birds at some point and these are the risks we take.

I realise that vaccination is not an option for the owners of most backyard flock, and isn't seen by all as desirable anyway, but I think that we all should just be aware that these things are out there. It's not about blaming anyone or taking sides as we are all in the same big boat.

I am still waiting on a final diagnostic report as my vet mentioned that there was also a suspected vitamin A deficiency in the birds. I'm not sure how that happens in birds that are fed a good quality layer crumble, free-range on grasses/weeds and get a few kitchen scraps but I'll look into supplements if that is the case.

That's about all I know for now.

I hope your flocks all remain healthy.

Deb

Thanks for the post Deb, it will give us all an idea of what to look for and how to treat it, if heaven forbid we should ever have an outbreak.

Well back to the bator I go to see how my last (I think) Polish eggs is going.

Good luck with them, Deb.