AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

We had a sad day yesterday, losing 2 hens to what appears to be some sort of respiratory disease.

One of the battery girls (Katie) was hiding behind a bin on Thursday night when I put the chooks away. She didn't want to get up, so I put her in a cage by herself for the night so she wouldn't get picked on. She was dead yesterday morning. On Thursday night there was no sign of any discharge, rattle in her breathing or any obvious signs that something was very wrong. I didn't take her temperature, but assumed that she would at least survive the night. When I found her in the morning her whole beak was full of a thick, gummy looking pus.

I took her body out to our vet for an autopsy, however because she'd died during the night she had been dead for too long for a proper autopsy to be done.

I also took our little birchin pekin hen - Petal- to the vet with us as yesterday morning she didn't want to fly down out of the coop. She seemed a bit wonky on her feet like she couldn't keep her balance (I was thinking Marek's, although she's too old and I thought she was vaccinated). Again, no sign of discharge, noisy breathing, etc.

The vet took her temp and it was 41.6 (normal is around 40 degrees). She looked down Petal's throat and there was no sign of anything sinister. She did hear a slight "click" in her breathing and went out to research chook diseases.

In the five minutes she was out of the room, Petal sat nicely on the table, then her head began to droop like she was going to sleep. Then, however, she stretched her head out over the edge of the table and was obviously having trouble breathing. When the vet came back in, she picked her up to check her again and Petal closed her eyes, fitted, and died. So quick!

As we don't know whether this is a virus or bacteria (pus would suggest bacteria but that could be secondary) I've started everything on a combined course of Sulpha-3 and Oxy-B on the vet's advice. If it is a virus, there's not much I can do except try to keep them healthy. Both birds that died were part of my main flock so everyone else has been exposed. I also have chicks from 6 weeks old in pens in the area (out of necessity) and although they don't have direct contact with the older ones they are in danger of airborne bugs.

I bought some Virkon-S disinfectant last week (supposed to kill every bug in existence) and am trying to keep some sort of hygiene routine happening. The worry is that I have so many young birds here at the moment so I am doing my utmost to keep them safe. The youngest ones are in our back room and I am scrubbing my hands and changing clothes before I go near them. All feed and water dishes are getting the living daylights disinfected out of them! Hopefully the two girls that I've lost will be the only ones.

Deb

OMG Deb!!!!

I hope it doesn't spread through your flock.

I once seen something similar to this in a friend budgie aviary and it wiped out all the birds in so little time, they all had pussy mucas around their beaks. I can't remember what she called what they got. It was horrible to watch.

I think you are doing everything you can, I have my fingers and toes crossed that you got it in time.

I hope someone else comes along soon that can be of more help to you

Thanks Deb. My prize-winning buff pekin hen (who is also one of our favourite pets) is now up there gasping. I've put her in a box and made her drink some of the medicated water but she looks like the little birchin girl just before she died.

The worst thing is that so far it is only the hens that are dropping! My young lavender rooster has a bit of a croaky crow but is otherwise okay.

I guess if it is a virus it's just going to have to run its course - whatever that may be.

I had to ring a man in Sydney yesterday who was travelling up to buy some silkie hens from me today! I could hardly let him travel all the way up here with his daughter to pick up two hens who look fit and healthy but might die within days! This is devastating!

This must be devastating for you, I pray you can stop it before to much damage is done

Deb have sent you a PM.

I held my little buff hen as she died this afternoon. It was horrible, like she was being choked from the inside. Unlike the other two who died, she had blood in her beak so had obviously ruptured something inside.

The vet called in to deliver some antibiotic tablets (might be the same as the injection you mentioned, Lou) and I got her to take Princess's body for autopsy. I have to know what this is - hopefully it is something I can at least vaccinate my babies against as I can never completely disinfect my property.

I have had to choose which remaining chooks to give the antibiotic tablets to, so have chosen my most expensive pekin hen but also the family favourites including one with a limp and two crossbreds. No guarantees that these tablets will make any difference (especially if it is a virus) but it is better than doing nothing while we wait for results.

I asked the vet if the turkey poults could have brought in disease, but she didn't think it was likely, even though the timing fits, as she seemed to think the turkeys would have dropped before anything else. They look fit as little fiddles, as do the ducklings in with them.

It is really weird that this is so fast-acting, and yet only one chook seems to be getting sick at a time. She said usually with an outbreak you will find several chooks sick at once.

This has just hit out of the blue - I am still stunned. And to top off the afternoon I was so upset that I wasn't careful enough when building a new chick pen and half cut my ring finger off with the chuck key going at full revs on my electric drill.

On the good news front I have forward-sold almost all of my call ducklings that are yet to hatch! Good thing, because I won't be able to sell any chickens for a while.

Deb

Oh Deb, sorry to hear about all you problems. I really feel for you. It is bad enough to lose our little friends but to not know why I think is even worse.

Well, it's Monday afternoon and I haven't had any more chookies die! The vet gave me the antibiotic tablets and 8 lucky chooks have had a tablet shoved down their throats twice a day since. I know many people don't agree with unnecessary antibiotic use, however after watching two of my favourite hens die horrible deaths I will do anything I can to keep any more from going that way.

The vet took samples from Princess today to send to the lab for analysis. The lab apparently guessed infectious laryngotracheitis over the phone, however I've looked up the symptoms of this on the QLD DPI website and it doesn't really seem to fit. Anyway, I guess I'll find out in a few days. The good thing is that because that is a notifiable disease they do the tests for free, and will keep testing until they find out what it is.

The fact that I haven't lost any since Saturday is heartening, and that includes all the youngsters in the outside pens. I can put that down to one of the following: a) the disease has run its course; b) the antibiotics are working against a bacteria; or c) the open grave I have waiting up near the chook house has scared them all into acting perfectly healthy!

I have a trio of frizzle bantams on order at the moment and they may be arriving this week so I'm organising a pen way down the back for them. I might see if I can delay them until after I get the results, though.

It is a nice sunny day here, and it's lovely to look out and see the remainder of my flock scratching happily and dustbathing in the sun.

Deb

Deb I hope it only gets better from here for you & your chickies. & how is your finger?

Thanks Lou. The chookies, ducks & baby turkeys are all looking good. I'm just off to shove more tablets down throats, and then spend another small fortune at the pet shop for more in-water medication.

My finger will never look the same, but I am getting a collection of interesting scars!

Deb