| Sun, Jan 15 2012 08:56pm GMT 1 |
Speckley
17 Posts
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Hello, my name is Anna aka Speckley.
My Partner and I currently care for a few little friends starting
with our 6yr old African Grey Parrot called Percy, a few fish, an
over winter juvenile hedgehog called Mr Grumpy, 4 Guinea Fowl keets
hatched in Oct called Tiny and the Twinkles and a Speckley
surrogate mum approx 10 months old called mummy chook she hatched 4
little fluff balls in Sept unfortunately recently something nasty
has infected the chicks one by one they are all going down hill ...
suspected virus ... with 1 roo at deaths door and another ill but
still strong, we lost the 2 pullets :(
It is breaking my heart but I would really like to try again this
spring providing we get down to the bottom of the problem.
So that is me in an egg shell 
I hope to get to know you all better :)
Bye for now x |
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| Mon, Jan 16 2012 04:45pm GMT 2 |
Topflight
52 Posts
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Hi ya both. Nice picture,s, shame about your chicks, thought a
virus would also affect the older birds, but not sure, could be a
number of things, ie feed, cold, something they are pecking. Have
you taken them to a vet? hope you get it sorted soon so you can
breed some more. All the best.
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| Mon, Jan 16 2012 08:06pm GMT 3 |
Speckley
17 Posts
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Hello,
thank you for your well wishes, unfortunately the vet is at much
of a loss as I am, we had the pullet post mortemed at quite an
expense with still no results :( it is very frustrating, mummy
chook may go down with it also but as yet she looks healthy.
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| Mon, Jan 23 2012 07:45pm GMT 4 |
Speckley
17 Posts
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Eggciting update ...... Our roo tried to crow this morning ... it
was so sweet!
I have been smiling at the thought all day .... I thought he was
chocking to start with lol
Hoping the last roo standing is going to survive with mummy chook!
:D
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| Mon, Jan 23 2012 08:50pm GMT 5 |
Speckley
17 Posts
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oops obviously I mean choking  |
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| Mon, Jan 23 2012 11:48pm GMT 6 |
Lewis
113 Posts
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Only spotted this, sorry to hear your news about the chicks - could
it have been Coccidiosis?
May be mistaken for a virus and common in younger birds and
chicks.
Glad to hear some are ok though and starting to crow! 
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| Tue, Jan 24 2012 03:32pm GMT 7 |
Speckley
17 Posts
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Hi Lewis,
No worries ... I did orginally think it was cocci however poo tests
showed less than 15 % therefore vets ruled it out and would not
treat for it ... I have treated for it now so if the remaining
mummy chook and cockerel, Etti, survive I will know the vets
lie!!
I do still have 1 sick little roo, Blade, he is very weak and I do
not think he will survive, I will have a post mortem done by a
poultry specialist this time and see exactly what is going on ...
it is a very strange illness where the coop is full so the chick is
eating however they do not put on weight and eventually die of
weakness ...!!
This is a post on the chicken vet forum with all the details from
the beginning ....... I wonder if anyone has any suggestions or
have experienced similar problems.
Hello I hope someone can give me ideas on what
maybe wrong with the flock!
It all started before Christmas when our copper maran
x silkie pullet chick (hatched in Sept2011) had a few
wet vent feathers ... They free range all day in a
largish fenced garden. we have visiting wild birds
including pigeons and hedgehogs.
I treated everyone with flubenvet powder for 7days
but the pullet did not get any better, she started
hunching and pulled her head into her neck therefore
I isolated her and took a trip to the local vets,
they treated baytril 7 days, she had intermittent
runny poo i gave a lot of TLC and coccidiosis was
ruled out ... She died!
Then I noticed the same breed roo showing the same
symptoms, once again isolated and a trip to the vets
with the same treatment ... He is still alive but
getting weaker about 3wks later, he eats and has a
full crop but is losing weight and very weak and now
tonight he seems to be showing nerological problems,
he can see food but not realise he is not close
enough to eat it so he is pecking out at thin
air.
Then the Orpington pullet looked hunched and sleepy
when she did not come out of the coop for 24 hrs I
went to the vet, unfortunately she went of her legs
with the travelling and died at the surgery ... I had
her PM'd however it came back inconclusive. There
were a lot of leukocytes in the digestive tract and
the liver, there are a lot of bright yellow diarrhoea
which had not presented before the trip to the vets
she was still eating and her crop was full, and the
lungs were clear.
Now the last roo an Orpington has developed a wet
vent :( he is on baytril and he and mummy chook have
been treated for coccidiosis with baycox in their
water for 2days he is not hunching yet but his
intermittent diarrhoea is very smelly.
I am at a complete loss, the 4 guinea Keets free
range with the remaining chooks although they have a
separate coop it is a worry.
I should add I poo pick every morning from the wood
chip under the perch and change the straw from the
nest box daily, I only fully clean out and disinfect
monthly or sooner if nessecary .. I have not come
across mites and I mite spray when disinfecting
monthly.
Help please
Today I ordered your vitamins and pro biotic but all
suggestions are welcome, as I really want to keep
poultry but feel if this is not resolved I can not
risk bringing anyone else into the garden.
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Hello
We are sorry to hear you have had such a difficult
time with your birds. You have ruled out coccidiosis
and if this was a gumboro problem it is not something
that normally kills them over a prolonged period of
time.
Unfortunately you may have an underlying
immunosuppressive problem going on such as Avian
Leukosis or possibly Mareks, we can only summise as
we have neither seen the birds or had the opportunity
to take blood samples or post mortem. We would advise
that if you lose another bird then we would be happy
to give further advice about post mortems or
serology. It may be worth phoning us on our helpline
if this should occur. 0905 187 0000.
It sounds as if you are following a good management
routine and the products you have purchased will help
with supportive therapy. None of the above should
affect guinea fowl.
Please come back to us if we can help further.
Best wishes
Chicken Vet
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| Wed, Jan 25 2012 02:28am GMT 8 |
Lewis
113 Posts
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Great advise from Chicken Vet, as always!
Can I ask why only 2 days of Baycox? Is that the full
treatment(?), as half a course will only make problems worse with
antibiotic resistance.
I know you've ruled it out but I'd try a course of Coxoid - it
shouldn't cause any problems but may help, it has been dragging
on a long time. Maybe give Chicken Vet a ring and explain the
whole situation to see if they can think of anything or suggest
tests you could run.
If they have been ill for a long time I think the best thing may
be to cull them as they couldn't be bred from if did get better
and they may affect the whole flock .
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| Wed, Jan 25 2012 07:32pm GMT 9 |
Speckley
17 Posts
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Thanks for the reply Lewis, The vet only prescribed 2 consec days,
3ml per litre of water ... should I of treated for longer? What is
Coxoid, I thought the prescribed Baycox was for cocci (not happy
with my vet if it is not)
Unfortunately Blade, the very sick roo, has died after a very long
illness which was up and down ... I will call the Chicken Vet in
the morning who will courier him down to Devon and post mortem then
hopefully I will get an answer ...
Chicken Vet have been awesome, they looked at the PM results from
my local surgery and called me, we had a long discussion about
possible illnesses then agreed the next chick to go will be PM'd by
them
Hopefully I will get an answer and as they free range, fingers
crossed for a not to bad result!
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| Thu, Jan 26 2012 12:27am GMT 10 |
Lewis
113 Posts
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Ahh ok, didn't realise it was such a short dose, I thought it was a
week but probably wrong!
Sorry t hear about Blade
Hope Chicken Vet help get results with the PM
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| Fri, Jan 27 2012 12:04pm GMT 11 |
Speckley
17 Posts
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Thanks Lewis.
I hope the Baycox dosage was correct, I've ordered the
coxoid.
Thanks again.
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