Help needed with chuckars

[BirdBuiz]

My birds are having major problems a devastating amount of them are looking real bad with drooping wings  they look kind of wet like but they arent wet   they dont move around much the last day or so and I have lost 30 in two days. can anyone offer any medical advice for them. I have 200 of them   well,  had  and I have never dealt with anything like this before. Never had a loss such as this. I am puzzled and I have tried to research here but I feel I am running out of time. They are chuckars and they are all around 2 years old

Thanks
Donald D.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

My birds are having major problems a devastating amount of them are looking real bad with drooping wings  they look kind of wet like but they arent wet   they dont move around much the last day or so and I have lost 30 in two days. can anyone offer any medical advice for them. I have 200 of them   well,  had  and I have never dealt with anything like this before. Never had a loss such as this. I am puzzled and I have tried to research here but I feel I am running out of time. They are chuckars and they are all around 2 years old

Thanks
Donald D.

Donald D.

Can you post a picture of the birds showing the symptoms you are stating?

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[Reeves]

When ever I get even one bird die (very rare) it goes straight to the Vet for an autopsy, to know for sure what killed it. Guessing can make things too late to treat with the proper drugs.
Birds in general hide problems very well. Also some symptoms will cover several problems.
My advice would be to take one or two in, have the samples taken and cultured etc. The results should be returned to you fast (day or two) then you can treat them properly.

It's hard (for me anyway) to tell what is wrong with a few words here......

[CharlieHorse]

My birds are having major problems a devastating amount of them are looking real bad with drooping wings  they look kind of wet like but they arent wet   they dont move around much the last day or so and I have lost 30 in two days. can anyone offer any medical advice for them. I have 200 of them   well,  had  and I have never dealt with anything like this before. Never had a loss such as this. I am puzzled and I have tried to research here but I feel I am running out of time. They are chuckars and they are all around 2 years old

Thanks
Donald D.

What kind of time frame are you talking?   When did you first notice any sign of a problem?    

Are they starving, are you feeding them?  (Not trying to be a SA here, and not making any sort of acussation), but there alot of people whom get animals and then once the novelty wears off, the animals get neglected.  So I just thought I would ask, one never knows.

Are they eating/drinking good clean water?   

More details, please?  ::


Sounds to me like you may have waited too long already?   With that sort of a widespread mass casualty rate, I would definitely want to have one diagnosed (autopsy). 

[WHITNEYPLU]

Almost sounds like a cocidious outbreak to me. Are they on the ground or on wire? Here in Texas if you belong to the NPIP program you can take them to a lab located all around and have it tested right there and then for $35.00 and have a solution to your problem that day or by the next. If you take one dead one and one live on that is showing the signs you would be better off. We have not used this before and knock on wood hope to not to have to but our field agent was the one that told us about the program. When compared to a normal vet visit and an autospy its alot cheaper route to follow. You might try your local Ag extension for more information on it in your state to obtain where you can take it, but not belonging to the program it might cost a little more. You can become of a member of the program most the time for free,NPIP, and it is something to check into as it has many benefits and will become a must in the next few years for all bird raisers here in the US due to all the world outbreaks. Most states now require a NPIP forum to accompany any birds entering their state or a clean bill of health from a vet. This is something that will not go away but become a staple in all states. Have you brought in any new birds around them? Also most outbreaks of this nature stem from improperly cleaned pens, feeders and waterers. I would take out everything and disinfect it as well as the pen regardless of what else you do. Most people give little thought to automatic watering systems as far as cleaning them but they even need a good disinfecting from time to time. I have a faucet on the end of everyone of mine and will flush a little bleach through mine once a week to keep them clean, just make sure to flush it all the way out and then run it back as normal. One other thing to check would to be sure the feed does not have any mold in it. If you have any birds still appearing health get them out NOW and in another cage away from all other birds. In the mean time give them some Terramycin in their water or 1/2 cc Tylan orally in each bird to give them a little better chance of making it thru it as well as some vitamin/electrolyte additive. Without to much details and seeing the bird this is the best generic I can give you at this time.

[WHITNEYPLU]

Also if on the ground, have they ever been wormed?

[BirdBuiz]

They are very well cared for. They are on the ground and I have wormed them. I have no camera for pictures, should probably look into that for instances like this. I think you guys are right. I will take one to my vet first thing in the morning. I really appreciate all your advice.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

They are very well cared for. They are on the ground and I have wormed them. I have no camera for pictures, should probably look into that for instances like this. I think you guys are right. I will take one to my vet first thing in the morning. I really appreciate all your advice.

Call your State AGR office and ask to speak to the state vet their and tell them your problem. More then likely they will send down a health inspector and then take samples. At that time, they will more then likely check for AI as well. I doubt if their would be any charge for this service.

I haven't found any independent vets in the State of WV that cater to birds. They are either into farm animals or cats and dogs only.

If I have a problem, I just call the State animal Inspector and they come down and take samples and within a week I have my answer and the remedy and at no charge.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[CharlieHorse]

Quote:       "I haven't found any independent vets in the State of WV that cater to birds. They are either into farm animals or cats and dogs only."



Exactly..........there is no such thing as taking a Bobwhite to a vet in my area either.  Although I would have to find someone to check it out if I were to have those problems.

[BirdBuiz]

I just wanted to let all of you who responded to my problem know that I really appreciate all your suggestions. I also wanted to let Whitneyplu know that you were dead on accoring to the vet. (cochcidiosis)I am treating with a medication called Amprolium the vet gave me ? And im hoping they will be perking up soon.  Appreciate your feedback

Donald D.

[Pine Grove]

Did the vet do a fecal exam?

[BirdBuiz]

He has blood samples the whole nine yards, that he will let me know about next week. But he really seems confident that this was the problem. He was also very reasonable. Seemed to care more for the birds health as opposed to the monetary gain which was most honorable, as I have known only the opposite in past cases with other animals at the normal vet ( dogs cats ).

Donald D.

[Pine Grove]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say your chukars have blackhead, as cocci is not common in two year old birds

[aKirA]

I will bet a bag of feed that it is some form of poultry Enteritis

[BirdBuiz]

what is blackhead?  by the way the amprolium is helping only lost 2 today which is a far cry better than previous days