Poorly chicks - Strange Neck Twisting/Puffed up

[petpoultry]

Hi All

2 Weeks ago I sold 3 9 week old Pekin's. A week later the new owner called to say one was terribly unwell and the symptoms she described were strange to me so I advised that she sought a vets opinion.

The Chick that was sold developed the symptoms quickly and he was twisting his neck and then falling over as if he'd got something stuck in his throat/crop. Then he'd get up and sit all puffed up for a while before doing the same again. We had had one chick with a burden of coccidiosis but she had recovered well, other than this we had no problems with this hatch.

The vet said it could be congenital or gape worm but wasn't sure so treated with Flubenvet injected and gave some powder to treat all 3 birds in the feed. There wasn't much sign of improvement and the chicken will be going to the vet on Monday if it's not back to 100%. He was also very thin., last I heard not much had changed.

Today in the run of 10 week old's I found one had died overnight and another had started making a strange neck twisting movement occasionally and was standing puffed up so I think the problem lies with us and nothing the new owner has done. I also spotted more bloody droppings today so think the warm wet weather may be making the coccidiosis difficult to avoid.

I clean the house out every 3rd day and move the run every other day, the ground has had chickens free ranging on it over the last years but not for 6 months since we started breeding pedigrees and need to keep the groups separate.

Any advice or ideas welcome, I'm feeling terrible that it's something I'm doing or not doing that I should be.....

We'll be visiting the vets Monday.
Thanks
Ruth

 

[chrismahon]

Sounds Neurological to me but check for ear mites. Are these the first bred from a particular flock?

 

[petpoultry]

Thanks for your reply. These were all eggs we bought in from different breeders, the one that died (seemed well yesterday) was from one breeder and the two pekins are from different breeders as well - they were different colours so I know for certain.

I should mention that the crop seems full on both poorly birds and they both seem very thin - they were all housed together. It's only the two pekins we've noted have this problem.

 

[chrismahon]

Seems too young to have chronic worms and the different origins rules out neurological inheretance. Mareks springs to mind but without an autopsy you are just guessing. Perhaps another symptom of coccidiosis as they will eat but digest almost nothing as the digestive system is shot to pieces. Or could be two separate things.

I treated chronic coccidiosis in one chick at four and then six weeks with a one-off big shot of probiotic natural yoghurt. Worth trying on the worst one as you have nothing to lose. I've never had a case of C after 6 weeks, although I suspect the hens in one run may have a touch. Noticed that the bloody poos disappear after worming with Flubenvet though.

 

[Marigold]

I immediately thought of Mareks, having had a young quail that showed similar symptoms, ie the twisting up of her neck, walking problems, and loss of weight, combined with generally siiting hunched up and unhappy-looking, before she died. Do any of your birds have grey eye pupils, or rough raised skin around feather follicles? ? It's easy to misdiagnose Mareks as there are other diseases with similar symptoms, but you could get more information about neurological/virus diseases online, eg see http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/90/mareks-disease . I agree with Chris that chicks that have been kept in good conditions, as yours evidently have been, are highly unlikely to have a heavy worm burden, and am quite surprised the vet suggested this as a first diagnosis. There is a list of chicken-friendly vets in the Chickens Health section of the Forum, in case any are near to you.
whatever it is, I expect symptoms in the one you sold were accelerated by the stress of moving home, however well this was done, as this does often lower their immune systems and make them more subject to latent health problems, even if apparently in full health when sold. Just goes to show how important it is to quarantine new birds.

 

[Marigold]

Also, on re-reading your original post, I see you say your vet gave a Flubenvet injection. I don't see how this could be possible, as it's a powder that has to be allowed to go through the gut, dealing with the worms as it passes theough, not into the bloodstream. I have never heard of this before- are you sure it was a Flubenvet injection, or perhaps an antibiotic for the coccidiosis? Though in that case I'd have thought you'd have come away with some follow-up doses maybe.
I don't want to appear to contradict what the vet has said, but it's true that many vets don't have much experience with poultry. How are they today? Any developments overnight?

 

[petpoultry]

Hi Marigold

Thanks for your reply, the one that had the injection was not my bird and I'm going on what the new owner has told me - I too have not heard of Flubenvet injection but I'm not yet an expert in these things (having previously had a very healthy flock) so accepted what I was told.

I did think of Mareks too by the pupils are of a normal colour and I've not seen rough raised skin when I gave a head to toe inspection. We definitely have coccidiosis going through this run so perhaps this girl just isn't coping? But I'm surprised at the neck movements being displayed.....

Thanks again
Ruth

PS she's still looking poorly and now she's inside in a pen on her own we can see that she's not passed any bloody droppings. Vets tomorrow, I'll let you know what's said (we're with a different Vet).

 

[petpoultry]

PS we're in the IOM so not covered by the poultry vets list :-(