Well I did all that I could do. I did not have to do the right thing after all. Baby chick is gone:( I knew that it was not going to help but had to try.

Nelda

I'm sorry about the little chick. Chicks, birds actually in general, are kinda frail.

Is this the raplacement chicks from last week, or the replacement from last fall or a totally new batch?

Aren't these the chicks that the vaccine didn't take? Or was the vaccine for a different strain or something? I think I'd be on the phone with the supplier for the vaccine name, then get a hold of a local vet & have them order it or see if one of the online suppliers carries the vaccine. This of course if there were enough birds to warrant going this route.

Good luck with the rest of them, wish I could help more.
Brendasue

Hi Brendasue, Yes this was the replacement order from last week! I will be calling them tomorrow to give them an update, and asking more specific questions! They were vaccinated for Mareks and Coccidious(not sure about spelling) Like I said I have never had any trouble with this hatchery until last year and of course this year. They have always been reliable and very good cust. svs., dependable. I will definetely be looking for another hatchery for next year-(Know of any really good hatcheries?) I can not keep doing this - it breaks my heart when I am helpless to save them-especially when I don't know what the real problem is-I just try everything I know and everything that I have learned here on the forum. The rest of the chickens are all doing fine-couse I said that the last time! But all joking aside I pretty sure the rest will be just fine. Thanks for the thoughts and support.

Nelda

I never buy chicks that have been vaccinated, always make it a point to ask for non-vaccinated chicks. If you keep a small flock and keep the environment clean there shouldn't be a problem.

I've hatched thousands of chicks with out vaccinations and they grew to be wonderful healthy birds. I have my Vet spot test once a month for 9 different bird borne and environmental borne diseases and have not had a positive test.

Some of my friends have bought from McMurray and received 10-15 extra chicks with a 25 chick order. When any hatchery sends more than 5 extra per 100 chick order--it is a red flag for trouble.

Try finding a small local hatchery that derives most of their sales from the small order customers. Seems that big boys really don't have the small guy's interest at heart.

Hi seramas, Do you feed them medicated feed? We can not find a hatchery close to us. Usually with an order of 50 we only get 4-5 extra per order-yes I had wondered about the extras too, since they say they have a 25 min order then why do I need extra for "warmth"? We clean the coop once a week, we disinfect w/bleach water/mopping the walls, floors and washing out nesting boxes and change mats in nesting boxes, also vaccuum out coop, I even clean up (rake)around outside of coop any extra straw etc..We take every measure to ensure a clean and healthy environment for our chickens--we usually have 100 chicks per year. Is there anyway that I can do the testing myself and if so where and how much would it cost to do so. They free range from 8am-until dusk and sometimes in the summer I do not put them up until 9pm or after, we have 4 acres wooded and clear-the one thing that worries me is the water that runs through the creek and is fed by numerous runoff from unknown sources-the water is sometimes well yukky-what about Giardia? I have my lab vacc for this every year. I keep water in several places throughout the property and change/clean every day.
Thank You, Nelda

All the extras are not for heat, it is so they get a number that will survive the first 48 hours leaving you with the amount that you ordered. This saves them having to credit or ship replacements. Most of the times you'll keep loosing chicks after the guarantee time is up.

Out of the last 1400 chicks I've ordered in the past 3 years only 4 were lost. One died from smothering during shipping, two were lost to a rat, the last one due to being stepped on after being dropped.

There are only two different tests you can do yourself, but they are for Pullorum (you'll need to go to a 1 day school to be certified-check with you County Cooperative Extension Office) and the other is for the level of e-coli in their poo (this requires a hand counter and a microscope-even a toy one will do). You'll have to learn what e-coli looks like and learn their acceptable levels.

E-coli levels can be lowered by feeding probiotic rich feeds or you can buy an additive for their water, one brand is called Fastrack-but there are many brands out there. It is a powerful preventive measure the small poultry keeper can cheaply employ to prevent 7 out of 9 common poultry ailments.

Many of these ailments won't kill your birds but will lessen there productivity, be it weight gain in meat birds or eggs in layers.

It sounds like you run a clean joint there, when can I move in? 'LOL'

Giardia is from drinking water that has been contaminated by animal waste run-off. In dogs there are many natural ways to treat/prevent this. Most find it simpler to vaccinate for it.

It is so important if you have water sources to not allow large animals free access to it. It is not only your water but the water of everyone downstream from you. It is so easy to create a reservior (tank) that is feed thru a pipeline from that water source to a reservoir that your animals can drink from. This reservoir can be easily designed to allow one way water flow as not to contaminate the water downstream.

When your stream is "yukky" call your county health office. They will back track and find who is the source of this and will take steps to prevent this in the future.

Fresh water is important for your birds. This water should be placed in heavy shade to keep water borne organisms at or below safe levels. This is the #one cause of illness in poultry.

Thanks for the info Seramas, very interesting. We don't vaccinate for anything, but if they come vaccinated well so be it. There is also very little avenue for transmission of issues, basically if they have it they came with it sort of thing. It's sad though to read of an entire order having issues. Maybe we've just been lucky.

Prior years we've shared bulk orders through a local Agway, who'd take orders from customers & buy in bulk. They were kinda expensive though so we stopped.

Due to the issues last year with that hatchery, I ordered from Country Hatchery, I *think* they are in IA. I was very pleased with the health of the chickens when I received them, and they all lived. However I ended up cancelling my muscovy order because they would have arrived too late in the season for our needs. They did keep me informed, and I was told the expected ship date, it was just too late. My fault for placing my order so late in the year.

Brendasue

I've only ordered from Murray Mc Murray hatcheries. I don't get any chicks from Agway, auctions or neighbors anymore. I got a load of parasites from a neighbors sick birds that they traded me for healthy guineas. I learned my lesson. I only order from hatcheries or if I get guineas from farms that don't look like a garbage dump (like the sick chickens I got from my neighbors). I also don't use medicated feed, the birds survive fine without it if raise in the spring, and I lost a large amount of my birds when I withdrew the medicated feed too quickly. Medicated feed makes the birds less healthy in the long run. I also don't vaccinate either.

seramas--thanks for great information! will check into one day certification--Our property is completely fenced in it is just the run off from the unkown sources that concern me, will check with health dept for that-thanks-I always place water in heavy shade throught property-and p/u and clean every night-fill again in the morning. "LOL" yes I do try very hard to keep things clean and sanitized-I have customers who want to see where their eggs are coming from and wants to see how clean it is - I always allow anybody to come in and look and ask any questions they may have, sometimes they want to see the cleaning process and I tell them to come over on a Sunday and be ready to work! LOL-they always show up - even if I did not have an open door policy I would still do what I do every week----Now as far as moving in you will have to stand in line as of right now the "Henhilton" has a "NO VACANCY" sign hanging up--with resevations well in advance! LOL.

Mersiepoo---Hi I have also only ordered from McMurray and until last year/this year I have never had a problem-maybe it is the vaccines they are getting? Who knows? I also don't do any "horse trading" when it involves my girls-to many what ifs--I have talked with other people who have done that with devestating results, they lost their entire flock to disease/parasites..Again re: McMurray that was why I was really surprised and disappointed in what was happening to my peeps. Thank you to both you and seramas about the medicated food-you both gave me good advice.

Nelda

We normally dont bring outside people into our pens, but we bring our animals out to a "neutral" area. If someone wants to go inside, they must wear the plastic booties, and we request the not wear their barn clothes. It's just part of our policy we've adopted since we've started testing our goats 4 years ago.

I'm not sure if you do something similar, but with bird flu & NAIS & whatnot, it might be a good practice to start. Sure wouldn't hurt IMO.

BrendaSue

Hi BrendaSue-Yes forgot to add that I do have the plastic booties and I do request they don't wear their barn clothes-and yes it is also part of my policy-after all the cleaning I do can't afford to let it all go to waste!LOL

thanks again BrendaSue

Nelda