Sick chicks from McMurray Hatchery

From: Deb (dmschwinn_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 11/02/04 

Date: 1 Nov 2004 22:27:24 -0800

To Jill and others that helped me with information:

I would just like to say that the crisis here is over. Whew...(wiping
sweat from brow, while plunked in a comfy chair, body and mind finally
relaxing).

(Our farm history shows 3 1/2 years in production, with not one disease
ever be-falling us in what would be perceived as an epidemic. We have
had our share of lice, mites and scaly leg, but that is it. The only
deaths we encountered were from neighboring dogs, two car strikes and
old age. My girls <and Joey> live in a very clean and comfortable
coop. They have free range of our 10 acres and the neighbor's
pastures on either side, total of about 25 acres. They are closed up
tight at night. Given fresh water daily and on rotation with a vitamin
supplement. Get fed layer pellets, scratch, bread, rolls, and the
occasional Twinkie <their absolute favorite for some silly reason, but
priced out of my budget for what used to be a flock of 51>. In the
winter they are given canned vegetables <i.e. cream corn, peas, green
beans> as an extra substitute for the missing greens from the fields.
In other words, like any living creature that crosses my path, they are
spoiled rotten).

Synopsis:
I ordered;
5 Araucanas
8 Silver Laced Wyandottes
7 White Rocks
and 5 New Hampshire Reds
plus All were vaccinated for Marek's Disease

Order was placed on 8-18-04. Chicks arrived on 9-2-04.

The chicks arrived in what I perceived to be good form. They were
immediately started on chick starter and vitamin fortified fresh water
in the ultimate of 'nurseries' (freshly cleaned with bleach, thoroughly
rinsed, the freshest straw money and time hunting could buy, warm and
dry). I always strive to give my girls the best and healthiest start
possible.

One week after arrival most of the chicks were showing signs of 'being
weak', i.e. lethargic, walking sort of funny. To me it seemed like
they were growing so fast and gaining so much weight in such a short
amount of time that their little legs were not keeping up.

A day or two later they were showing signs of their legs being splayed
and not moving around at all. At that point I panicked. They were
immediately moved into the house in our makeshift 'intensive care
ward'. My family and I were taking turns caring for them, i.e. hand
feeding and watering every hour to hour and a half. I called
McMurray's and ran down the list of symptoms with the customer service
rep., nothing panned out as they only had the one symptom of splayed
legs. McMurray's did not offer any further assistance or any sort of
refund or replacement. I then started making inquiries and doing
searches on-line, to no avail.

My main coop started to show slight symptoms at the 2-week point. Now
my laying girls were being affected. I brought the sickest ones into
our 'intensive care ward' and started to administer a general
antibiotic. It did not have any affect what so ever.

I contacted local vets and was given the run around. Most told me that
'they are JUST chickens'. Finally I found a vet that dealt with exotic
and wild birds of prey. Well, close enough for me. She ran some fecal
tests and poured through her books, then resorted to calling her
specialist contacts. Nothing. I could have had an autopsy performed
on one of the remains, but they wanted to charge me $200.00 to start,
with the cost increasing upon further testing.

It was a long, heart wrenching process of death. At first we were
losing 2 to 3 a day and then it finally started slowing down to 1 or 2
a week. Our last loss was approximately 2 weeks ago and every one else
looks extremely heathy and strong. All tolled, we lost 3 adult hens
and 18 of the chicks.

After all of my research and contacts, I have come to the conclusion
that the new chicks arrived with a portion of Marek's. But because
they also had been vaccinated, they showed only the sign of stiff leg
and then it turned into splayed leg.

The long sleepless weeks, time consuming care and all the money spent
on the chicks, additives, supplements and antibiotics and the money
lost from 2 weeks worth of egg production having to be destroyed while
the antibiotics got out of everyone's systems, coupled with each
heart-wrenching loss could have been worse, I guess....., maybe.....,
if they hadn't been vaccinated. I am just not sure anymore.
Thanks,
Deb

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