Sickness and blessings

Two dead birds today (Sunday) seems like a blessing after the death-knoll of the past week.  What a change of perspective!  Today, one was a chick, younger than 4 weeks, and one was a pullet, about 12 weeks.  Both died of the complications of "laryngotracheitis". That's my best guess for the sickness we're seeing, based on the symptoms our birds are working through (or dying from) fitting the on-line descriptions to a "T".  It's highly contagious between birds, even transfers from wild birds (pigeons in our silo?) to domestic birds.  They pass it through droppings, phlegm, and other nasty body fluid-type stuff.  The most severe cases will die, with up to a 70% mortality rate.  They suffocate on the accumulated fluid in their trachea.  The mid-level cases may or may not live, with 50% being the norm.  The sniffly ones or the ones with just one crusty eye will recover and be carriers for the virus to affect the next generation of chicks.  It can't be stopped with antibiotics.  The only medication available is an eye-drop vaccine, which could protect the young chicks next year, but.....treating over 100 birds with eye-drops is not really feasible this year. I searched and searched the info out there until I found what I needed to know:  This is not contagious to humans, does not "jump species" from bird to mammal (so the bunny did not catch it from the birds) is not transmitted to humans through eggs or meat, and will not sicken humans in any way.   According to the University of Kentucky scientific information, "In birds having laryngotracheitis, all chicken products are safe for human consumption".  Whew!  Big relief there. We are debating different ways to deal with it.  100% culling (killing/processing/harvesting) of the entire flock is the worst-case scenario, but also the best-case in terms of eradicating the sickness.  We would then have NO chickens or other poultry for at least a few months, probably until next spring.  It would mean that any new chicks we bought next year would have a fresh start.  As it is, if we don't do something drastic all new chicks will go through the same sickness, with about 50% of them dying each year .  Each year's birds that live through it will carry the virus to the infect the next year's chicks.  ;( Or....we could separate the flocks, and work to eliminate the sickness and virus gradually and progressively from each different part of the barn or property, only putting new birds back into those areas (and definitely not allowing any interaction or contact between infected and uninfected birds).  That doesn't account for pigeon droppings on the entire property, which could spread it to new birds anyway. Well, lots to take into account as we decide what to do.  Probably the first thing is to have a dead bird sent off to a lab or vet and get a definite diagnosis, before starting to do anything drastic.  Bessie news:  Still growing impossibly larger and larger, but no sure signs of delivery any time soon.  She still can get herself moving at a good clip if there is garlic mustard or grass clippings or if I rattle a small amount of grain in a metal bucket.  And she seems to be more maternal these days:  Grooming Lucy as if little Lou was her own calf. Lucy:  Is asserting herself and becoming quite the charming little lady, also enjoying being loved on by Bessie once in a while. Raccoon mama:  Still at large in and around the barn, but we no longer know where the babies are.  She moved them, or they may be big enough to move themselves now.  Jeff saw her up in the rafters of the barn last night, after I heard something moving around up there.  No known cases of the coon getting a bird from inside the barn. Laying hens that are over one year old:  Healthy, happy, no sign of sickness. Future laying hens:  Struggling to stay healthy, some have died but more have survived. Meat birds/young roosters:  About 50-50 healthy, with the cycle going through most of them, young chicks and older cockerels. Mature roosters:  Doing a good job of watching for the 2 hawks who have taken up soaring over our property.  I know that a few pullets are missing, and feathers have been found under trees.  The roosters haven't claimed those young females into their flocks yet, and that leaves them vulnerable to predators. Rocky:  hasn't killed any more chickens but is quite interested in every move that they make. Bunnies:  All 3 remaining are healthy and active.   :) Ducks:  The oldest 8 ducklings are definitely ready to be moved out of the barn.  Their daddy is seeing them as competition (or seeing the females as potential mates). Geese and turkeys:  Fascinating and healthy!  ;) An observation about the pasture:  This morning I moved the poultry netting fence, and noticed a definite difference between the grass on "their" side, and the grass on the cow's side.  The chicken grass was a dark, rich green, and was longer than 3 or 4 inches.  The cow's side was looking dry and much less green, except for where the old cow-pies are decomposing, and was cropped very close to the ground.  But--there were no clover seedlings growing on the chicken side, which probably means that the chickens and ducks selectively pick those morsels out before eating the grass.  So.....I think what all of that means is that the cows have been grazing too often in our little pasture.  For the next few weeks, I'll have to choose just a few grazing days each week, in order to give the grass some time to grow back and recover for summer.  Learning more and more as we go! Laura.