I'm having a good breeding season this year but up until now have lost some chicks at 3-7 days old. At about 2 days old they lose their pink colour and turn a pale, white, pastie colour. Within a couple of days they die because the hen has stopped feeding them.

 

However, after doing a it of research I've learnt that the reason they change colour is due to an infection in the liver which can be treated in 2 ways-

 

a. Daniel Lutoff from Switzerland advises to give the chicks in question a drop of olive oil to the beak, and the colour will return.

b. Gerald Binks recommends a course of lincospectrum to the parents, which will in turn be passed to the chicks.

 

Does anyone else have experience with this?

I have had a couple of chicks thus affected but they died before I could research and do anything

Check out this topic. It is by Dave. He had a pastie chick who he called Pale Ale. It might give you some ideas. Hope it helps.

Check out this topic. It is by Dave. He had a pastie chick who he called Pale Ale. It might give you some ideas. Hope it helps.

 

If only some wisdom could be found in there Maesie.

 

I did indeed have Pale Ale, and she did survive and go on to be a healthy young bird who to this day enjoys fluttering aroudn the aviary.

 

In saying that, it was more good luck, and he strength, that got her thru, rather than anything i did. I would love to know which is the best one. I have never heard of the second one before. i think that there has to be some form of infection, passed from the parents to the chicks. I had well fed chicks coming down with this and dying.

 

Anyone ever heard of the second one before?

Check out this topic. It is by Dave. He had a pastie chick who he called Pale Ale. It might give you some ideas. Hope it helps.

 

If only some wisdom could be found in there Maesie.

 

I'm sure it's there somewhere...

I had a pale one too . And nope haven't heard of either of them

BUT - I will have olive oil on hand incase another pops up

Yes, I think it's passed on from the hen. I'm 'training' 2 hens to be foster mothers. The pale chicks are occurring in one nest but when I switch the chicks around the affected ones are immediately fed and after a couple of days they regain a bit of the colour, but then after a few days the transferred chicks become affected.

 

I've started both nests on a course of lincospectrum and will let you know the results.

Edited August 5, 200816 yr by renee

Yes, I think it's passed on from the hen. I'm 'training' 2 hens to be foster mothers. The pale chicks are occurring in one nest but when I switch the chicks around the affected ones are immediately fed and after a couple of days they regain a bit of the colour, but then after a few days the transferred chicks become affected.

 

I've started both nests on a course of lincospectrum and will let you know the results.

 

okay, so here's the update.

 

Olive oil to the beak does seem to help but is by no means a cure.

 

I don't know about the lincospectrum. I've given the foster parents the treatment but I don't know how long you're supposed to give it to them... I tried a drop of it to the beak of the chicks too and so far here's the statistics.

 

12 chicks moved around 3 nests.

 

In one nest the transferred chicks repeatedly turned pale, I kept on moving them, suspecting the hen as being a transferer, and sure enough the chicks regained health after a couple of days with the other hens. The critical period seems to be day 4-6. Of the 4 chicks left the suspect hen during that critical period 3 have died.

 

I've decided not to use that hen again this season.

 

I have redistributed the 9 chicks with the 2 good hens.

that is very interesting renee - i hope they make a full recovery

Great updates Renee.....very good research and observations. Thankyou for all your info

Update............on pasty white coloured chicks.

I just had four in a nest go down pasty white .....as white can be, lost two so moved them out of the nestbox into another nest.

Was at our avian vet today about it. He says FIRST thing to check with pasty white chicks is RED MITE infestation.

SECOND thing if no red mites, is the chicks are carrying polyoma virus ( french moult ) and these are the chicks that die before feathering up. Reason for the whiteness of the chicks is these polyoma chicks bleed internally.

The chicks I lost were from my spangle to DF spangle pairing.

Edited April 16, 200916 yr by KAZ

That makes sense, as white skin always means anemia and red mite suck blood causing the chicks to be anemic.

Renee did your nests have red mite back then??

 

The french moult sounds interesting too. its amazing how we seem to know so little about something so common. I have heard there is a vacination for FM now, but its $100 and bird

 

I hope you don't have any more loss Kaz

I thought red mites, when I started reading this post to,I would be pretty sure you would not have

red mites Kaz,I don't think I have come accross the problem,Seeing as this post was started last year,

Renee may be able to tell as, how her birds finished up.

I thought red mites, when I started reading this post to,I would be pretty sure you would not have

red mites Kaz,I don't think I have come accross the problem,Seeing as this post was started last year,

Renee may be able to tell as, how her birds finished up.

 

Actually I had a red mite infestation back then as a bird I got brought it in on him and it went through the whole birdroom. Renee didnt know and thought he had been treated as did I. But he must have been missed. It was really hard to rid the birdroom of them. I havent seen any activity since so I doubt it is back. But I will spray all the nestboxes again just in case.

Edited April 16, 200916 yr by KAZ

The plot thickings,Get out the surface spray & spray all the nests.

I've had some chicks die with similar symptoms in the last couple of weeks. I sent samples for testing, turns out to be a Gram negative bacteria, treat with Spectovet, Baytril or Lincospectin. Apparently they go pale because of internal bleeding. No evidence of mites.

I've had some chicks die with similar symptoms in the last couple of weeks. I sent samples for testing, turns out to be a Gram negative bacteria, treat with Spectovet, Baytril or Lincospectin. Apparently they go pale because of internal bleeding. No evidence of mites.

I dont believe I have mites right now either. Internal bleeding can be from polyoma the vets says, ( but maybe internal bleeding can be from other sources too ? ). I have some baytril just dispensed for a parrot we have...might try some on any others inflicted.

Edited April 16, 200916 yr by KAZ

As I mentioned in the previous posts, it was a couple of hens whose feeding methods were suspect and were obviously passing on the affliction. I managed to save quite a few chicks by fostering them to other hens. I think it must be something to do with the crop milk and the vulnerable age of the chicks as older chicks were not affected.

 

I treated the suspect hens with Lincospectrum but had negligible results, mainly 'cause I didn't know what dosage and how long to give it to them.

 

I've had some chicks die with similar symptoms in the last couple of weeks. I sent samples for testing, turns out to be a Gram negative bacteria, treat with Spectovet, Baytril or Lincospectin. Apparently they go pale because of internal bleeding. No evidence of mites.

 

What dosage are you giving it to them, Baytril or Lincospectrum?

Edited April 16, 200916 yr by KAZ

Lost two pale coloured ones and moved the other chicks and broke up the pairing. Of the moved chicks all are now pink not white.

On the French Moult theory that doesn't make sense that they clear up after being moved on to another nest... And I'm pretty sure Dave's chick wasn't FM....

On the French Moult theory that doesn't make sense that they clear up after being moved on to another nest... And I'm pretty sure Dave's chick wasn't FM....

Yeah...weird isnt it. Stands to reason then its the hen and her feeding thats the issue ? last two babies hatched went straight into foster nests and are not pale.

Edited April 16, 200916 yr by KAZ

Lost two pale coloured ones and moved the other chicks and broke up the pairing. Of the moved chicks all are now pink not white.

 

Interesting... I wonder what it is. almost suggests a deficiency in something if it can be fixed by others feeding the chicks...

Lost two pale coloured ones and moved the other chicks and broke up the pairing. Of the moved chicks all are now pink not white.

 

Interesting... I wonder what it is. almost suggests a deficiency in something if it can be fixed by others feeding the chicks...

Does seem that way doesnt it Liv

I had a pasty white as white chick in nestbox a few days ago........it looked so bad I expected it to die. Nothing ventured nothing gained .......it was suggested I feed it a drop of olive oil with some turbosole. I didnt have olive oil or turbosole. BUT I did have TRIPLE C which I find is brilliant. So the chick got fed a drop of water with triple c in it by beak. All went well. Expected it dead the next day just the same. Tonight ( 2 days later ) its pink and healthy

Its good stuff the triple C I don't use Terbsole or any of those Vet stuff.