I had a clutch of 5 babies that were healthy chirping and crawling around. I now have 1 left al of the others died at around 1 week old and the youngest doesnt look very healthy either. I have been told that they have salmonella poisoning. The parents last clutch turned out perfectly 6 out of 6 hatched healthy.So my question is has anyone heard of this before and if so how do i get rid of the bacteria causing it? Is it in the nestbox and how is it past on? What if any of my other nest boxes catch it aswell? Please help i dont know what to do.Thanks

I had a clutch of 5 babies that were healthy chirping and crawling around. I now have 1 left al of the others died at around 1 week old and the youngest doesnt look very healthy either. I have been told that they have salmonella poisoning. The parents last clutch turned out perfectly 6 out of 6 hatched healthy.So my question is has anyone heard of this before and if so how do i get rid of the bacteria causing it? Is it in the nestbox and how is it past on? What if any of my other nest boxes catch it aswell? Please help i dont know what to do.Thanks

 

What colour were the babies? pasty white?

I had a clutch of 5 babies that were healthy chirping and crawling around. I now have 1 left al of the others died at around 1 week old and the youngest doesnt look very healthy either. I have been told that they have salmonella poisoning. The parents last clutch turned out perfectly 6 out of 6 hatched healthy.So my question is has anyone heard of this before and if so how do i get rid of the bacteria causing it? Is it in the nestbox and how is it past on? What if any of my other nest boxes catch it aswell? Please help i dont know what to do.Thanks

 

What colour were the babies? pasty white?

 

 

No they seemed to go a darker colour and go all dry and flaky like they were dehidrated or something? I clean their water daily so it couldnt be from that?

Sounds like a parental feeding issue to me. Just because they raised a successful clutch before doesnt mean each with be the same..............are you checking the babies crops to see if they are being fed ?

Edited September 14, 200816 yr by KAZ

if the parents do not feed the correct mixture a bub can still become dehydrated no matter how much water is in the cage. Can you get a photo of this little ones crop?

 

When they go a dark red,skinny, dy and flaky they have severe dehydration and it may be too late if you do not step in

Salmonella ? Is this a diagnosis based on a test or is it a conclusion you have reached ? This would come about by contaminated food or water source, so, if as you have said, thats not the case then I would say the parents are at fault. Some babies die young due to french moult going through a nest. BUT the symptoms you are describing seems to be the food or mixture going into these chicks from the parents.

Edited September 14, 200816 yr by KAZ

You know missylu I hate to say this but breeding is fraught with perils and the saying don't count your chickens ... should read Don't count your budgies till they have hatched, survived the nest box dangers till fledgling and have been happily sat in your outside aviary for at least 5 months!

 

This is why when you have a good hen she is worth her weight in gold and even then you can't rely on her round in round out because after the first round some hens decide that they don't want be good mothers any more!!!! :hap:

 

It is also why auctions sell far more cock birds than hens and even then you have to ask yourself WHY those hens are being sold....

 

I hate losing birds but try as I might I still do. Just in the past 2 days I have lost 4 chicks because a couple of the foster mothers decided she didn't want to feed that chick.

Hey mate, Sorry to hear what has happened - I agree with Kaz with the feeding or FM

sal ( were had a lecture on it at the meeting ) They are Black and flat - I know it is late now to have a picture of them

Sorry i haven't been able to get there - Keep a close on on the Bub ...

 

Libby is it safe to say use a drop of glucose for energy and to make up some Artificial crop milk????

I think there is something else going on in the cabinets as the babies are dieing with a FULL crop and its also not from only one nest even some of my best breeders babies have died.Babies from three different nests have died so there is something going on.Their are no mice in the aviary. My conclusion is i am going to bench all of my birds no more breeding for me.They were happier when they were colony breeding and flying around i didnt have any problems back then. I may consider reintroducing the cages at a later date but for now i am done.

If you are having these kinds of losses, then no amount of to and fro on here will solve it...you need the affected chicks tested by an avian vet.