Horrible Findings

[ranchnanny]

I can't believe my eyes ..... This morning checked on all my birds and especially my Bourke hatchlings what do I find all the hatchlings are DEAD!!!!! OMG What happened they were find yesterday they were being fed I could hear them now nothing.

What could have caused this???????????? My heart is broken

Would the shavings in the nest cause this??????

[debbie276]

OMG, I'm so very sorry for your loss

[cindy]

Sherry, I am so very sorry and so heartbroken for you. Having a whole clutch of young suddenly pass in hookbills is not only a tragedy but significant.

If you have a vet you need to contact them and have the babies sent off to have blood and tissue samples done, there are several reasons this may have happened. The parents were feeding but for all to die at the same time is important and needs to be examined.

[ranchnanny]

Cindy I don't have or know of a bird vet around here.

[cindy]

I don't now if this article will help or not.... http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/babies.html

[cindy]

Sherry, I know this is very difficult to do but did you examine the young, are the crops full, any yellow cheesy accumulations in the mouths. Check the young over and see if you notice anything unusual.

[Sunbay]

Oh, Dear Lord! How awful! I am SO SORRY.

Had to be some significant event. Obvious place to start - has ANYTHING, however minor it may seem, happened or changed? ANY kind of new food, treats, bedding, ANYTHING new or different in the cage or room or house?

We need CSI here. Too bad you don't have an avian vet nearby. I have an excellent one here in Jacksonville. You may consider freezing and sending for a necropsy.
http://exoticbirdhospital.com

Again, there are not adequate words. Our hearts break for you.

Lauren

[Ginene]

So sorry, Sherry...such a tragedy ...

[cindy]

Unless told to freeze the body do not uness told to. Go to avianbiotech and look up how t proceed send samples.

Ss far as s bedding if you are using kiln dried pine shavings you should be fine. If the shavings have cedar in it that would be suspect. The oils in the cedar and the urine can cause fumes that are not healthy for them to breathe in.

This could be a viral, bacterial or environmental issue.

[Rox]

Sherry, I'm so so sorry!! My heart breaks for you

[Vargur]

OMG I am so very sorry for you
this is horrible

[Sally]

This is devastating. I would suspect environmental first, simply because all were fine yesterday. Bacterial, fungal, viral problems usually don't kill this quickly. Without an avian vet nearby, you will need to examine them yourself, if you can do it. I hope you can find the cause of this, are all your other birds fine? The parents too?

[cindy]

Question, were you feeding fresh eggfood? If so how long is it left down? The one thing bourkes are very prone to are bacterial infections. The parents might be harboring something and passed it the young but if that was the case you would see symptoms and not all perishing at once.

What is around the cage, any open windows at the time. the box can trap fumes and such since air is not circulating as well inside.

Do you treat your box with anything prior to putting bedding down inside?

I pm'd you and referenced a really good go to person regarding grasskeets on facebook. I do hope she can shed some light on this for you.

[EyesofFreedom]

oh wow so sorry for your loss

[mayble]

That's horrible! I am so very sorry for you!
I agree with Sally - I'd suspect something in the environment rather than any infection or disease simply because they all went suddenly and simultaneously. With an infection you would expect to see some decline in their condition, and there would undoubtedly be some who are stronger and some weaker, so it would be very unlikely for them all to die so quickly without showing any sign of illness. Some kind of toxin or physical trauma would be more likely.
Again, so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how devastating it would be.