chickentowns
In the Brooder
I recently purchased 5 ISA Browns from a nearby farm intending to integrate them into my existing flock of 18 birds, but after handling them, I’ve noticed a respiratory issue.
One of the five hens has a crackling sound when breathing (rales?) and occasional mucus from her beak but otherwise looks and acts fine. No coughing, sneezing, or labored breathing. The other 4 hens seem perfectly fine.
All new hens are isolated in their own coop/run, completely separate from my flock. The sick hen amongst them is isolated within that coop, so she’s in a separate pen in the coop from the seemingly healthier birds, but still in the same coop.
- How long do I isolate the seemingly healthy birds before integrating them into the flock, or can I ever really trust that they’re healthy given the sick one that they came with?
- What do I do for the sick hen? I’ve got ACV in her water and am researching antibiotics. If she makes it, can I ever put her with my flock, or does it always pose a risk to them?
Please help! I love my birds, and don’t want to risk getting them sick.
Note: while I do love my chickens, getting a vet involved is not an option for us.
One of the five hens has a crackling sound when breathing (rales?) and occasional mucus from her beak but otherwise looks and acts fine. No coughing, sneezing, or labored breathing. The other 4 hens seem perfectly fine.
All new hens are isolated in their own coop/run, completely separate from my flock. The sick hen amongst them is isolated within that coop, so she’s in a separate pen in the coop from the seemingly healthier birds, but still in the same coop.
- How long do I isolate the seemingly healthy birds before integrating them into the flock, or can I ever really trust that they’re healthy given the sick one that they came with?
- What do I do for the sick hen? I’ve got ACV in her water and am researching antibiotics. If she makes it, can I ever put her with my flock, or does it always pose a risk to them?
Please help! I love my birds, and don’t want to risk getting them sick.
Note: while I do love my chickens, getting a vet involved is not an option for us.