Am I understanding this correctly??

[Pip's chicks]

So I have a rooster with a bad gurgle cough in his chest. He is reponding very well to Baytril. He has never had nasal discharge, swollen eyes, diarrhea, or any of the other symptoms that people describe when they talk about these nasty upper respiratory infections. I personally think it is a bacterial pneumonia because it sounds deep in his chest and responding to meds which if it were viral it would not be. Anyway my question is....even after meds and if he gets all cleared up he will forever be a carrier and could still infect the whole flock??? I will be done with a new coop this weekend and planned on having him share with my silkie babies when they got big enough. They are far away from him and show NO signs of having problems and I don't want problems that is for sure!!

 

[Pickaduck]

Well if it's pneumonia they should be okay. Considering he didn't have any discharge or swollen eyes or anything like that then it does sound like a pneumonia/lung thing versus being something with his sinuses/etc. I think if you keep him quarantined maybe another week or so just to make sure he's all cleared up then it would be fine to put him with the silkies.