Another newbie, another question! - Kinda urgent :(

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks for the replies..

My boy has taken it all pretty well, but I've not yet told him there will be no new chickens for the conceivable future..

I didn't notice the sneezy hen until the other day, Jaiden said he saw a chicken 'being funny' a while ago, when I saw the chicken sneeze he said "hey look, it's being funny again!". It then hit me it's potentially been sick for a while. Although other than the sneezes, it has not real other symptoms that I have noticed. They all seem healthy other than the sneezer, they eat well, drink well and free range happily. It is winter here, but we still have a few that are happily laying.

As for knowing what they have, I am in a rural area, so accessing these kinds of things require substantial travel, and expense, all things that are hard given our financial situation.

The hardest part, is that our chickens were given to us from some people who were leaving town and moving interstate, and they were much loved pets of their kids, they whole reason they gave them to us was so that the went to a home where they would not end up on the dinner plate, which is exactly where they are now headed..

Even if I culled them, how on earth would I ever be sure that their pen is infection free? They live in a wooden horse stable which we line with pine shavings, I would imagine I am just as likely to reinfect any new chickens ever after culling my flock.

Do I just deal with the fact I am going to always have sick chickens?! Do I cull them all and start again? I already have a few older ones that are past the point of laying, but others are only ~1yr old. I dunno what to do, other then just give up, entirely.

This sucks

I wouldn't cull the big ones w/o reason and to me a "maybe or might" isn't reason enough. I'd probably seperate "sneezy" out for the time being. But unless the others are symptomatic, I'd wait and see unless you want to start fresh with a new flock. It may be something airborn vs something that infects the housing.

 

[lCaml]

After a good hour of watching them, 3 of them are sneezing on and off and shaking their heads a bit. Two sound rather raspy when breathing. 1 of which is one of the hens we recently got. They are not very 'friendly', so they wont let me near them whilst out free ranging, so I'll have a better look at them all tonight when they return to their coup for the night.
I guess my concern is, after all of my reading, it shows that even birds showing no signs of ILT can be carriers considering 8 of the 11 share a house, food, water and a roosting pole I would have thought it would be a safe assumption that all of them would be infected, regardless of showing symptoms at the moment.

Jaiden first mentioned it's sneezing (well, being 'funny") some time ago, I never really took any notice, well over a month has passed since, so I think the time where incubation is required has been and gone.

I'm happy to be told otherwise, I just want to be sure that this is not going to be a recurring issue. I'd rather make the tough decisions now, instead of it pop back up and reinfect new additions to the flock down the track and then have to cull more.

Thanks for all the help and advice, appreciated!

 

[lCaml]

Update before I head to bed..

The chick that had wry neck and no issues with it's eyes, now has puffy eyes and was just running itself into the end of the brooder box over and over again.

He doesn't sound really rattly, but I can hear a "clicking" when he inhales and exhales. I'm assuming that is not a good thing in a chick this young!



I have a friend who has had chickens for years coming over for a second opinion on the chicks and the rest of the flock.. See what happens!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Update before I head to bed..

The chick that had wry neck and no issues with it's eyes, now has puffy eyes and was just running itself into the end of the brooder box over and over again.

He doesn't sound really rattly, but I can hear a "clicking" when he inhales and exhales. I'm assuming that is not a good thing in a chick this young!



I have a friend who has had chickens for years coming over for a second opinion on the chicks and the rest of the flock.. See what happens!

Let us know what he says. I wish I had some good solid advice I felt comfortable giving, but I haven't had to deal with anything like this yet.