Any idea what to do and what's up?!?

[shawnellabella]

I purchased two Bantam Chickens about 4 weeks ago. I have kept them separate from other birds, mainly to protect them, I was told they are about 12 weeks old and I wanted to make sure they will not be attacked. So I noticed that they were really never active and really did not act like my other baby chicks. I thought Bantam were differently natured maybe. But today one of them has a white fluid coming out of his eyes and both eyes seem to be effected. I am reading stuff about Bronchitis and infectious colds and do not know what to do. I really do not have a separate space for them to be.

 

[CMV]

Well, I would cull them and have them tested. I hope you have been maintaining good quarantine because there is a chance that these birds may have infected any bird they have been exposed to. Or, they have been exposed to your flock and there is something in your flock that is contagious. Ever had any "colds" in your birds?

Either way, you do not have a good situation on your hands. You are going to need to separate the sick birds from the healthy birds. If you have to, purchase some large, cheap, plastic totes to keep them in and move them into a shed/garage/unused closet/bathroom. You can steal a screen from one of your windows to keep them contained, or use a chunk of wire fencing as a lid.

You can treat ill birds, but I recommend that you do not do that. Most respiratory diseases in chickens are chronic and render infected birds carriers for life. Your whole flock would be infected and you would need to close the flock. I would opt to contact the state lab in your area and ask for testing to be done. Then you would know what you are dealing with, and how best to deal with the problem.

I am sorry this was not the news you were hoping for.