Wow thank you Trisha!! I've been using pine stall bedding (the pellet looking things) and cleaning the brooder, feeder and waterer every 3 days at least. I change the water at least once a day. Is that bedding not ok? The man I got them from said that was totally fine.
Hi Meg,
Many people use that pine pellet bedding and don't have problems. I've even used alfalfa pellets. Now I usually just use pine shavings in the brooders. I wouldn't use the really fine sawdust, but the fine shavings I get are usually pretty clean. For the first few days I keep the newly hatched chicks on paper towels to prevent them from eating the shavings. Some people even use old towels and bleach them before using again.
I would get new feed and new bedding (from a different source or brand) and bleach the feeders, waterers and brooder ( or just make a brand new one).
You'll have to be extra careful that your next chicks don't come down with it now that the spores are in the area. Around 4 years ago I had a rooster with Aspergillosis (it could of been a yeast infection too). He had gone off feed and had lesions in his throat. I actually took him to the vet and got him anti fungal pills. I had to give him the pills once a day for 2 weeks and after that he was just fine. The only bird to get it in the flock too, I think he got it from mouldy feed and bedding because it happened during the wet/warm spring rains. His symptoms cleared up with the treatment and never came back because we moved them to a brand new coop and property.
They do say no treatment, but that's probably because there's no approved treatment for commercial layers. But, I had no issues giving the anti-fungal ( I can't remember what the were though) to a breeding rooster.
Also be very careful cleaning the brooder...people can get Aspergillosis too.
Trisha