Broody with possible respiratory disease, how to save chicks.

[Sophs]

My kids have a gorgeous little flock of Pekins. We bought them as chicks from a pretty miserable looking breeding operation and one chick was sick with a bit of swelling round the eyes, a bad smell and a sneeze. I got her on antibiotics and she grew but she her breathing got worse and we had to put her down.
Sadly I think I was too slow and the others have the infection. There is no sneezing or discharge, they are laying and look healthy except slightly swollen around the eyes.

Here's my problem: one is broody and sitting on a clutch of eggs. Perhaps I should cull my flock (heartbreaking!) and start over with the new chicks, but I don't have an incubator. When is it safe to take the eggs off the hen for hatching under a heat lamp?

Does anyone have an opinion on the health of my hens? They are a year old.

Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated, thank you.

 

[Pullet Press]

@aart
@sourland
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive
If these people can't help, they can probably tag some people who can.
Best of luck to you and your flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

Unfortunately if you bought the chickens at the same place and they have been together all along, they are most likely all carriers. It sounds like possible MG or mycoplasma gallisepticum, a chronic respiratory disease. Certain antibiotics may help treat symptoms, but the disease is never cured. It can also be passed in hatching eggs, so the chicks could already be infected when they hatch. If you keep them, be sure to close your flock to new birds, and never give away or sell birds. Tylosin, doxycycline, Denagard, and a few other antibiotics may treat symptoms. Some of those may be purchased online from Jedds and other pigeon suppliers. Testing can also be sought,,from the state poultry lab, and from Zoologix, a testing lab in CA who will send swabs for you to collect. Here is some reading about MG:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My kids have a gorgeous little flock of Pekins. We bought them as chicks from a pretty miserable looking breeding operation and one chick was sick with a bit of swelling round the eyes, a bad smell and a sneeze. I got her on antibiotics and she grew but she her breathing got worse and we had to put her down.
Sadly I think I was too slow and the others have the infection. There is no sneezing or discharge, they are laying and look healthy except slightly swollen around the eyes.

Here's my problem: one is broody and sitting on a clutch of eggs. Perhaps I should cull my flock (heartbreaking!) and start over with the new chicks, but I don't have an incubator. When is it safe to take the eggs off the hen for hatching under a heat lamp?

Does anyone have an opinion on the health of my hens? They are a year old.

Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated, thank you.

You've had them for a year but still see swelling around the eyes? Maybe I'm reading your post wrong.

Where did the eggs your broody is sitting on come from?

 

[Sophs]

You've had them for a year but still see swelling around the eyes? Maybe I'm reading your post wrong.

Where did the eggs your broody is sitting on come from?

Thanks for your response. Yes they seemed perfectly healthy for the first six months but now one in particular has some swelling and looks a little unwell. Not like the images on google, her eyes are still bright. The broody is sitting on her own eggs with probably a couple from the other hens.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for your response. Yes they seemed perfectly healthy for the first six months but now one in particular has some swelling and looks a little unwell. Not like the images on google, her eyes are still bright. The broody is sitting on her own eggs with probably a couple from the other hens.

So you have a rooster too then?

Unless the broody is unwell (symptomatic) and needs supportive care from you, then I would leave her alone and let her hatch the eggs. Even if you took the eggs and successfully hatched them under a heat lamp whatever your flock has, they will be exposed to the disease once you introduce them to the flock. If you are dealing with MG, then the disease can be passed into hatching eggs.

 

[Sophs]

Yes I have a rooster.
If only one hen is symptomatic do you think it would be worth isolating her or putting her down in case it is not something that has infected the whole flock? Or would you say it is pretty definite that they are all infected with something?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes I have a rooster.
If only one hen is symptomatic do you think it would be worth isolating her or putting her down in case it is not something that has infected the whole flock? Or would you say it is pretty definite that they are all infected with something?

Hard to know what's going on with her unless you have testing.
They were sick right after you got them right? Some birds can become symptomatic repeatedly over their lifetime while the other may not, but they are all still considered carriers depending on the disease.