Hi everyone. I live in the Great Southern, Western Australia. Climate this year has been dry hot summer Nov to Feb) and now into Autumn with sudden wet/ humid. Not sure how much difference my weather reports makes however in last 6 weeks have experienced chook issues.
2 x adult chooks, rescued bantam or bantam silkie cross- same enclosure. Mouth canker…spotted early, vet reviewed. Treated with Flagyl 5 days and then doxycycline. Neither recovered and had to be put to sleep by vet.
Now have a silkie with general deterioration, loss of appetite and extreme weight loss, mucky bum and treated only with Panacur wormer, ivermectin on back of neck, supplementary dropper feeds and Spark. Given epsom salt bath to clean up and rapid gentle dry. Still looking v sick. Given metacam today, isolated with heat.I never imagined this level of care for chooks and while I am happy to do so, am concerned this is a bigger thing than aging chooks of unknown origin. All have been added to coop after quarantine period as fit and well.
Coop are mostly rescues so a very mixed bag.
Now have 2 silki/ bantam chicks, approx 4 months old and 3 silkie chicks approx 2 months old. All are well, except the older unknown origin ones that are getting sick.
My action: moving chook area to new ground
Eliminating all wild birds, allowing some free ranging in garden for a few hours only
Free feed from chook feeders, water changed daily, disinfected weekly and food bowls disinfected weekly also.
I can’t understand why I am getting sick chooks. My neighbour tells me she never had a sick chook..but found dead ones! I am paranoid to take yet another sick chook to the vet. I spend at least 40 mins per day checking how they are going and each Sunday is chook well-being check where each of my 9 chooks are individually observed.
Qu: moving to completely new ground…great idea I think. Yes/no
Worming schedule…what does everyone recommend. Have Panacur which I do 12 weekly.
Diatemcious earth human grade in coop monthly. Disposable poop sheets removed weekly under perches.
Lots of wild birds invade coop during fruit tree ripening season so separating away now but thinking this was major factor as loads of parrots and a few pigeon types. Magpies also.
Nutrition: Premium red hen food and mealworms, salad daily. Weekly treat of lean minced beef and fresh sweetcorn
Arghh. What am I doing wrong/ not doing as my 9 chooks are taking over my life and adding so much stress and vet cost? That aside, I just want them to live long, happy and healthy lives enjoying being chooks. I give the eggs away to lovely neighbours as I don’t use eggs.
Please kindly advise as this is super tricky as a 3 yr chook parent and animal lover who imagined they would live their best lives if “ rescued” by Me. I feel I am letting them down.
2 x adult chooks, rescued bantam or bantam silkie cross- same enclosure. Mouth canker…spotted early, vet reviewed. Treated with Flagyl 5 days and then doxycycline. Neither recovered and had to be put to sleep by vet.
Now have a silkie with general deterioration, loss of appetite and extreme weight loss, mucky bum and treated only with Panacur wormer, ivermectin on back of neck, supplementary dropper feeds and Spark. Given epsom salt bath to clean up and rapid gentle dry. Still looking v sick. Given metacam today, isolated with heat.I never imagined this level of care for chooks and while I am happy to do so, am concerned this is a bigger thing than aging chooks of unknown origin. All have been added to coop after quarantine period as fit and well.
Coop are mostly rescues so a very mixed bag.
Now have 2 silki/ bantam chicks, approx 4 months old and 3 silkie chicks approx 2 months old. All are well, except the older unknown origin ones that are getting sick.
My action: moving chook area to new ground
Eliminating all wild birds, allowing some free ranging in garden for a few hours only
Free feed from chook feeders, water changed daily, disinfected weekly and food bowls disinfected weekly also.
I can’t understand why I am getting sick chooks. My neighbour tells me she never had a sick chook..but found dead ones! I am paranoid to take yet another sick chook to the vet. I spend at least 40 mins per day checking how they are going and each Sunday is chook well-being check where each of my 9 chooks are individually observed.
Qu: moving to completely new ground…great idea I think. Yes/no
Worming schedule…what does everyone recommend. Have Panacur which I do 12 weekly.
Diatemcious earth human grade in coop monthly. Disposable poop sheets removed weekly under perches.
Lots of wild birds invade coop during fruit tree ripening season so separating away now but thinking this was major factor as loads of parrots and a few pigeon types. Magpies also.
Nutrition: Premium red hen food and mealworms, salad daily. Weekly treat of lean minced beef and fresh sweetcorn
Arghh. What am I doing wrong/ not doing as my 9 chooks are taking over my life and adding so much stress and vet cost? That aside, I just want them to live long, happy and healthy lives enjoying being chooks. I give the eggs away to lovely neighbours as I don’t use eggs.
Please kindly advise as this is super tricky as a 3 yr chook parent and animal lover who imagined they would live their best lives if “ rescued” by Me. I feel I am letting them down.
