CHICHESTER, NH CHICKEN SWAP-( SAT. JUNE 27TH!!)

[shay20]

Quote:
Shay: stop beating on yourself hon, there is nothing you could have done to prevent this, the way the weather has been this spring, I am hearing of a lot of Reperatory issues with birds right now.
Between teh cold and damp(read as wet) days and chilly nights certainly hasnt helped.
There is also the stale air from having to be inthe garage, what is wrong with your town? why can the chickens be outside?
can you put a circulating fan in the door way and pull the stale air out? it might help with blowing out the germs and any mold there might still be in there.
Of all People to have this whack I truly wish it was not happening to you. You have a great soul and a huge heart, If you need anything please feel free to yell, I will help where I can.

I hope this doesn't come across wrong, but i'm relieved to find i am not the only person having a problem with sick birds!

This is my first year with chickens, and i have been so careful to make sure i'm doing things right. I built a brand new coop---basically adapted a shed plan, added windows (that open), a chicken door, etc. It is nice and water-tight---i used the same metal roofing i put on my house. No leaks or anything. If anything, it gets too dusty in the coop, but i have eave vents as well as a peak vent under the ridge cap, so air moves through but water cannot. I also open the windows for fresh air in good weather, but i can close them when it gets cold at night. They also have a fenced run attached to the coop, but they go inside the coop to roost at night, and i shut the little chicken door.

Anyway, on Sunday i found one of my 15 wks old Speckled Sussex pullets huddled in a corner when i let the girls out into their fenced run. I immediately took her and put her in a separate cage inside my house (i don't have a garage or any other place). Her breathing sounded crackly, so i called the vet. He is a farm vet and instructed me to give her some antibiotic pills we had left from another pet animal we no longer have.

I've been reading what i can find on respiratory issues in chickens, and some websites will scare the dickens out of you! Of course it is hard to say whether my pullet is suffering from something viral, fungal, or bacterial. I'm hoping she pulls through, but she is refusing to eat---even things like yogurt and eggs---and she's lost a lot of weight. She keeps hanging on, but she is weak. I am at my wits end on what to do for her.

Of course i am worried about my flock too. I'm watching them so carefully. Two have shown a little swelling around one eye, so i called the vet about that too. Two days ago, he said it wouldn't hurt to get Terramycin and put it in the water for everyone, since three chickens have shown symtoms. The two that showed swelling around one eye----one cleared up in 12 hrs, and the other is still just a little bit swollen. Both are running around, eating, drinking, and acting normal. In fact the one girl wouldn't let me catch her for the longest time, so i could get a good look at her eye!

I've been reading about biosecurity, becasue i was wondering where my chickens could have caught illness. I've been careful. But how can you protect them from every single bad germ out there? Our land was not a farm before we came here. Years ago there was a hunting camphouse, but it had been torn down long ago. We have cats, a dog, and our chicken flock is new this spring. The WET weather has had me really concerned. I'm so thankful that the sun came out today to dry things up a bit!

I know i'm rambling now. But i'll listen to any good advice you more experienced people might have. Thanks!

LOL, No offence taken. It is a ruff season this year.
I mean right now it is raining with the sun out so it is damp humid, uhggg.

 

[shay20]

Quote:
Oh we think and the feed store and a couple of med companies and a pharmacist in pr, and my brother in law all said the same thing.
It was a respiratory cold well respiratory disease.

He had that sound of his chest wheezing. and a couple of my older ones have a pampered crow and one has discharge from the nose.

You know when you think your all set and watching too close that is when things hit.

This is my first time coming across a problem this bad.
I mean i have had 1 sick here and there, but i treated them with vetrx and it usually works, but I ran out of that.

And i usually put ACV in the water daily, but i also got off track with that.

So i need to pick up my act again get all the stuff i need for when they get better, go back into the normal routine with the ACV.
it works great.

You know and always when you over treat them like spoil them pay so much attention to them that is when this happens.

My landlord has his out in a shed but it no doors and it is fenced in but not on the top.
And they are so freakin healthy he has not lost one to any animals or colds or anything.
And he had chicks in there from day 3 old.

Shay: stop beating on yourself hon, there is nothing you could have done to prevent this, the way the weather has been this spring, I am hearing of a lot of Reperatory issues with birds right now.
Between teh cold and damp(read as wet) days and chilly nights certainly hasnt helped.
There is also the stale air from having to be inthe garage, what is wrong with your town? why can the chickens be outside?
can you put a circulating fan in the door way and pull the stale air out? it might help with blowing out the germs and any mold there might still be in there.
Of all People to have this whack I truly wish it was not happening to you. You have a great soul and a huge heart, If you need anything please feel free to yell, I will help where I can.

I know, It is just so hard , We sit here and try to figure where we went wrong.

But like you said this weather is so harsh on them right now.

My town is actually OK with them I just have to keep them quiet until the permit goes through.
They don't mind them. It is my stupid neighbor.
So we agreed to put them out during day for a few hours and keep them in at night.

That is funny, I was out in the garage giving med and cleaning out there coops and i was saying to myself that i put up a fan some where on top so it circulates through.
I mean i keep the doors open during day and crack at the bottom at night.

 

[Poultry Run Farm]

Quote:
Oh, Shay soooo sorry to hear about Bling Bling

He sure will be missed.....

 

[Poultry Run Farm]

Everyone seems to having problems with something right now. It's cold and wet one day and hot and sunny the next, poor birds are really feeling it, people tooo.

Hope everyone has a great 4th

 

[howardacres]

Quote:
At first i worried that i had made mistakes or mismanaged my flock---second guessing, you know. In reality, it must just be bad luck due to the sucky weather! Stresses both people and animals and birds!

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
Shay: stop beating on yourself hon, there is nothing you could have done to prevent this, the way the weather has been this spring, I am hearing of a lot of Reperatory issues with birds right now.
Between teh cold and damp(read as wet) days and chilly nights certainly hasnt helped.
There is also the stale air from having to be inthe garage, what is wrong with your town? why can the chickens be outside?
can you put a circulating fan in the door way and pull the stale air out? it might help with blowing out the germs and any mold there might still be in there.
Of all People to have this whack I truly wish it was not happening to you. You have a great soul and a huge heart, If you need anything please feel free to yell, I will help where I can.

I know, It is just so hard , We sit here and try to figure where we went wrong.

But like you said this weather is so harsh on them right now.

My town is actually OK with them I just have to keep them quiet until the permit goes through.
They don't mind them. It is my stupid neighbor.
So we agreed to put them out during day for a few hours and keep them in at night.

That is funny, I was out in the garage giving med and cleaning out there coops and i was saying to myself that i put up a fan some where on top so it circulates through.
I mean i keep the doors open during day and crack at the bottom at night.

Sometimes keeping the doors open isnt enough, I know with the rabbits I have 2 huge circulating fans even though it a total open rabbitry.
This darned weather and humidity , creating mold etc, its enough to make us all nuts.( like I really neededhelp here).
I would put a fan in anyway just to help blow the moisture out.

I had another friend stop today telling me one of her chickens has developed a cough( of sorts) got her meds for it and sent her on her way,
These stupid resperatories are coming up from the ground , unfortunately a lot of people are having issue this year, and it seems to be affecting people who have never had issues before.
Tomorrow we are spreading slow release lime in the really soggy spots in the hopes of changing the ph enough to kill what ever viruses and bacteria may be leaching up through the soil.
LOL I found I cant put down Pulverized lime, these goofy birds have to run right over and dust bathe in it lol nothing sillier than a black sizzle turning grey from lime dust lol . goofy chickens.

I am totally amazed my turkey poults have no issues. generally chilly wet weather will knock them down straight off, but these Heritage breeds must be tougher than the Broad Breasted types? I dont know, so far no losses in the turkey pen.

Through all this rain my broody EE hatched out 2 chicks so far, 2 of the most adorable chicks I have seen in a while. of course the minute she stops trying to take my fingers off I will get pictures, geesh she is a grouch !

 

[shay20]

Quote:
Thank you.
UGGG this weather. yep raining with sun out thunder and lighting all at the same time hear today.

We are haveing a small cookout tomorow, that is if the rain will led up. lol
Nothing big. I am just so drained.
Hubby took the nephews up to see a huge bomb fire the town over from us, and i did not even whant to go to that.
This weather makes us tired to. One min i got the ac going then i get cold. lol
cant make up my mind. LOL

 

[shay20]

LOL, Gypsy.
I love broody hens. The Phoenix girl is broody can u believe that. I am so shocked. I stuck a couple eggs under her too.

And I moved her to a smaller pen, now that is just her now.
So we put her box with the eggs in there, and as i am holding her to change her over she kept squawking at me, it was to cute.

I am glad u have not had any issues with your turkeys. Lucky.

What type of lime do u use, i can use some i have so many mud patches here it is radicalise. so many mosquito's.

 

[keesmom]

Quote:
At first i worried that i had made mistakes or mismanaged my flock---second guessing, you know. In reality, it must just be bad luck due to the sucky weather! Stresses both people and animals and birds!

Having the kids stuck inside forever now that they're out of school was about to drive me nuts. At least they got out for a long time today and happily got covered in mud.

This is the first time in 6 years I've run into a problem. I have 3 youngsters in the "baby pen" that have minor symptoms. Unfortunately the baby pen is in a rather damp spot. Getting them out would definitely help, but I also don't want to expose everyone else to whatever it is they have. So for now they're stuck until we find out what the culture shows. Ugh.

-Cindy in MA

 

[itsmyaddiction]

Please know that you all are not alone. I have had chickens for several years now and this year was the first time I EVER had any issues with health. My coop is kept very clean and all the birds free range during the day. I noticed crackling in one of my roos and asked a couple people here on BYC for help. Gypsy and chickmagnet gave me some great advice and most of all support. I blamed myself first, of course when it really wasn't my fault. I treated my flock first with Duramycin-10 and after 7 days of treatment they were still showing symptoms but hadn't gotten any worse then their inital cold symptoms. I purchased a package of oxytetracycline and that did the trick for them. Thankfully I didn't lose anyone and everyone continued to have an appetite and drink well during this time. It is very important to remember to only give them one water source while you are treating them so you KNOW they are consuming the medication. I also kept everyone inside and did not allow them to free range during treatment.
I was able to help Shay out with the Duramycin because I contacted Durvet, the maker of many OTC poultry/livestock meds. The representative I spoke with broke down how much I needed to give to treat with just a single gallon of water. I promised her that I would spread the word and let everyone I know how nice and helpful her company was.
I will do all I can to help any of you through this because I lost sleep over my flock being sick. Hope this helps and feel free to PM or email me if I can help you in any way.

H.