Kids off to school and three silkies are headless...The worst one wasn't very perky this morning. The "stuff" I cleared from her mouth and throat yesterday was already back this morning, and she was having difficulty breathing, even with her mouth open. I decided to go ahead and do away with the three that are/were showing outward signs of this awful stuff, and, if the vaccine gets here in time, will vaccinate the other two and see what happens. I buried them in spite of the fact that I think burning would be better...there's a burn ban in effect, I am claustrophobic, and therefore would not do well in jail.
This leaves me with a very unsettled feeling inside. Not so much that I killed 3 chickens. I did not enjoy it, but I feel like I saved them from the drawn out and slow demise they were destined for. At least I know I can do it if need be. But the fact that they had this stuff, this "fowl pox" in the first place, and I have had to handle them makes me feel...well, dirty. After the burial, I went inside and put my clothes, including tennis shoes in the washer with soap and probably too much bleach and went straight to the shower. The info I read says that this type is more than likely spread by mosquitoes, so our other chickens should be safe, shouldn't they, if I tend to them 1st and tend to the sick ones last and then wash clothes afterward? How do you guys handle stuff like this? The house, where the sick ones are, is 3 miles away from the pens where all the other animals are. That helps. If I follow this strict order, don't you think the others will be ok? Or should I vaccinate them as well as a preventative measure? All of a sudden I'm a nervous nellie!
Brie
This leaves me with a very unsettled feeling inside. Not so much that I killed 3 chickens. I did not enjoy it, but I feel like I saved them from the drawn out and slow demise they were destined for. At least I know I can do it if need be. But the fact that they had this stuff, this "fowl pox" in the first place, and I have had to handle them makes me feel...well, dirty. After the burial, I went inside and put my clothes, including tennis shoes in the washer with soap and probably too much bleach and went straight to the shower. The info I read says that this type is more than likely spread by mosquitoes, so our other chickens should be safe, shouldn't they, if I tend to them 1st and tend to the sick ones last and then wash clothes afterward? How do you guys handle stuff like this? The house, where the sick ones are, is 3 miles away from the pens where all the other animals are. That helps. If I follow this strict order, don't you think the others will be ok? Or should I vaccinate them as well as a preventative measure? All of a sudden I'm a nervous nellie!
Brie