I just want to say "thank you" for all the help this site has been since I got back in to raising chickens (we had them when I was a kid) back in February. It seems that every time I had a question, when I googled the problem this site came up. So now I finally joined with a question of my own. This may run long and I apologize in advance, but information is the best route to a good answer.
I have what I consider to be three groups of chickens. The first my wife and I bought at
TSC and consists of Barred Rocks, Red Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds and Cornish Rocks. I have ten layers and two roos - we got them in February and they are flourishing giving us between 8 and 10 eggs a day.
We lost one RIR chick a few days after bringing her home.
Back in June we ordered some Gold and Silver-laced Wyandottes and some Easter Eggers. We lost one Easter Egger a few days after we moved them into a holding coop outside. Sad, but actually we feel we are doing pretty well. We have thirteen left in that group.
About a month ago, my wife and I were looking for some Lavender Orpingtons and found some Buff Orpingtons in Craigs List. We went over and looked them over and they appeared healthy. The fellow selling them had a pretty good layout with about a hundred chickens of all breeds kept in separate pens and coops. We also bought a beautiful mixed bird (we call her speckles) and a White Rock. These birds were all around ten weeks old when we bought them.
Shortly after buying them we had to go out of town for the weekend and our neighbor, who is also in to chickens looked after our babies (we had them separated by group - I call them Broods 1, 2, & 3 in order of our getting them). Our neighbor said she noticed one of Brood 3 had a runny nose so she put all of them on an anti-biotic. When we got home we found out which one she was using and bought some so we could continue the treatment. The bird got better and we figured there was no problem. I was concerned about the cramped cage we were having to keep them in and set about building a new "holding" coop for them and brood 2, who were also outgrowing their habitat.
Between the weather and numerous interruptions I finally got the new coop fixed up and ready last week. I had closed off what had once been an old dog pen which was next door to my chicken yard where Brood 1 lives. The eventual plan is to open the gate I've put between the two enclosures and allow all my chickens to roam freely between the two but be able to close it off if needed for any reason. For now, until Brood 2 and 3 are grown enough to hold their own with their bigger "siblings" I want to keep them segregated.
So last week my wife and I began to move Brood 2 and 3 together, we figured there had been no further health problems with Brood 3 and I felt sorry for the birds living in that cage like they were - at the same the situation with Brood 2 had become untenable with the constant rain and a drainage problem and their size. They had been in that holding area much longer than I had expected. With the new coop prepared I wanted them moved and figured I'd move them together so they could get used to each other and eventually merge my whole flock.
The problem developed several days ago when one of my two buffs from Brood 3 began to act poorly. There were no physical signs of health problems, but she had always been small - the runt of the group. Now she barely moved and never joined the other chickens on the roost. I hoped she was just weak and thought I'd bet her a lower roost and maybe with the new freedom and vegetation available in the pen she'd start flourishing a bit. I figured if she didn't come around in a day or so I'd isolate her. She died before I could do it.
Two days ago we noticed our White Rock from the same brood with a runny nose. We immediately isolated her; we have put the anti-biotic in both her water and the water of the larger flock (Broods 2 and 3 combined) - as they are separated by a fence from Brood 1 and have had no physical contact I don't see a problem, but don't know a dose or two of meds in their water might not be called for but I don't want to over medicate lest it nullify the effectiveness when needed.
Anyway, the White Rock today is doing better. Her beak is dried up, though some coagulated stuff around nostrils I might have to wipe off, but perky.
My question is (after all this explanation) am I dealing with a disaster averted (I know I lost the buff but it could have been worse) or just delayed. I know the truly safe bet is culling, but this White Rock is my wife's pet, she's even named her. I am wondering, how long should I continue to medicate her and how long should I continue to isolate her after she's symptom free?
The other two survivors from her group are doing great so far, though I have my eye on them.
Thanks in advance for your help.
