- Feb 28, 2011
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First post here but read for awhile. I've had chickens for about 3 years now with no problems whatsoever. But I'm having or trouble now and need some advice. First le me say, I'm not a fan of culling as our chickens are like pets so that would be a last resort.
We had a fox attack several months ago and all but one chicken was killed. She had a neck injury. I brought her in the house and nursed her back to health. She became so friendly and loving and so much fun to be around. Started laying again and doing great but seemed lonely. So I got 6 more chickens from a breeder that are 5-6 months old. Looked great and healthy, but lesson learned that it wasn't a good idea so no words needed on that. What's done is done, can't go back only forward.
So a few days later, some of the new girls started sneezing and I had one with an infected eye. The sneezers seemed fine except for that. Eating, drinking, laying great.....just sneezes. The eye ended up with serious thick cheesy discharge that I kept cleaned out. It looks better now, no swelling, no sneezing but pretty sure she lost that eye.
My original chicken, Midnight, started feeling bad. 2 days of staying in the coop, sneezing, watery eyes, depressed, just yucky. I separated her so I could take care of her. Started using Terraymacin in all the water. She seemed to feel better one day they much worse the next. Eye closed, drooling, mouth breathing, discharge from nose and now the smell......still using drugs in water, Neosporin on her eye and started Tylan 50, .5 cc once daily since Sun. She does seem better. Breathing better, not as much discharge, swelling going down and trying to open that eye. Will drink great when I hold her, and wants to scratch and forage but not eating great.
I know the story about culling, not exposing, no new birds, always a carrier......what's done is done. My question is where do I go from here. Do I continue the Tylan, should I give all of them a dose, keep meds in the water? How long until she back to "normal"? How long to dispose of eggs and what to do with hay and manure from the sick chickens??
Thanks is you read this far. No flames about not culling. I know no one else with chickens, I clean my stuff and cut the risk of exposure all I can. Just want to make the best out of a bad situation.
Melodie
We had a fox attack several months ago and all but one chicken was killed. She had a neck injury. I brought her in the house and nursed her back to health. She became so friendly and loving and so much fun to be around. Started laying again and doing great but seemed lonely. So I got 6 more chickens from a breeder that are 5-6 months old. Looked great and healthy, but lesson learned that it wasn't a good idea so no words needed on that. What's done is done, can't go back only forward.
So a few days later, some of the new girls started sneezing and I had one with an infected eye. The sneezers seemed fine except for that. Eating, drinking, laying great.....just sneezes. The eye ended up with serious thick cheesy discharge that I kept cleaned out. It looks better now, no swelling, no sneezing but pretty sure she lost that eye.
My original chicken, Midnight, started feeling bad. 2 days of staying in the coop, sneezing, watery eyes, depressed, just yucky. I separated her so I could take care of her. Started using Terraymacin in all the water. She seemed to feel better one day they much worse the next. Eye closed, drooling, mouth breathing, discharge from nose and now the smell......still using drugs in water, Neosporin on her eye and started Tylan 50, .5 cc once daily since Sun. She does seem better. Breathing better, not as much discharge, swelling going down and trying to open that eye. Will drink great when I hold her, and wants to scratch and forage but not eating great.
I know the story about culling, not exposing, no new birds, always a carrier......what's done is done. My question is where do I go from here. Do I continue the Tylan, should I give all of them a dose, keep meds in the water? How long until she back to "normal"? How long to dispose of eggs and what to do with hay and manure from the sick chickens??
Thanks is you read this far. No flames about not culling. I know no one else with chickens, I clean my stuff and cut the risk of exposure all I can. Just want to make the best out of a bad situation.
Melodie
