I am so sorry that some of you had such horrible experiences with ILT. I guess I had it easier because I isolated to an air-conditioned space as soon as they started looking sick. As an asthmatic, I can tell you that the A.C can make a huge difference in your ability to breathe and utilize oxygen. I even had blood-coughers recover for me. I used a lot of rubber gloves and tyvek suits and booties. I also realized that when the conjunctivitis caused their eyes to stick shut and swell with puss, it was best to open them and wipe around the eye with a light coating of sterile white petrolatum. not too heavy or the petrolatum (vaseline) will cause the eye to get goopy and back up the drainage into the trachea causing more lung congestion, but if you can keep those eyelids emoliated and open to a degree, you can allow the eye to drain and keep that much more fluid from backing up into their already over-burdened lungs.
Needless to say, I went through about a gallon of bleach a day, I bought extra rubbermaid tubs and lined them with rags (instead of shavings in order to cut down on the dust) and therefore the stress on the lungs. That way, I could move them to a clean tub in the morning with a clean rag and then bleach their old tub and let the bleach sit before I wiped it out in order to have clean, sterile tubs for the morning. I spent about 8 hours a day in the isolation rooms but I came through with almost my entire flock intact and it was worth it to me, plus I was totally in my element.
Also, if you suspect ILT, call your state vet, they are there to help. They may put you on quarantine, but they will not cull your flock. In fact, the only thing that they will forceably cull your flock for is AI. I asked my NPIP worker what happens if one of my birds comes up positive for AI and he said that they would probably send out the national guard to surround my property unil every carcass is disposed of. I had this picture of me, hold up in my coop with a shotgun and the national guard outside waiting to take me down.
Needless to say, I went through about a gallon of bleach a day, I bought extra rubbermaid tubs and lined them with rags (instead of shavings in order to cut down on the dust) and therefore the stress on the lungs. That way, I could move them to a clean tub in the morning with a clean rag and then bleach their old tub and let the bleach sit before I wiped it out in order to have clean, sterile tubs for the morning. I spent about 8 hours a day in the isolation rooms but I came through with almost my entire flock intact and it was worth it to me, plus I was totally in my element.
Also, if you suspect ILT, call your state vet, they are there to help. They may put you on quarantine, but they will not cull your flock. In fact, the only thing that they will forceably cull your flock for is AI. I asked my NPIP worker what happens if one of my birds comes up positive for AI and he said that they would probably send out the national guard to surround my property unil every carcass is disposed of. I had this picture of me, hold up in my coop with a shotgun and the national guard outside waiting to take me down.
