Don't Do What I Did

[NHchicks]

I posted that my rooster was sick and I was trying to save it. I believe it had sour crop because of the squishy crop, odor, lethargy, and not eating/drinking.

My husband was gone for a week. I am not a culler. But one of the first things he did when he got home today was shoot the poor rooster. And it was way past time. It should have been done a week ago.

Now I run the risk of exposure of my flock, in case it was a virus. One of our favorite hens did die several days ago, so I do wonder if it was contagious. I'll find out if other hens get sick. I hope not.

But anyway, my advice if you have a sick bird that really looks pretty ill: Cull it. Right away. There are other replacement birds. Don't run the risk of infecting the rest of your flock or allowing the bird to hang on too long until it's so weak.

This has been my first encounter with flock illness, and it has been a real learning experience. I think next time I'll know better what to do, and what to look out for.

Does make me wonder if I want to keep birds, tho. They get sick and they die, and that is just no fun at all...

 

[crossgirl]

I appreciate the advice. It's hard to know when to say when but thank you for the reminder to isolate the sick one!

 

[chickengrl]

Sorry you had to deal with the poor guy. I would suggest though that it's ok to try to help your bird at least until you figure things out, but you really have to isolate them from the rest and be extra careful when caring for them. Always take care of the sick bird last or you will need to clean up (shower/clean clothes) in order to care for your healthy birds. It's really hard to lose them and it is a painful reality to keeping any livestock. Good luck and I hope the rest of your flock stay healthy.