Silverlilly1
Chirping
- May 2, 2020
- 41
- 18
- 51
Earlier this week we had to cull the smallest chicken, who had become extremely lethargic, runny liquid poop, feathers ruffled, not moving at all and not eating. He was my daughter’s favourite chicken and she was terribly affected by the loss. The little cockerel was a pet to her.
That left us with three chicken hens and two Muscovy hens, one of whom was broody and sitting on her eggs. Now one of the chicken hens (daughter’s second-favourite chicken, ironically) is coughing a gurgly cough. She may also have some fluid exiting her beak. No other symptoms. She is the largest hen, at the top of the chicken pecking order.
And then the eight Muscovy ducklings hatched today.
We’re being evicted and the plan was to sell the three chicken hens and ducklings, and turn the older two ducks into food. I only have until the end of the month to do all this. The landlord is terrible and I could get in trouble for removing anyone from the pen to somewhere else, can’t modify things, and don’t have a carrier or other isolation means. The only building inside is a hen house that won’t stay shut, and would provide no ventilation if I did.
They are in a pen outdoors, about 12x20 feet, these five adult birds and eight new ducklings. The chickens enter a house to sleep at night but we don’t close them in. The duck hen made her nest on the ground near a fence, behind a small metal screen that leans somewhat over her. There may be rats in the pen across the drive from them, who may sneak over at night and steal some of their food. It has been dry (no rain) for at least three weeks here, and the soil is sandy. One of the other chickens was running around with a dead baby bird in her beak last week but my daughter caught her and took away her prize, removing it from the pen.
I have SafeGuard but have no idea what dosage to give day-old ducklings. No way to isolate any birds. The only other things I have are ivermectin, niacin, clarithromycin (which was originally for me), garlic cloves, and electrolytes. Can’t get veterinary medicines here easily without a costly farm visit, and no time to wait for results of tests and still do what needs to happen.
How can I fix this and protect the new ducklings (as well as getting the birds on to new places) with the restrictions and resources I have?
That left us with three chicken hens and two Muscovy hens, one of whom was broody and sitting on her eggs. Now one of the chicken hens (daughter’s second-favourite chicken, ironically) is coughing a gurgly cough. She may also have some fluid exiting her beak. No other symptoms. She is the largest hen, at the top of the chicken pecking order.
And then the eight Muscovy ducklings hatched today.
We’re being evicted and the plan was to sell the three chicken hens and ducklings, and turn the older two ducks into food. I only have until the end of the month to do all this. The landlord is terrible and I could get in trouble for removing anyone from the pen to somewhere else, can’t modify things, and don’t have a carrier or other isolation means. The only building inside is a hen house that won’t stay shut, and would provide no ventilation if I did.
They are in a pen outdoors, about 12x20 feet, these five adult birds and eight new ducklings. The chickens enter a house to sleep at night but we don’t close them in. The duck hen made her nest on the ground near a fence, behind a small metal screen that leans somewhat over her. There may be rats in the pen across the drive from them, who may sneak over at night and steal some of their food. It has been dry (no rain) for at least three weeks here, and the soil is sandy. One of the other chickens was running around with a dead baby bird in her beak last week but my daughter caught her and took away her prize, removing it from the pen.
I have SafeGuard but have no idea what dosage to give day-old ducklings. No way to isolate any birds. The only other things I have are ivermectin, niacin, clarithromycin (which was originally for me), garlic cloves, and electrolytes. Can’t get veterinary medicines here easily without a costly farm visit, and no time to wait for results of tests and still do what needs to happen.
How can I fix this and protect the new ducklings (as well as getting the birds on to new places) with the restrictions and resources I have?
Last edited:
