- Jun 8, 2012
- 15
- 0
- 22
I am new to chicken raising. I have one barred rock hen as part of my original group of hens, and liked her disposition so much that I looked for more like her. I found a lady on a nearby farm that said she would sell me 7 of her laying hens, that she was trying to thin out her flock a bit. I bought a second coop with the intention of expanding my flock and it sounded like a good idea. She said she had just moved her flock 3 days before and that the birds were all a bit stressed from the move and new environment. I brought them home, feeling more like I had rescued them as I didn't like the way her birds were housed. My existing flock is healthy, happy and free ranging on a 5 acre farm. Hers were crowded, dirty, and it looked more like a chicken mill.
I currently have them isolated in a separate coop with no contact with my original flock. I did notice that one hen has a runny nose, but it appears clear and she acts fine and is eating ok. Thanks to the great advice on BYC forums, I will keep them isolated for a month and get them tested for diseases before releasing them with my other hens.
My question is this.....is a runny nose in a hen always a sign of respiratory illness? If so, do I need to cull the new birds?
I currently have them isolated in a separate coop with no contact with my original flock. I did notice that one hen has a runny nose, but it appears clear and she acts fine and is eating ok. Thanks to the great advice on BYC forums, I will keep them isolated for a month and get them tested for diseases before releasing them with my other hens.
My question is this.....is a runny nose in a hen always a sign of respiratory illness? If so, do I need to cull the new birds?
