Hi all .. brand new here.. sick birds?

[esm]

Hi all

New to the forum..

We recently started our flock of mostly 1o+ month old layers.. your typical high production birds.. Just to start..
I just brought home 20 8 month olds..

2 sound really raspy and gurgly.. I have kept them separated since I got them home 5hrs ago..

I do not really have a separate area since.. I only have one dog proof coop and run.. So they are currently in the coop in a box. with water and food..


So my question is what to do??

What are the signs I should be looking for?

Do I need to cull them to avoid spreading it? To my hens that we have had for a week? The other hens I got today along with the two sick ones seem fine.. except scraggly because of a molt. I do not want to cull them.. But if I must to avoid the spread?

What do you think? Like I said I can't safely separate them. I also have 4, 8 weekers.. 3 buff orpingtons. and 1 silkie. I paid alot for those..

Or is something like this easily treatable?

Thanks so much!

Esm

 

[silkie_sue]

Quote:
If you just got/bought these birds ....contact the seller and ask if there was a sickness....Did they treat for it? What was it?
You really do not want the sick new one's in with your birds. It could be contagious. You could try separating and misting with Oxine AH incase
it is a fungal respiratory thing. Other than that still contact the seller especially if you just now brought them home. I don't think they would
just suddenly get sick.

Edited because...lol...I can't spell

 

[esm]

I think I should stick to my guns ...

When I picked them up I noticed the one.. They told me it was from chasing them around the coop.. yada yada..

Well when I got home and was transferring them from the crate to the coop I noticed another one. So I put them in a separate box.. But still in the coop. cause like I said the dogs would get them otherwise.. So now..
My worry is my old hens and the 4 babies I have.. grr,
this makes me mad at myself that I did not trust my gut.. I should have left them..

I think tomorrow evening after work for the day. I will just drive the 1/2 hr and return them. I will not call first because they probably don't want them back if they are sick.. especially if they were denying it.. sheesh..
I don;t want my money.. Just want to keep the rest of the flock healthy!

So that is the plan.. BUT.. is there any safe way to prevent the rest of the flock from coming down with it?
Can I pre treat? And if so what do I use and for how long?
Will putting a heat lamp in the coop help?

Help.. lol total chicken newbie here!!

PS I also have 10 wee baby chicks in my kitchen.. but I wash up before touching them so they "should" be safe..


PPS this was just a private sale.. selling off the the "old" chickens for the new batch coming in

 

[esm]

I was not able to cull them

and had no separate spot for them. This morning they sounded a bit better so I just let them loose with the flock.. Unsure if that was the thing to do or not.. I figured being in a box in the coop would still spread it??

Asides from the raspy sound.. they are eating and drinking fine,..

Oh I hope it will be ok..

PS anything I can treat the whole flock with to help prevent spread?? An immune booster of sorts??

Es

 

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
Unless you are bringing home day old chicks, you REALLY should separate new chickens from your existing flock for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks (3 weeks is better). It is called quarantine, and is the best advice/method to use. You will save yourself a boatload of heartache should you have chickens with contagious and underlying diseases. I speak from experience when I brought home chicks with cocci that wiped out dozens of my young birds. They can contract all sorts of diseases from one another, and the ways they pass them on is through poo, air, bodily fluids (dripping eyes, nose, flinging water after just drinking, and possibly regurgitating), and even your soil. A raspiness in their lungs could be a few things. They could have been drinking water and asperated causing it to go into their lungs. It could be something to cause concern, or if their coop/box/ or new situation is dusty. In the winter, when we add pine shavings to their coop, the flock will get a temporary cough/raspy breath due to the added dust.

If nothing happens to your chickens this time around, count your blessings and consider yourself lucky. From now on, I would strongly suggest quarantining new additions to your flock. There are many threads here on BYC where people had to dispatch/cull their entire flock. For them it was devastating. Is that worth not taking 2 weeks and a temporary setup to quarantine? Don't put yourself in that same situation.

Also, you can't treat what isn't diagnosed. Keep an eye on them and keep us posted.

 

[esm]

Thanks Muggs..

Well my fingers are crossed.. Lesson learned that is for sure.. well at least two of them..

I should stick to my guns.. since my gut feeling said to leave that bird.. but I took her anyway..

And I learned about quarantine. Like I said I am a total newb..


I more meant something to boost immunity vs an antibiotic.. I like to treat naturally if possible..

So I was thinking along the lines of diffusing something for respiratory infections, or something in the water.. who knows!!

Es

 

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
Ahh...I see. Probiotics are always great...plain yogurt is a wonderful treat. There are electrolytes you can add to their water. A tsp of apple cider vinegar in their water helps their digestive track. As far as treating the symptoms...raspiness could be anything. Look for discharge in the eyes/nostrils, or if they are becoming lethargic, etc. You basically need to be on the lookout for the next symptom to help diagnose what they may have. Best of luck to you and your flock. Keep us posted...

 

[esm]

Thanks again!

What probiotics do you suggest?? I am in Canada..

Is this something I can get at my local feed store?

es