i did a stupid thing. help.

[asteria01]

ughhh i am self loathing so much as i write this. we recently acquired a hen and she seemed fine at the time, even though the place we got her from seemed a bit sketchy. that was the first stupid thing i did. then i put her in with the rest of my flock, and within the day i noticed her nose snotting up, but thought she just got some water up her nose at the time. couple days later, i realized that shes most likely not well and i isolated her, found out her illness is most likely a respiratory issue and that its best to not let it continue, so she is culled.

i know i should have quarantined her before introductions, but im new to keeping chickens, and i jumped the gun on this one. now im crazy paranoid that my flock of 4 will get whatever she had. so far they have been exposed for about 3 days, and I'm just hoping so hard that they wont get sick as well. they are all actively eating/drinking/being chickens, with no ill effects as of now. how long do i need to wait until I know im good? also is there anything i can do to boost their immune system?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

ughhh i am self loathing so much as i write this. we recently acquired a hen and she seemed fine at the time, even though the place we got her from seemed a bit sketchy. that was the first stupid thing i did. then i put her in with the rest of my flock, and within the day i noticed her nose snotting up, but thought she just got some water up her nose at the time. couple days later, i realized that shes most likely not well and i isolated her, found out her illness is most likely a respiratory issue and that its best to not let it continue, so she is culled.

i know i should have quarantined her before introductions, but im new to keeping chickens, and i jumped the gun on this one. now im crazy paranoid that my flock of 4 will get whatever she had. so far they have been exposed for about 3 days, and I'm just hoping so hard that they wont get sick as well. they are all actively eating/drinking/being chickens, with no ill effects as of now. how long do i need to wait until I know im good? also is there anything i can do to boost their immune system?

When you culled the bird, did you have her necropsied to get a firm diagnosis of just what respiratory issue you were dealing with? Knowing the specific disease goes a long way in assessing the potential long-term implications for your remaining birds.

 

[asteria01]

When you culled the bird, did you have her necropsied to get a firm diagnosis of just what respiratory issue you were dealing with? Knowing the specific disease goes a long way in assessing the potential long-term implications for your remaining birds.

no........

 

[asteria01]

Would giving them vitamins in their water and yogurt help boost their immunity?

 

[Eggcessive]

Probiotics and vitamins 2-3 times a week may help to boost immunity. If they haven't been wormed recently, that may also help. Some diseases like MG travel short distances, so they may be fortunate enough not to get sick. Coryza incubation time is about 1-5 days, while MG may have an incubation up to a couple of weeks. Infectious bronchitis usually infects the whole flock. Here are some good articles to read about MG, coryza, and other diseases:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...tion-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens/
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...lasma_gallisepticum_infection_in_poultry.html
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps034
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...verview_of_infectious_coryza_in_chickens.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[asteria01]

are coryza, mc, and infectious bronchitis the most common respiratory ailments?

 

[Eggcessive]

The very last link above lists the common ones. MG (mycoplasma gallisepticum,) coryza, ILT, infectious bronchitis, and aspergillosis are the most common ones, but E.coli can be a secondary infection. There are other respiratory viruses as well. Having a culture done on a sick bird is a good way to find out what is happening. The other way is to sacrifice a sick bird, send her to the state vet for a necropsy. Here is a link for finding your state vet and for testing labs:
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf