I REALLY messed up

[CHIC]

I went and bought 5 red sex link hens because I am tired of having 40 chickens and no fresh eggs. I looked over the chickens and they seemed to be fine. It was, however, dusky, because the drive took longer than I had expected. Since I have had them home, I noticed that one of them is sneezing and one sounds like it's growling when it breathes. And they are INFESTED with mites and lice. I don't even know where to begin. I am sooo overwhelmed. I feel like the dumbest person alive!- Oh yeah, they are at least quaranteened. One good thing I guess.

 

[CHIC]

Possibly coryza?

 

[BarkerChickens]

The first thing is to probably treat the mites/lice. The feed stores and vet supply usually have the powder to put all over them. I've heard that some dunk the birds in water too to get some the of mites/lice off. Not sure what the sneezing/growling is as it can be one of several things. Good thing you have the quarantined!!!

 

[wundernurse]

Don't beat yourself up about it. You did quarantine--that is super-smart. The lice and mites can be treated. Now the other stuff is a different matter, but that is what quarantine is for. Either way, you are going to give a better life to 4 chickens that would have spent the rest of their days with lice and mites in who knows what kind of living conditions. I am feeling your pain though, I can't seem to keep my chickens alive. My 8 has dwindled to 3 and maybe 2 pretty soon. I have whatever the opposite of the "magic touch" is with the chickens. I am killing them with kindness.

 

[chookchick]

You didn't mess up--you kept the hens separate from your flock! Imagine if you had just thrown them in together! Be sure and wash everything, use different shoes etc.. so your flock isn't contaminated. Now the tricky part is--do you want to take them back to the person you bought them from? That would be hard, but I would be nervous about EVER integrating them with the rest of the flock. Can you keep them (very) separate for at least a month?

 

[honeydoll]

You didn't mess up. I can't tell you how many people have done this very thing. You didn't mix them, that shows pretty good common sense to me. Good luck.

 

[Wild Chicken]

I would take them back...just had the same thing happen to me!! They were infested with lice, treated that, than discovered they were infested with worms, treated that...... I had them quarantined for a month when they started sneezing and flinging yellow snot. I culled the 5 of them today

 

[honeydoll]

Quote:
Awww, wundernurse, I've been following your post and feel so bad for you. Hope everything works out. MAybe yours just came with something and it isn't your blame at all.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

you didn't mess up youdid everything right so far. Now take them back.

 

[KittyKelly]

Are u able to return them? I would. There are so many scary diseases and sicknesses out there that I wouldn't want them integrated with my flock either....edit...or EVER. I've heard that some birds can still carry diseases and infect your flock without them showing any symptoms of the disease. After you get rid of them I would BLEACH everything they touched.