- Jul 11, 2007
- 37
- 0
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After having a wonderful flock for 5 years, I made a stupid mistake and bought some chickens off CL. The problem was, my parents picked them up for me and when they got here, two were clearly sick. They had been in a box with the others of a different variety, who did not look sick. So those got put in the coop. I know, it was STUPID. Had I gone to pick them up, I would never have brought them home. (And the stupid woman, wouldn't believe me that they were sick, and wouldn't return my money..of course.)
That was two summers ago. Many of my original flock got the swollen eyes and sneezing. All but 2 of the original CL birds or were culled within 2 weeks. With great info from this forum, I was able to save several of my original girls. I am now down to 4 birds. I of them is a true pet, an Ameracauna from my very original batch of chicks from the hatchery. She means A LOT to our family, and must be almost 6 years old. The other three are bantams.
It is my understanding that I should not get any new hens until these are all gone and everything is disinfected...correct? (Because these are carriers of that bronchitis.) The EE hen did get the swollen eye, and we nursed her through it. None of these girls show any signs of the disease.
My quandry is that we want to get a new flock going, need eggs. But I am not willing to just shoot these girls in order to do that. I just want to confirm that I cannot bring new hens or chicks in with them, EVER.
Could I have these four in a separate house/pen in the same barnyard? Just wondering what folks' experience is. I am not one bit interested in going through that again. I was thinking maybe I could build a little retirement village for these four girls in a separate area, near my garden perhaps, not adjoining new flock.
Thanks for the help.
That was two summers ago. Many of my original flock got the swollen eyes and sneezing. All but 2 of the original CL birds or were culled within 2 weeks. With great info from this forum, I was able to save several of my original girls. I am now down to 4 birds. I of them is a true pet, an Ameracauna from my very original batch of chicks from the hatchery. She means A LOT to our family, and must be almost 6 years old. The other three are bantams.
It is my understanding that I should not get any new hens until these are all gone and everything is disinfected...correct? (Because these are carriers of that bronchitis.) The EE hen did get the swollen eye, and we nursed her through it. None of these girls show any signs of the disease.
My quandry is that we want to get a new flock going, need eggs. But I am not willing to just shoot these girls in order to do that. I just want to confirm that I cannot bring new hens or chicks in with them, EVER.
Could I have these four in a separate house/pen in the same barnyard? Just wondering what folks' experience is. I am not one bit interested in going through that again. I was thinking maybe I could build a little retirement village for these four girls in a separate area, near my garden perhaps, not adjoining new flock.
Thanks for the help.
