Infectious Coryza in my new flock

[Cstyle00]

I had seven healthy hens, then I bought seven more from a different person. I had to cull one because it stank so bad I'm sure this is the disease it had. Now five more hens have the bubbly watery eyes, runny nose, and the smell is low now but there. Someone just tell me I need to cull them all and start over? I have 25 baby chicks in the shop so I would rather start over than expose them. How long does this disease stay around in the barn and in the yard for if I cull the exposed flock? Can I cull all my chickens and put the chicks in the same coop in a month or so or does this stay around forever?

 

[Cstyle00]

Well, like always I learn on my own through life consuming research. One person here PM me with advise, thanks Dawg53. I know what I need to do so if anyone else has this problem let me know and I'll help. Without going into detail, basically there are two point blank options:

First option, you could go the medical route. Treat all sick birds (antibiotics and vaccines). Since all "cured" birds are still carriers their whole life means every bird or new bird introduced to the flock will get sick and be carriers. The only thing that is "cured" are symptoms and they will return if medication is not kept on schedule, it is not a one time thing. If you sell a healthy looking bird that has been introduced to Infectious Coryza then it can and probably will infect the unsuspecting buyers flock. If you have a small flock and never plan on selling or giving birds away then this may be the way for you. You can keep spending money on the medications throughout the years and keep your birds symptoms under control but they remain sick and carriers, that's the point blank part. All new birds introduced will become carriers and need the same medical control as the existing flock has had. Keep in mind egg production will be lower than normal birds and if you live near or visit other farmers you take risk of infecting their flock as well. Also, some medications given means you cannot eat the bird or eggs from the bird medicated. Sick birds showing symptoms will make your coop smell very bad, like rotting meat.

Second option, cull entire flock and disinfect everything. This is the option I went after many countless hours of research. Cull entire flock, clean everything they have came in contact with. Ground, waterers, feeders, walls, perches, nesting boxes, everything. Then disinfect, cleaning and disinfecting are different. Clean then disinfect. Leave the premises uninhabited and equipment unused for 60 days or more. Be sure to wear protective equipment with the disinfectant you choose. Start over with birds either you hatched or raised as chicks from a well known supplier.

I choose this route because I sell birds and cannot sell sick birds to my local farmers. I responded to my own thread b/c I don't think anyone has put it this simple, two options. That's it. Keep an infected flock or start over. All my questions that were answered in the last few weeks have been like "well you could do this or you can do that", "Medicate sick birds and watch the others for a while." Some were more far fetched than these. I hope this clears it up for you if you have been searching, I know I left out a lot of details about the disease but I'm more focused here on the solution.

I saw a thread about this disease here a few days ago, one reply quoted something like "any good farmer would cure a sick or injured animal rather than cull." The person were hammering another replier that was recommending culling. This person would be more on the right thought process if it would had said "A farmer will do anything it takes to protect his livestock and livelihood." This means if I have to poison or trap coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and other predators then I will, and yes with a conscience but also knowing I did what I had to do. I love hawks but not sitting on top of my broody buff orpington, they will get the target load like shooting skeet, sorry I guess. If culling twenty birds or even more means it will save the next several hundred or thousand they are gone. Hope this helps, feel free to PM me or respond and I'll help where I can. I'm not a professional veterinarian but a farmer that will never get his time back on learning about this disease.

To the ones that want to answer, you had your time, this is the answer. For the ones that contradict culling, I don't knock your option so don't knock mine, you and your neighbors enjoy your sick flock.