acbdefg123
Hatching
- Jun 18, 2025
- 2
- 0
- 2
Hello:
4 days ago I purchased 3 pullets: a buff orpington, RI red, and olive egger. Once home, I realized the buff was sick. The red is sick too, and in retrospect, she may have already been sick when we purchased her.
My question: would you keep the pullets, hoping to nurse them back to health, or return them? I would greatly appreciate opinions and any advice. Details below.
I inherited 2 hens several years ago, so I don't have experience caring for chicks or pullets. Wanting to expand our backyard flock but knowing my limits (we with young children, one of whom is disabled, and work outside the home full time), I prioritized getting pullets.
I purchased them from a reputable, family-run and owned farm that has been in business for decades. I trusted their guidance; I allowed them to pick the 3 pullets, didn't think to ask their specific ages, and didn't closely inspect them until we got home. They assured me none of their birds have been sick.
The buff, who is quite a bit smaller than the other 2, was sneezing from the moment we got home. The feathers around her vent were also damp. I tried not to worry, thinking that surely they wouldn't have sold me a sick pullet, and she since she had good energy and was eating and drinking, maybe she was fine.
Over the past 4 days, the buff's sneezing has worsened, her stool has gone from foamy to totally liquid w/ strong urea smell, and she has that puffed up sick chicken look. She doesn't have any nasal or eye discharge. She's still eating and drinking; a bit lethargic but has bursts of engery.
The RI red was mostly keeping 1 eye closed from the moment we got home. I thought maybe she got pecked because she otherwise seemed happy and in good health. Over the past 4 days, though, she has become lethargic, with drooping tail feathers and looking puffed up. When she opens the eye, I can see that it's a little sunken in and watery. She's not sneezing or coughing. No nasal drainage. Her stool is mostly soft and brown. In spite of being lethargic, she's still eating and drinking.
The oliver egger seems to be fine. All 3 pullets are together. I'm prioritizing keeping them away from the hens and don't have a way to separate the seemingly healthy oliver egger from the other 2.
I spoke with the farm owner who said they likely have coccidiosis from the stress of the move and me keeping them outside too much. I'm keeping them inside now, and I started them on amprolium yesterday - the double dose in their water. Regarding the sneezing, he said it's likely a cold and indicated that it's not that big of a deal and she will likely get over it.
I would love to keep these sweet pullets but am concerned that I'm out of my depth here. I think I could probably support them through cocci, but am very concerned about the respiratory symptoms, especially if this could be bird flu. Or if this is mycoplasa gallisepticum, I worry about keeping birds that may be lifelong carriers now. The farm owner offered to swap the sick buff for another, but I'm concerned about exposing a new pullet to the clearly sick RI red. The olive egger isn't obviously sick, but I would imagine is likely to come down with either cocci, the respiratory infection, or both.
My gut instinct is to give all 3 pullets back. I figure we can try again at another time, perhaps purchasing somewhere different.
How worried would you be about these respiratory symptoms? If you had chicks or pullets with these symptoms and the option to return them, would you do that?
Thanks in advance for your help!
4 days ago I purchased 3 pullets: a buff orpington, RI red, and olive egger. Once home, I realized the buff was sick. The red is sick too, and in retrospect, she may have already been sick when we purchased her.
My question: would you keep the pullets, hoping to nurse them back to health, or return them? I would greatly appreciate opinions and any advice. Details below.
I inherited 2 hens several years ago, so I don't have experience caring for chicks or pullets. Wanting to expand our backyard flock but knowing my limits (we with young children, one of whom is disabled, and work outside the home full time), I prioritized getting pullets.
I purchased them from a reputable, family-run and owned farm that has been in business for decades. I trusted their guidance; I allowed them to pick the 3 pullets, didn't think to ask their specific ages, and didn't closely inspect them until we got home. They assured me none of their birds have been sick.
The buff, who is quite a bit smaller than the other 2, was sneezing from the moment we got home. The feathers around her vent were also damp. I tried not to worry, thinking that surely they wouldn't have sold me a sick pullet, and she since she had good energy and was eating and drinking, maybe she was fine.
Over the past 4 days, the buff's sneezing has worsened, her stool has gone from foamy to totally liquid w/ strong urea smell, and she has that puffed up sick chicken look. She doesn't have any nasal or eye discharge. She's still eating and drinking; a bit lethargic but has bursts of engery.
The RI red was mostly keeping 1 eye closed from the moment we got home. I thought maybe she got pecked because she otherwise seemed happy and in good health. Over the past 4 days, though, she has become lethargic, with drooping tail feathers and looking puffed up. When she opens the eye, I can see that it's a little sunken in and watery. She's not sneezing or coughing. No nasal drainage. Her stool is mostly soft and brown. In spite of being lethargic, she's still eating and drinking.
The oliver egger seems to be fine. All 3 pullets are together. I'm prioritizing keeping them away from the hens and don't have a way to separate the seemingly healthy oliver egger from the other 2.
I spoke with the farm owner who said they likely have coccidiosis from the stress of the move and me keeping them outside too much. I'm keeping them inside now, and I started them on amprolium yesterday - the double dose in their water. Regarding the sneezing, he said it's likely a cold and indicated that it's not that big of a deal and she will likely get over it.
I would love to keep these sweet pullets but am concerned that I'm out of my depth here. I think I could probably support them through cocci, but am very concerned about the respiratory symptoms, especially if this could be bird flu. Or if this is mycoplasa gallisepticum, I worry about keeping birds that may be lifelong carriers now. The farm owner offered to swap the sick buff for another, but I'm concerned about exposing a new pullet to the clearly sick RI red. The olive egger isn't obviously sick, but I would imagine is likely to come down with either cocci, the respiratory infection, or both.
My gut instinct is to give all 3 pullets back. I figure we can try again at another time, perhaps purchasing somewhere different.
How worried would you be about these respiratory symptoms? If you had chicks or pullets with these symptoms and the option to return them, would you do that?
Thanks in advance for your help!
