So today was pretty much the worst day ever.
I wasn't planning on getting back on here, but my husband is gone for a month with no contact and I realized no one else in my life cares about chickens, so here I am.
Up until today I had never even killed a spider. This was totally gory as I had no killing cone or second pair of hands, so I had to gently rock them in my arms and slit their throat. I hadn't expected blood to spew like it did. I read that this was the more humane way, I couldn't bring myself to wring their necks. I sang to them and rocked them while I did it, I hope that helped them. What a horrible waste of life!
There are 3 that never got sick. While they are still carriers, I can't bring myself to kill 3 perfectly healthy chickens that are laying everyday and pets. So I think for now I will keep them. In a few years when they stop laying I will start all over and only buy day old chicks.
My barred rocks are my kids' chickens so I left them for last, and when the time came I just couldn't kill another.
I'm going to throw up a hail mary in the morning and give them a double dose of the injectable antibiotics. I figure the worse it can do is kill them, which I'd have to anyway. Praying for a miracle. My baby rooster was the last one, and after him I just sat there sobbing so hard I couldn't bring myself to do another.
I'm feeling so angry. Angry at myself for getting adult birds and allowing them to infect my entire flock. Even angrier at the person who sold them at this auction for a quick buck because I truly believe he didn't care what happened to whoever got them. The people I met at WCA were really nice, but I believe some (definitely not all!) of the sellers can be pretty shady, so I won't ever be attending another chicken auction or flock swap. I'm sure there are more quality sellers that care about their birds than the ones that don't, but one bad experience and I just can't risk ever going through this again, even with a proper quarantine.
Anyway, I guess I'm not leaving for good. Just lost my motivation for all things chickens lately. Thank you all for all the help and knowledge you've helped me gather along the way. Hardest lesson I think I have ever learned. My chickens weren't for profit, they were my pets
I am so sorry. I can't even imagine how hard that was for you. I hope your remaining three birds stay healthy and that you find some joy again soon.... Again my thoughts are with you.
my heart goes out to you, and prayers for strength and comfort. Please know that you are not alone, we are all here for you. I know this may not be much comfort, but I went through something similar when I first started with chickens, a older man sold me eight laying hens, gold sexlinks and leghorns, which I would later find out the leghorns were sexlink roosters. He sold them too and with In three days, one had died, the other developed, foam in both eyes and mouth, and became weak and listless, then thwy would die, I finally put them all to sleep. I never did get in touch with man, but after a year, I truly got started with chickens, I found joy in it again, and have had better luck this time.
