Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[hokankai]

*sigh* I've got a sick one under Molly. What should I do with it? Stick it with the quarantined ones from the brooder in the house? I'm up to 4 sneezing chicks now, lost one last night to "failure to thrive" and everyone's officially being treated with antibiotics.

What else can I do? If I remove one of the broody chicks will she accept it again later? If that ones sick aren't they all going to get sick now, including mom?

This is so frustrating and disheartening. I have no idea where this bug came from unless it came from one of the hatcheries I got chicks from.

 

[Fuffy]

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Oh hokankai! That's horrible for you!

It's sooo disheartening when they don't thrive especially after all the broody business!!!

Don't really know what to suggest, but it does seem that the vulnerable little ones are going to get it. I just hope they pull through!!!!

And if they do, they will have been handled so much as youngsters that they will be really tame...what fun!

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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So sorry this is happening, thank goodness you have the antibiotic started, hopefully it will keep it to a minimum. Since these chicks have already been with the rest I think I'd just leave them with mom because the stress on them to move them could make it worse. Like you said they have all been exposed any way. And you could have brought it in from the hatchery, you'll probably never know for sure. there is a product called Oxine AH that is very good in situations like this if you could find some locally that would be great, I had to order mine online. but the quicker you could get it the fast you could get this under control, heres the link for the info. www.shagbarkbantams.com/Oxine.htm sorry you lost one too.

keep us updated and I be praying for you and your flock.

 

[hokankai]

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So sorry this is happening, thank goodness you have the antibiotic started, hopefully it will keep it to a minimum. Since these chicks have already been with the rest I think I'd just leave them with mom because the stress on them to move them could make it worse. Like you said they have all been exposed any way. And you could have brought it in from the hatchery, you'll probably never know for sure. there is a product called Oxine AH that is very good in situations like this if you could find some locally that would be great, I had to order mine online. but the quicker you could get it the fast you could get this under control, heres the link for the info. www.shagbarkbantams.com/Oxine.htm sorry you lost one too.

keep us updated and I be praying for you and your flock.

Wow, I am ordering some of that RIGHT now! Do you know if you have to use a fogger or is it okay to "mist" them with the mist setting of a spray bottle?

Also, everyone is officially infected EXCEPT for the 4 girls left in the coop. I went in and completely cleaned out the coop and used bleach solution to disinfect the walls, roost, poop board, feeder and waterer. Once I get this stuff I'll probably spray everything again.

Luckily whatever this sickness is doesn't cause them to have any discharge. All it's been so far is a sneeze/cough and rales.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
So sorry this is happening, thank goodness you have the antibiotic started, hopefully it will keep it to a minimum. Since these chicks have already been with the rest I think I'd just leave them with mom because the stress on them to move them could make it worse. Like you said they have all been exposed any way. And you could have brought it in from the hatchery, you'll probably never know for sure. there is a product called Oxine AH that is very good in situations like this if you could find some locally that would be great, I had to order mine online. but the quicker you could get it the fast you could get this under control, heres the link for the info. www.shagbarkbantams.com/Oxine.htm sorry you lost one too.

keep us updated and I be praying for you and your flock.

Wow, I am ordering some of that RIGHT now! Do you know if you have to use a fogger or is it okay to "mist" them with the mist setting of a spray bottle?

Also, everyone is officially infected EXCEPT for the 4 girls left in the coop. I went in and completely cleaned out the coop and used bleach solution to disinfect the walls, roost, poop board, feeder and waterer. Once I get this stuff I'll probably spray everything again.

Luckily whatever this sickness is doesn't cause them to have any discharge. All it's been so far is a sneeze/cough and rales.

I ordered mine from AtoZpets you can buy a fogger but very expensive, I just use one of those cheap garden trigger sprayers. aim it over their heads and spray, but i have sprayed them directly in the face with it too. you can also use it in a warm humidifer. don't get the activator, not suppose to use it on animals. what is rales?

 

[hokankai]

Thanks so much for your help. I'm doing all I can to get this under control. Quarantine, antibiotic(which will be followed by probiotic and ACV), bleach solution in their drinking water, vitamins/electrolytes, and now Oxine AH. I think that's all I can do for now...now I just have to wait and see who's tough enough to fight it off.

 

[Sudsy Chick]

hokankai - so sorry to hear that your flock is sick - thinking about them.

Update on our girls

We have either seven or eight chicks (hard to tell!) and lost two...both Juno's eggs and I'm not sure why. Juno had six eggs, two are now under #1 broody hen because she abandoned them yesterday, two chicks died, and two chicks she did hatch migrated over to the other mommy. And she's still broody...although not sitting she goes nuts when I try to take her out of the 'nursery'. So, I'm thinking of stopping at the feed store to pick up 1/2 dozen chicks for her since they had their last delivery yesterday. They would be four day old chicks - one day older than the oldest ones we have currently. I'm just not sure I have faith in her...but believe that mommy #1 would take over if needed. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

So, the other mommy #1, Panda, has either five or six chicks of her own (hard to tell!) plus two of Junos, and is now sitting on four eggs. The first of the chicks hatched on Monday, so thinking we'll give her one more day on them before I pull them completely...while she is still going back to them she has not been "faithfully" sitting as she is trying to care for all the chicks!

Here is Panda teaching her chicks to eat, they make such adorable noises!!!

 

[Crabella]

I have a broody!

Don't know why I am so excited, it means I have to expand my coop space as chicken math hit last year before I even made it out of the feed store with the first lot. LOL Two of the three australorps have been 'practicing' for the last month. Spending more and more time on the nest each day. Last weekend one decided that she was ready, Monday I caved, removed the golf balls she was sitting on, and gave her 6 eggs. None are hers, as she lays a medium egg, and I want lager ones. As we are both first timers, I thought that would be a good test batch. Today the 2nd is sitting on a nest of golf balls. Trying to decide if I should let her have 3 of the other eggs, or 6 more of her own. Hmmm... I have so many projects going on now, but I could expand into the 'storage' area and build the 'barn style' shed I've been wanting...The grand kids would help this summer.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Hopefully all of them, but like you said doing all you can to keep their immune systems running high, only thing I am not sure of is bleach in their drinking water? I know alot of ole time chicken farmers used bleach to kill worms but I don't know about the bleach. When you get the oxine don't mix the 2. Please let us know how they are in the morning.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Oh my gosh dawng they are adorable, Congrats on the hatch.. sorry for the 2 you lost. you know you want more chickens might as well go to the feed store.

yep it's hard on the mama to take care of her brood and sit on eggs still. Keep the pictures coming..