respiratory disease question.

[sbtgal]

I just added three 12 week old pullets to my flock. One of them looked a little run down, so the lady I purchased them from gave her to me for free and suggested I keep all three separate from my existing flock. In hindsight I should have probably passed on all of them. The first one that was sick was squinting her eyes, but they weren't swollen. She also wasn't keeping herself well groomed. She had poo on her feathers and was missing feathers around her vent. She was eating and drinking fine though. To my inexperienced eyes she just looked like she felt the way I do when I get bad cold or allergies. Once I got her home I noticed she had thin watery discharge from nose and was sneezing. That night I noticed she was breathing a little funny. The NEXT day she looked a bit better, but now the other two have runny noses and are sneezing! So far everyone in my existing flock that I have kept separate seems fine.

I looked at a link someone else posted about respiratory diseases, I don't THINK it's anything life threatening. There is no swelling or smell from any of them. All are eating and drinking OK. Poo seems normal (I love that I can search "normal poo" on this board and find pictures!) My question is, how long does it take for the "less severe" respiratory diseases to run their course? I hate keeping these bigger girls in such tight quarters (Medium dog kennel) but I only have the one run and coop and don't want to risk the others getting sick. Is two weeks (like the lady I got them from suggested) long enough?

Thanks!

 

[sbtgal]

*bump*

 

[kuntrygirl]

You should always quarantine for at least 30 days if not more. You DO NOT want to pass anything on to your flock that will infect or possibly kill your entire flock. Do you have meds on had to give them? Is it too late to take them back? Sounds like you have sick birds.

 

[sbtgal]

She's a couple hours drive away and I couldn't take them back any time soon. Do chickens ever get mild cold type symptoms that go away quickly? Or is sneezing and watery discharge always the sign of something worse to come? I don't have any meds on hand. Do feed stores sell anything that would work. I can't afford a vet visit.

Good news is I went home on my lunch break and checked on them. They were all three eating and drinking. Didn't see any of them poo, but the stuff in the run looked normal. Still some sneezing going on, but doesn't sound as "wet" and I don't see as much discharge.

 

[Fuzz nut]

Hello I have 4 new chicks as well. I kept them seperate for a few weeks than sometimes put them with my older ones and watched now they are fine.

I was also woundering if anyone knew anything about a illness. Cos i have had 2 chickens die from it and i have another one that has the same thing and i dont know how to save it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plz help

 

[taprock]

I can't answer any respiratory questions but I have heard it said that chickens don't get colds, it is always something more serious. What I can tell you about adding new birds to the flock you are not going to want to hear. I learned the hard way. I purchased 4 new juvenile chickens from not so good conditions. I quarantined them for a month. One died and one ended up sick which I treated and she was fine. I added them to my flock after the month and all my birds ended up sick. I talked to a poultry vet and was told I needed to add a sacrificial chicken. After the month quarantine you add one of your birds to the new birds and see if in the next ten days it ends up sick so you know what will happen when you add the new birds to your flock. Chickens can be carriers and not actually show any symptoms. I won't be buying any more chickens besides day old and eggs to hatch myself unless I know the breeder. I just don't have the room right now to keep new birds separate for that long. I wish I had something more encouraging to tell you. When you add them to your flock just keep a close eye on everyone.

 

[sbtgal]

Thanks for the suggestion of the sacrificial chicken. I actually have two that are a bit younger than the new ones, but a couple weeks older than my youngest. I may put them in a the same time so it's not just a singelton getting beat up.

For now though, any suggestions on meds I can get from a feed store to treat the sickies? Poo still looks fine in the run. They are on medicated starter feed. All three are eating and drinking. No swelling or smells. Only one "acts" sick, a little fluffed up, moves slower than the rest, squinty eyed (but not discharge from eyes). But all three are sneezing and occasionally there is some clear discharge from nostrils. I'm thinking I should give em a good once over for everything. Worms, mites (haven't seen evidence of either, but I'd rather be cautious) and an infection. Any suggestions on meds? Or would doing all that at once be too much?

 

[sbtgal]

I got a better look at the sickest of the three yesterday. She was COVERED in mites! I was making plans to bathe her this weekend. But I got a text from my hubby saying he bathed her this morning and she's in a kennel with a lamp on her!

What a good chicken dad! He also finished the roof on the coop yesterday, so they are out of the dog kennel (and house) at night. I'm kind of wondering if the sniffles could be from the smoke in the area and the sickest one is more run down because of the mites?

I found Duramycin at the local feed store. I'll post an update in a few days.

 

[sbtgal]

Coop and run are now dusted with sevin dust. I also made a dust bath with some fine dirt and sevin dust. I added Duramycin to their water too. I'll have the hubbie help me dust the chickens themselves this afternoon. The sickest bird looks better after her bath this morning. She's actually holding her tail up for the first time since we got her!

My DH used Adams to bath her in, so maybe she is getting some mite relief already.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Glad to hear that she is doing better. Sending good vibes your way.