Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BY Bob]

Thanks Bob. I do still follow your thread but recently I'm pushed just doing this one and posting the occasional post elswhere. The problem for me is there are often pages of chat on your thread that have nothing to do with chickens and mostly on subjects I'm not remotely interested in. I try to read your posts and a couple of other peoples but wading through the rest just isn't something I have time for currently.

I can tag you to my posts if you would like. I have been doing that for others if I can remember. Just let me know.

 

[Ribh]

The vet I have found who is able to care for chickens (not an avian vet per se but keeps her own flock) is a strong advocate of keeping a sick chicken in with the rest of their tribe.

My Vet says the same. Unless they are infectious it is best to keep them with the rest of the hens. Can't quite do that with Sif because her sisters want to kill her but she joins the tribe during the day when I can monitor things & prevent bloodshed.

 

[ManueB]

Was observing the flock and saw Mr. Bumble hit up the waterer, which is a fantastic sign. Just seems like he only needs some time to regain full strength.

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I'm glad he's getting better. You must be relieved, he's such a cute little guy.

 

[ManueB]

She was there when I left. The others sort of crowded in around her. She was out and about again yesterday while not looking well, not looking like she was about to keel over.
It's my day off today but C says she was still living when she cleaned them out this morning.

She may not die just yet then.
It must be tough for the hens that are dying, when no human is there and they are locked cramped in that small run .

 

[ManueB]

The vet I have found who is able to care for chickens (not an avian vet per se but keeps her own flock) is a strong advocate of keeping a sick chicken in with the rest of their tribe. Even if they need protection from attack she recommends trying to isolate them but within the coop. Her argument is based on the emotional wellbeing of the chicken and the role that plays in recovery. Her belief is that stressing a sick chicken is not conducive to them recovering.
I am sure there aren't studies to support that but it feels like common sense to me so I have tried to follow her advice.

Tax: Dotty molting in January after she spent the morning standing out in the sleet and got sopping wet (there is no helping some chickens!)

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I'm really happy to hear this as this is also what we've done with our sick hens, and I always felt guilty because of reading everywhere that quarantine was really important.
We have bought a big dog cage for that use. Whenever a hen is feeling unwell we put it in the coop and we put her inside. We've found that if they are feeling really low they will let themselves be caged, if they struggle we let them out and leave them be and either they get better, either it gets worse and then they will accept being locked in the cage at that point.
We did have to isolate a hen that was really ill in September for nearly three weeks. When she started getting better we tried to put her in a pen next to our flock's place and she was just standing there watching her friends and being really depressed. As soon as we put her with the other girls she got better, even though she was slower and tired at times. We gave her some rest times in the first days and helped her to roost, and gradually she went back to normal. I'm convinced being in isolation was a real stress for her and part of her recovery was due to being back with the flock.

Dotty looks so funny! Guess everyone has a Dotty among their chickens .

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm really happy to hear this as this is also what we've done with our sick hens, and I always felt guilty because of reading everywhere that quarantine was really important.
We have bought a big dog cage for that use. Whenever a hen is feeling unwell we put it in the coop and we put her inside. We've found that if they are feeling really low they will let themselves be caged, if they struggle we let them out and leave them be and either they get better, either it gets worse and then they will accept being locked in the cage at that point.
We did have to isolate a hen that was really ill in September for nearly three weeks. When she started getting better we tried to put her in a pen next to our flock's place and she was just standing there watching her friends and being really depressed. As soon as we put her with the other girls she got better, even though she was slower and tired at times. We gave her some rest times in the first days and helped her to roost, and gradually she went back to normal. I'm convinced being in isolation was a real stress for her and part of her recovery was due to being back with the flock.

Dotty looks so funny! Guess everyone has a Dotty among their chickens .

Poor Dotty. She is actually a fine looking chicken when she is fully dressed and not soaked to the skin!
Here she is in better times.

Her sister Minnie was quite sick for a while and I had her in the hospital ward inside the coop and Dotty would spend the day perches nearby so they could chat. It was quite adorable really. After a couple of days I figured I didn’t really need to isolate or protect Minnie I just needed to get her down off the roost before dawn so I could massage her crop.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

The temperature is 45 and cloudy.

Have a great day!

 

[no fly zone]

I'm glad he's getting better. You must be relieved, he's such a cute little guy.

I do love the little guy.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm really happy to hear this as this is also what we've done with our sick hens, and I always felt guilty because of reading everywhere that quarantine was really important.
We have bought a big dog cage for that use. Whenever a hen is feeling unwell we put it in the coop and we put her inside. We've found that if they are feeling really low they will let themselves be caged, if they struggle we let them out and leave them be and either they get better, either it gets worse and then they will accept being locked in the cage at that point.
We did have to isolate a hen that was really ill in September for nearly three weeks. When she started getting better we tried to put her in a pen next to our flock's place and she was just standing there watching her friends and being really depressed. As soon as we put her with the other girls she got better, even though she was slower and tired at times. We gave her some rest times in the first days and helped her to roost, and gradually she went back to normal. I'm convinced being in isolation was a real stress for her and part of her recovery was due to being back with the flock.

Dotty looks so funny! Guess everyone has a Dotty among their chickens .

I must be confused because I thought quarantine was imposed when new birds are introduced to a flock.

Chickens hide sickness, so if one bird in your flock is sick with something contagious, they've already infected the flock by the time you spot the sickness. Flip side: if you've got one sick chicken and all the others are ok, then it's not contagious and may as well have the joy of being with its flock.

So keeping new birds (that were bought from someone else) at a distance in quarantine is important until you're sure they're not carrying something contagious.

Not that people adhere to quarantine, experience being an effective teacher. Also, it is expensive to keep two chicken coops on opposite sides of your property for the rare occasion you buy birds from somewhere else, unless you can repurpose a shed or garage.

 

[RoyalChick]

I must be confused because I thought quarantine was imposed when new birds are introduced to a flock.

Chickens hide sickness, so if one bird in your flock is sick with something contagious, they've already infected the flock by the time you spot the sickness. Flip side: if you've got one sick chicken and all the others are ok, then it's not contagious and may as well have the joy of being with its flock.

So keeping new birds (that were bought from someone else) at a distance in quarantine is important until you're sure they're not carrying something contagious.

Not that people adhere to quarantine, experience being an effective teacher. Also, it is expensive to keep two chicken coops on opposite sides of your property for the rare occasion you buy birds from somewhere else, unless you can repurpose a shed or garage.

I think he means quarantine as in separate a sick chicken from the flock as is widely recommended on BYC.
That is different from quarantining a newcomer to the flock who might bring in disease.