Should I vaccinate my flock

[dreamingfarming]

I temporarily re-homed my girls with a friend of mine while I'm in the process of moving. I wanted to quarantine mine but they thought it would be fine to put them with their chickens. Normally I wouldn't think to much about it but their flock is sickly. Hens and roos missing feathers, I saw one roo foaming around the beak, honestly they look just so unhappy. Mud and feces outside the coop and the inside of the coop is filthy,overcrowding, poop everywhere. The smell is horrid I can't even imagine the chickens. My girls will only have to stay there for a month but I'm worried when I get them back in what condition they will be in. I check on them frequently so far they seem healthy albeit they stay outside of the coop by the fence....but when I get them back what are some remedies I can give them? Not that they lay much in the winter but I refuse to touch their eggs for a good while. I thought about ACV in their water? Is there anything natural I can give them? I'm even open to vaccinating!

Thank you

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

If we had to worry about catching disease from eating eggs, we would probably all be dead. No matter how much poo there is or isn't, They are always pecking in it. So while I understand your concern I would still eat the eggs. Although surprised they're still laying in the new situation.

Hens and roos missing feathers is often a normal part of being in a flock and mating, especially if it's over crowded as you indicate.

If you're not eating the eggs anyways, maybe it's a good time to worm. In the kind of conditions you describe parasite load may be up there. I love FF, check out the link in my signature line.

You could always go over there and help do a good coop/run clean up.

Best wishes.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Quote: When you get them back, you might consider fermenting their feed. I love the results! Check out the link in my signature line.

Glad she is showing improvement. I'm with aart in that if they can fight it off that's the best.

 

[GingersHuman]

You might consider keeping 2 flocks, your current flock in one location, and any new birds you acquire on another part of the property. In that case you would take care of the new flock then the old flock to help prevent spreading whatever diseases. That being said, I've ended up getting hens that appeared healthy, went through quarantine fine and then dropped like flies. Luckily my original flock never caught what they had (though I always suspected an overload of worms, and subsequent deworming on the last of the newcomers seems to support that theory).

 

[lazy gardener]

Your birds will be carriers of what ever illness is in their host flock. You could give them fermented feed. Personally, I'd let the host keep them and start over. Do you really want to be bringing disease that may be a forever thing onto your new property??? Sorry if I seem to be blunt.

 

[aart]

Are your birds in the same crowded coop as her birds?

Your probably won't be laying when brought to your new home due to the stress of the last month, or molting depending on their age and your location in the world, but there really would be no reason not to eat any eggs you do get.

Foamy mouth doesn't sound good, could be a respiratory ailment...in which case your birds have already been exposed if they are only separated by a fence....and it could be spread by the keepers.

Vaccination and/or ACV isn't going to do much of anything, but maybe make you feel better.
Good food, clean water, safe secure coop/run....would help them get healthy again.

The only thing I would suggest is that you might dust them with a permethrin product before installing them in their 'new' coop to kill any external parasites(lice/mites) they may have picked up.

 

[dreamingfarming]

Your birds will be carriers of what ever illness is in their host flock. You could give them fermented feed. Personally, I'd let the host keep them and start over. Do you really want to be bringing disease that may be a forever thing onto your new property??? Sorry if I seem to be blunt.

That's why I wanted to know if there was something I could give them, I didn't want to permanently rehome my girls because the move would be "short." Trust me its something I've contemplated . :-(

Are your birds in the same crowded coop as her birds?

Your probably won't be laying when brought to your new home due to the stress of the last month, or molting depending on their age and your location in the world, but there really would be no reason not to eat any eggs you do get.

Foamy mouth doesn't sound good, could be a respiratory ailment...in which case your birds have already been exposed if they are only separated by a fence....and it could be spread by the keepers.

Vaccination and/or ACV isn't going to do much of anything, but maybe make you feel better.
Good food, clean water, safe secure coop/run....would help them get healthy again.

The only thing I would suggest is that you might dust them with a permethrin product before installing them in their 'new' coop to kill any external parasites(lice/mites) they may have picked up.

My girls from what I've seen don't go in the coop, they stay outside, but I don't know what they are doing when I'm not there. I"m just worried that my girls would catch some disease and I don't want to ingest it lol. I saw one of my girls laying so I thought that was good sign.

I've mentioned to my friend but they didn't think anything of it, that maybe the roo ate something bad. However this is almost everytime I go to visit them. He's eating and drinking while foaming around the beak.

I will go to TS and buy some permethrin thank you. I keep counting the days.

 

[dreamingfarming]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

If we had to worry about catching disease from eating eggs, we would probably all be dead. No matter how much poo there is or isn't, They are always pecking in it. So while I understand your concern I would still eat the eggs. Although surprised they're still laying in the new situation.

Hens and roos missing feathers is often a normal part of being in a flock and mating, especially if it's over crowded as you indicate.

If you're not eating the eggs anyways, maybe it's a good time to worm. In the kind of conditions you describe parasite load may be up there. I love FF, check out the link in my signature line.

You could always go over there and help do a good coop/run clean up.

Best wishes.

I don't mind such things from my own flock they have eating things that make me gag, but I still love their eggs. The problem is I know/trust what they eat at my friends place. I only saw the one girl lay I'm not sure if the others are laying or not. Thank you for the worming idea I will do that once I get them back.

I actually have 4 years of feces, dirt, and old eggs that were crushed and compacted in with the rest of the gook, brought bags of shavings for them to use. I'll just feel better when I get my girls back......

ETA thank you for the warm welcome ;-)

 

[chickens really]

Vaccines do not work well on older Birds.....Pointless really......Housing yours on a property with sick birds is a disaster........



Cheers!

 

[dreamingfarming]

Just wanted to updated everyone one of my girls has developed a "cold" though I suspect respiratory disease, I'm going to cull her. Should I also cull the rest of my flock even though they are not showing symptoms?