Gardenlover
In the Brooder
- Jul 26, 2023
- 8
- 1
- 11
Hey ya'll. I'm a new chicken mom, a little back story to how we got here. I got 5 chicks from a lady who hatches them off a local FB group. They were all happy and healthy, 2 turned out to be cockerels and I could keep them due to city laws. At the time when I got the chicks the woman assured me she would take back and roos and exchange for hens or refund back the cost. They are about 12-13 weeks old now, doing spectacular and spoiled as can be.
Well we took the first option and exchanged them for 2 pullets around the same age as mine. We have set up a quarantine pen for the two new girls. One is a rhode island red who I was told is about 15 weeks, and one is a bantam cochin who I was told was of similar age maybe slightly older.
I, unfortunately, after getting them home more so feel as though I have rescued the birds more than just got them to join my flock. Upon further insepction the red is skin and bone, covered in lice and has a runny nose. The cochin is a little drowsy but seems in better spirits, believe she is affected by the lice by association as well. I have ordered Elector PSP from Chicken Chick (hopefully here in 2 days) and have already added DE to their pen/dust bath hole.
I went to check on the girls before leaving for work this AM and the red was still sleeping on the roost not quite gasping for air but a clear up and down movement of breathing with her eyes closed and discharge from her nose.
What can I do? I'm incredibly worried about all my chickens, new and old, I have been following the quarantine rules of visiting the established flock first and changing clothes/hand washing and cleaning after handling or doing anything with the new girls so I truly hope this has been contained. I hope I can save them. We do not have an avian vet anywhere near by and even if we did I'm not sure I could afford that at this time.
I feel so terrible, any advice is welcome.
Well we took the first option and exchanged them for 2 pullets around the same age as mine. We have set up a quarantine pen for the two new girls. One is a rhode island red who I was told is about 15 weeks, and one is a bantam cochin who I was told was of similar age maybe slightly older.
I, unfortunately, after getting them home more so feel as though I have rescued the birds more than just got them to join my flock. Upon further insepction the red is skin and bone, covered in lice and has a runny nose. The cochin is a little drowsy but seems in better spirits, believe she is affected by the lice by association as well. I have ordered Elector PSP from Chicken Chick (hopefully here in 2 days) and have already added DE to their pen/dust bath hole.
I went to check on the girls before leaving for work this AM and the red was still sleeping on the roost not quite gasping for air but a clear up and down movement of breathing with her eyes closed and discharge from her nose.
What can I do? I'm incredibly worried about all my chickens, new and old, I have been following the quarantine rules of visiting the established flock first and changing clothes/hand washing and cleaning after handling or doing anything with the new girls so I truly hope this has been contained. I hope I can save them. We do not have an avian vet anywhere near by and even if we did I'm not sure I could afford that at this time.
I feel so terrible, any advice is welcome.
