Sick Chicks Rant

[Noah Way Farm]

I guess I don't really have a question, more of a rant. After a long, complicated story, I picked up a dozen chicks that I was owed for the last month. I got them home and took them out of the carrier and immediately noticed that all of them were sick with some upper respiratory thing. Eyes all puffy and red, some of them with mild nasal discharge. They were crawling with lice too. One had died on the way to deliver them to me, she said it suffocated in the box. I didn't doubt it at the time, because she had day old silkies in with 3 week old Brahmas and silkies. But, when I got them home and saw the other two older silkies, one of which was on the verge of death, I am supposing it just died.
Obviously, I have these birds in quarantine, and my husband has been taking care of the other birds so we don't spread whatever the new chicks have.
I put the worst ones on baytril and vitamins and triple ab ointment that I just changed to tobramycin drops. I dusted everyone and divided them up by size. I started them all on electrolytes with vitamin solution, and gave the half dead one some subcutaneous fluids. Everyone is getting Corid and medicated chick started, which doesn't have amprolium, it has BMD.
Everyone has improved, though there are still some puffy eyes. The half dead one is eating off and on, and getting hand fed off/on, but still hasn't opened its eyes. It CAN open them, but doesn't. I have not seen any more lice, but some are still itching. The half dead one has some bald areas. I would guess this bird is 3-4 weeks old, based on the size of the other big silkie. I have it in with the day olds, since they have already been exposed anyhow.
Seriously, wtf am I even going to do with these birds, long term. I know all the things they could have that could never leave them....
To top it off, I then spent a couple hours via text explaining the problems and what she needs to do about it. She is a very new chicken keeper. She assured me she would replace any that died (um, no thanks). She never even said thank you, and hasn't checked in either.
I don't know what I want here. I am sorry I brought these birds home, but now they are here and my responsibility. Culling isn't an option for me unless they are suffering. Am I going to have to build a new coop for just these birds? Ugh!
Thanks for listening to me rant. I have attached pic of a couple of these birds right after I got home.

 

[Painted Calls]

Omg. They look (and sound) like she found them in a wet soggy box.. in the bottom of a dumpster in some back alley somewhere.

It sounds like you're doing all that you can. I completely understand your frustration. I would be too! Poor things. Even a new keeper should be able to look at those and know they aren't okay. They look like death.

 

[azygous]

That stupid, ignorant person should be reported to whatever passes for animal welfare in your county. If the chicks you got from her are any indication of her flock, authorities would likely find inhumane conditions and be very eager to shut her down, impound her chickens (and perhaps other animals) and give her a huge fine. Most authorities don't take lightly someone who's in the business of distributing chickens with contagious diseases.

 

[featheredplanets]

Even if you build a new coop, keeping one flock of carriers and one flock of non carriers is impossible. Diseases can be spread via bedding, poop, dander, fluids, all of which can land on your clothes/shoes and can be transmitted to another flock. You could merge the flocks but personally, I’d cull.

They’ll carry whatever disease they have (may be beneficial to have a necropsy done) for the rest of their lives, under stress they’ll start showing symptoms, suffer and either die or recover, ready for another stressful time to trigger the symptoms. I know it’s difficult but it’s between allowing these chicks to live and cause suffering to your healthy flock or keeling your flock safe and healthy. It’s a hard lesson to learn but it’s best to buy only from reputable breeders. And I sure hope the lady does some research before causing more suffering. It’s not okay.

 

[aart]

I'd have taken them back for a refund and never go near that keeper again.

 

[Noah Way Farm]

I'd have taken them back for a refund and never go near that keeper again.

Yeah, well, I actually traded some eggs for what was supposed to be silky eggs. Ultimately she decided she would incubate those eggs for me, rather than wait, because my incubator was currently full. Then she changed her mind and offered me some adults, because she had been told she needed to get rid of all her chickens by her landlord. When she showed up to get the eggs, she had no chickens with her, claiming the rooster had been in a fight and one of the hens was "sick". She said she would be back this way in a couple weeks. Then she contacted me telling me her entire flock of silkies had been killed by a dog. I asked about the eggs she had hatched 3 weeks ago, ir the ones she had in the incubator, and she told me the 3 week olds were killed, and she was waiting to see what hatched. She said she had plenty of Brahmas. So, seeing I figured I wasn't ever going to get what she owed me, I just took what she had, even though I didn't need any more Brahmas, mainly because I already wanted to conclude my business with her.
So, in exchange for 24 Sultan eggs, 23 of which she said were fertile, I got 7 sick brahmas and 5 sick silkies.
What ticks me off the most was I approached her, because I knew she was looking for Sultans and hadn't found any. To be honest, I didn't even really want silkies, I just wanted her to have something to trade.... no good deed and all that...

 

[Noah Way Farm]

Yeah, well, I actually traded some eggs for what was supposed to be silky eggs. Ultimately she decided she would incubate those eggs for me, rather than wait, because my incubator was currently full. Then she changed her mind and offered me some adults, because she had been told she needed to get rid of all her chickens by her landlord. When she showed up to get the eggs, she had no chickens with her, claiming the rooster had been in a fight and one of the hens was "sick". She said she would be back this way in a couple weeks. Then she contacted me telling me her entire flock of silkies had been killed by a dog. I asked about the eggs she had hatched 3 weeks ago, ir the ones she had in the incubator, and she told me the 3 week olds were killed, and she was waiting to see what hatched. She said she had plenty of Brahmas. So, seeing I figured I wasn't ever going to get what she owed me, I just took what she had, even though I didn't need any more Brahmas, mainly because I already wanted to conclude my business with her.
So, in exchange for 24 Sultan eggs, 23 of which she said were fertile, I got 7 sick brahmas and 5 sick silkies.
What ticks me off the most was I approached her, because I knew she was looking for Sultans and hadn't found any. To be honest, I didn't even really want silkies, I just wanted her to have something to trade.... no good deed and all that...

Maybe I can get them well and then give them back to her, so they can be her problem.

 

[aart]

no good deed and all that...

After the second excuse I'd have written her off....Lesson Learned.

 

[featheredplanets]

Maybe I can get them well and then give them back to her, so they can be her problem.

I’d just get rid of them ASAP. The longer they’re on your property, the more your flock is at risk.

 

[Noah Way Farm]

Retrospectively, I really should have known when she told me she lost most of her polish due to the cold. It's SC. It's not that cold. But. .. I thought maybe she put chicks outside.
Almost comically, I really don't think these Brahmas are even purebred, since most of them have straight combs....

After the second excuse I'd have written her off....Lesson Learned.