I got some chickens about a week ago of different breeds and ages. I have them in a temporary enclosure till we get the coop built. We have the supplies but my FIL has been busy with haying.
I have the larger breeds seperated from the smaller ones due to pecking which they did manage to get into the other half and pecked half of my silkies in the eyes. I have treating them with ointment and some of them are getting better. I should mention they got spoiled during the treatment with me giving bread to each one after I treated the eye. Made it easier to get them in a group instead of chasing the skittish ones.
I have 2 serama hens in with the silkies since the silkies aren't full grown yet and they seem to get along with them really well. One of them since yesterday started acting like she has a sinus cold. She is sneezing, acts like she has drainage in her throat, and a little bit latheragic (spelling?). She is drinking water but wouldn't eat the bread I offered which the other chickens kept trying to grab it from my hand. I have seen her eat some of her feed. I checked all the others and none of them are sick. The temporary enclosure is shaded and does have a place for them to go in at night but they are roosting low to the ground.
I've had other chickens get sinus colds before that usually got them during the winter or in the early spring. They usually got over it in a few days. With this hen being so small I'm worried more than usual. My questions are should I seperate her from the others and put the cage in with them or remove her completely? Could it be from her roosting low to the poop? Should I raise the roosts and put a poop hammock under them? Should I rush her into the vet's office or is there some medicine I can buy at a feed store for her?
I plan on moving the enclosure once my FIL gets back to give them a new patch of grass. We are going to build the coop this week.
I have the larger breeds seperated from the smaller ones due to pecking which they did manage to get into the other half and pecked half of my silkies in the eyes. I have treating them with ointment and some of them are getting better. I should mention they got spoiled during the treatment with me giving bread to each one after I treated the eye. Made it easier to get them in a group instead of chasing the skittish ones.
I have 2 serama hens in with the silkies since the silkies aren't full grown yet and they seem to get along with them really well. One of them since yesterday started acting like she has a sinus cold. She is sneezing, acts like she has drainage in her throat, and a little bit latheragic (spelling?). She is drinking water but wouldn't eat the bread I offered which the other chickens kept trying to grab it from my hand. I have seen her eat some of her feed. I checked all the others and none of them are sick. The temporary enclosure is shaded and does have a place for them to go in at night but they are roosting low to the ground.
I've had other chickens get sinus colds before that usually got them during the winter or in the early spring. They usually got over it in a few days. With this hen being so small I'm worried more than usual. My questions are should I seperate her from the others and put the cage in with them or remove her completely? Could it be from her roosting low to the poop? Should I raise the roosts and put a poop hammock under them? Should I rush her into the vet's office or is there some medicine I can buy at a feed store for her?
I plan on moving the enclosure once my FIL gets back to give them a new patch of grass. We are going to build the coop this week.
