Hi, new to the forum. Last weekend, I picked up 4 Red Comet pullets (I believe they are more commonly known as Red sex Links in US??) that are about 10 months old for, in retrospect a high price of $60....
At the farm I bought them from, they were all together in what I thought was a small but sufficient cage with a couple other hens and a rooster. The seller put them in a box and I travelled home 1 1/2 hours with the chickens in my truck. Once home, I let them into a 4x6x4 temperary cage I had built with fresh food and water. Shortly thereafter, my wife noticed one hen had her eye almost closed and watering/foaming and she was a bit lathargic. I figured that in the close confines of the box, she had gotten pecked; however the next day both eyes were completely swollen shut. I then isolated her from the other chickens, she had no other obvious symptoms and seemed otherwise to be healthy, ie, no feathers picked and good weight. Then I noticed a second chicken was foaming from one eye and was shaking his head frequently (he had been pecked at quite a bit in the rump area) then a third one started swelling in the eye.
I researched the death out of the symptoms then I went to my local feed store and the clerk there sold me Neo-Chlor antibiotic powder and Electrolytes Plus electrolyte and Vitamin powder. I promptly put them in the water feeder for the last 3 and dribbled it from a small cup into the beak of the first chicken as she was the worst and wouldn't eat/drink on her own. After 4 days, I started to notice improvement. The 3rd chicken seemed to heal right up and is fine. The second seemed to be doing a bit better, the first one's swelling started going down and the eyes opened up a bit and she seemed a bit more "perky".
I was hopeful, but now on the final day 5 (the package only recomends 3-5 days) of medicine, the first chicken's eyes don't seem as open and she is again slightly lathargic. The second one is very lathargic even though one eye is still slightly opened and is sneezing/wheezing a bit when I try to give him fluids. Neither one is eating/drinking on their own. I manage to get some fluids into them but no food.
I am getting very disappointed and fear the worst for these two....Any advice or am I fighting a loosing battle? I want to get some more chicks, but am scared to until I get these guys healthy and figure out if this could be passed to them afterwards.
Sorry for the length of this e mail, but I wanted to be thourough. HELP!
Thanks,
Shawn
At the farm I bought them from, they were all together in what I thought was a small but sufficient cage with a couple other hens and a rooster. The seller put them in a box and I travelled home 1 1/2 hours with the chickens in my truck. Once home, I let them into a 4x6x4 temperary cage I had built with fresh food and water. Shortly thereafter, my wife noticed one hen had her eye almost closed and watering/foaming and she was a bit lathargic. I figured that in the close confines of the box, she had gotten pecked; however the next day both eyes were completely swollen shut. I then isolated her from the other chickens, she had no other obvious symptoms and seemed otherwise to be healthy, ie, no feathers picked and good weight. Then I noticed a second chicken was foaming from one eye and was shaking his head frequently (he had been pecked at quite a bit in the rump area) then a third one started swelling in the eye.
I researched the death out of the symptoms then I went to my local feed store and the clerk there sold me Neo-Chlor antibiotic powder and Electrolytes Plus electrolyte and Vitamin powder. I promptly put them in the water feeder for the last 3 and dribbled it from a small cup into the beak of the first chicken as she was the worst and wouldn't eat/drink on her own. After 4 days, I started to notice improvement. The 3rd chicken seemed to heal right up and is fine. The second seemed to be doing a bit better, the first one's swelling started going down and the eyes opened up a bit and she seemed a bit more "perky".
I was hopeful, but now on the final day 5 (the package only recomends 3-5 days) of medicine, the first chicken's eyes don't seem as open and she is again slightly lathargic. The second one is very lathargic even though one eye is still slightly opened and is sneezing/wheezing a bit when I try to give him fluids. Neither one is eating/drinking on their own. I manage to get some fluids into them but no food.
I am getting very disappointed and fear the worst for these two....Any advice or am I fighting a loosing battle? I want to get some more chicks, but am scared to until I get these guys healthy and figure out if this could be passed to them afterwards.
Sorry for the length of this e mail, but I wanted to be thourough. HELP!
Thanks,
Shawn