Sick shipped pullet

[comitdust]

I just spent a fortune on a showgirl pullet only for her to arrive sick!! Local feed stores stopped selling antibiotics. How can I treat her? Did I just waste my money?

 

[QueenMisha]

What are her symptoms? Did she come from a reputable breeder?

Right now you need to keep her far, far away from your existing flock. Establish a quarantine, preferably in an area indoors, such as a garage, laundry room, or basement. Care for her after caring for your existing flock and wash you hands thoroughly afterwards. Preferably change your clothes after contact with her as well.

 

[comitdust]

She is sneezing and coughing. I had heard she breeds nice birds I net her through a Facebook page as she sells alot so I figured I would give her a chance. The showgirl is nice..very nice. But I would hate for her to get my other silkies sick. I have her in a pen far away from everyone else like a acre away. Don't want to bring her inside because I have chicks.

 

[QueenMisha]

OK, an acre away works too, if you have chicks.

Generally speaking, chickens don't get colds. They can have dust allergies or get mild respiratory infections, but it's extremely rare. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred when you're seeing sneezing and coughing, it's the result of infectious respiratory disease.

My recommendation would be to contact your local avian veterinarian and have her blood tested, starting with the tests for Mycoplasmas gallisepticum and synoviae. They are by and large the most common cause of infectious respiratory disease. Blood tests are the only way to confirm for certain what you are dealing with. If she comes back positive (likely), she will need to be humanely culled, as there are no cures for Myco or most other infectious respiratory diseases, only treatments; once they are in a flock, they are there for life.

I would suggest not attempting to treat her at all until you get the blood tests done, as any medications might interfere with the results.