One of my hens started sneezing a week or so ago. I thought nothing of it as many things cause sneezes. Last Friday she was gasping for air I quarantine her. Saturday I was advised by a respectable chicken keeper (don’t know how else to put it lol) to administer oxytetracycline. My rooster started sneezing and wheezing. Hen passed. He isn’t gasping so I start the antibiotics. Sunday morning another. Keep with me that’s now 2 sneezing and 1 dead. Ok 24-48 hours for antibiotics to take effect. My roo started crowing again Sunday afternoon....my thoughts awesome...he’s getting better. Monday morning another sneezing. Quarantine for her. Now 3 sneezing 1 dead. I sat and listened and heard a lot of fluid rumbling from my boy. No crowing or clucking. Everyone eating and drinking and just has the sneezes and “coughs” if u will. By afternoon Monday my boy was back to crowing and heard no fluid in his breathing. No one is sounding as bad as the one I lost. Everyone still eating and drinking. This morning I let everyone out (quarantine aside no release) and found 3 more sneezing. In quarantine they go. That’s now 6 sick and 1 death. No one is with runny nose or fluids in eyes. Just the sneezing and “coughing” if u call it that. I’m out of space for quarantine. Ok so on the 23rd I bought a brahmas 2.5 mo old from a breeder. Set him up in quarantine. Next day I had a wedding and was gone all day. Got home he had busted out of his quarent8ne and was roosting with everyone in the coop. Stupid bird..I was not happy. He has injured foot and beak in the process and spent all day with them. At his time I’m not certain if my deceased was sneezing before or after this incident and he is not showing any signs of illness. A week before that I brought 4 chicks home. They are not with the flock. Also we had 2 4h brids at the fair and didn’t come home until, the 25th in quarantine. Still after the deceased was sneezing. I’ve called around to try and get blood done to see what I’m dealing with and nothing open until next week. Again everyone seems ok. Eating, drinking, and the layers are newish and seem to lay on “their” schedule. No one is in distress. Question 1. Is this worth all my efforts or should I cull the flock and start anew next spring....and by flock including new boy and chicks?
Question 2. I’m out of quarantine space is quarantining even working since they slept together and now 3 new are sick. Roosting together makes them exposed. Question 3. Should I continue antibiotics. The course was 4tsp per gallon for 4 days then 2 tsp. Per gallon for 3 days. Thank you for any advice or insight you may have. It’s discouraging. My first flock. I took pride in the fact I hadn’t lost a single one until now.
Question 2. I’m out of quarantine space is quarantining even working since they slept together and now 3 new are sick. Roosting together makes them exposed. Question 3. Should I continue antibiotics. The course was 4tsp per gallon for 4 days then 2 tsp. Per gallon for 3 days. Thank you for any advice or insight you may have. It’s discouraging. My first flock. I took pride in the fact I hadn’t lost a single one until now.
I was a bit worried about the green poo but read a lot of conflicting things and only 1 of the quarantined was green poo....once. Yes I’ve been looking. I probably look like a crazy chicken lady Saturday when I administered antibiotics in all the waters I put a chair in the middle of the yard and made sure they all drank it. Every morning when I open the coop I watch to see everyone eat and drink. I listen to see if anyone else sneezes. I spend about an hour with them before I have to get ready for work...who needs coffee...
thank you for the info it was worth a check to see if I can get something sooner. The fact that they can be carriers is why I will have a necropsy done if another dies. I’m hoping no one dies and can get bloodwork done next week. And can figure out what it is I’m dealing with. I don’t want to have any issues in the future if I decide to add more to the flock. This is why I pondered if all this is even worth it...it’s sad very very sad and I’ve worked myself up over all this that I ponder if I’m doing all this and they have something they will be carriers for the rest of their life then I will have to cull the flock? Especially if I plan (and we all know one cannot resist) on adding more later. It’s tough....or cull those who get sick....ugh i just don’t know. At this point I’m making the best of what I CAN do. Antibiotics...quarantine...make them happy....they are all eating and drinking and no signs of distress.
