Sold Sick Chicken

[AmericanGothic]

Hello all,

So this Spring I decided to revisit my childhood and keep chickens. We have 18 chicks now in an outside brooding pen about 5 weeks old chirping n healthy. Eager to cheat and get some eggs quicker we found a person on Craiglists in our local city who wanted to shrink the size of his flock.

Last Sunday, the 24th, we bough 8 chickens from him for 12 a piece. On day two, one had a bit of a cough. But she was doing fine, clucking along. Friday, she started having clear, nasal discharge and watery eyes. So I called in the big guns, me mum- born and raised on a farm. She said let the chicken live with the others so long as she looks overall healthy. After all, some animals have allergies.

This morning she looked fine. Then at 5 I come out and she's hiding under the nest boxes, away from the chickens. Her feathers look bad. She feels light and she doesn't have anything in her crop. I will be killing her soon. (I want her to get to live to the sunset. One last day free.) I also don't want the other chickens to see me kill her.

I killed birds as I kid, so I'm fine with that. Thing is, I'm a college student living with another college student. $12 is a bit much to shell out for a chicken that dies in a week.

The old guy was nice we bought her from. I plan to call him and ask for another chicken. (I like the birds a lot.) Any advice on how to?

 

[aart]

First of all, isolate the new chickens from the chicks so they don't get sick too.

I'd watch the new chickens and see if they really are sick. Inspect them thoroughly to see if they have mites or something else obvious. Maybe take the whole lot back to the guy and get your money back, you didn't pay good money for sick animals.

More experienced folks should chime in soon.

 

[bargain]

Hello all,

So this Spring I decided to revisit my childhood and keep chickens. We have 18 chicks now in an outside brooding pen about 5 weeks old chirping n healthy. Eager to cheat and get some eggs quicker we found a person on Craiglists in our local city who wanted to shrink the size of his flock.

Last Sunday, the 24th, we bough 8 chickens from him for 12 a piece. On day two, one had a bit of a cough. But she was doing fine, clucking along. Friday, she started having clear, nasal discharge and watery eyes. So I called in the big guns, me mum- born and raised on a farm. She said let the chicken live with the others so long as she looks overall healthy. After all, some animals have allergies.

This morning she looked fine. Then at 5 I come out and she's hiding under the nest boxes, away from the chickens. Her feathers look bad. She feels light and she doesn't have anything in her crop. I will be killing her soon. (I want her to get to live to the sunset. One last day free.) I also don't want the other chickens to see me kill her.

I killed birds as I kid, so I'm fine with that. Thing is, I'm a college student living with another college student. $12 is a bit much to shell out for a chicken that dies in a week.

The old guy was nice we bought her from. I plan to call him and ask for another chicken. (I like the birds a lot.) Any advice on how to?

I look at a sick bird in a different way. Generally, when a hen is sick or a rooster, generally I suggest to remove it immediately and quarantine, keep in separate area, feed, let it rest, give heat lamp as needed, as many poultry problems are contagious. It appears that she's being picked on if she's hiding. She probably has inadequate access to food and water in addition to the move and this probably brought on the illness. Moving chickens brings on stress which can make illness emerge. Were you given an opportunity to examine each of the birds or were they simply loaded up? If you buy in the future, take the time to look at each bird, for weight, health, mites, eyes and don't feel rushed into a decision.

I don't know if you are asking suggestions, but if I had bought a group of hens and one became ill, I would probably just not want any more hens from him. I know $12 is a lot of money, but at least since you can process the bird, it will be of some value to you, if you proceed in this direction.

I hope you are keeping the flock away from your brooder pen, so that if there is anything contagious then it would not spread. I know it's hard to wait on those first eggs - been there and done that!!!! Hope the rest of your hens are healthy and make it through okay. Hope some of my thoughts were useful to you! Nancy

 

[Mattemma]

When I got my roo off craigs he seemed fine.Must have brought something with him,because he made 2 hens sick.As soon as they got snotty I tossed them in the playpen in the garage for a week on meds.They made it fine.I bet yours might be ok if you wait it out.Course I have culled a few hens knowing illness/injury would not get better.Sometimes you just don't want to deal with it.

I might call the guy and let him know a hen was ill right after geting it home.See if he offers another.In the least you let him know his flock could be brewing something. Dang, you paid $12. I sold some hens back when I started out for just $4 each.They were just starting to lay,but drove me nuts picking on my RSL hens.