Suggestions for cleaning/bedding of run and coop?

[igorsMistress]

It's recommended that you sanitize your coop anytime you add chicks or at least once a year. Virkon S is what I use.

 

[aart]

What do you mean by depopulating, cleaning and three weeks with no birds?

This would be best...along with the testing.
How many birds are left....IIRC only one?

 

[igorsMistress]

This would be best...along with the testing.
How many birds are left....IIRC only one?

Sadly, I have to agree with this.

Any chick you have now with sneezing etc will have a weakened immune system and will pose a threat to your flock for the remainder of its life. It's your weak link. I've been here myself and didn't cull and start over. I paid dearly later.

How many chickens total do you expect to keep in your coop/run? How many older chickens did you have and what were the symptoms of the sick bird earlier this year? Respiratory?

 

[mountainchickens]

How many birds are left....IIRC only one?

Just one 2-month-old and three almost a year old.

How many chickens total do you expect to keep in your coop/run? How many older chickens did you have and what were the symptoms of the sick bird earlier this year? Respiratory?

By late fall we expect to have six or seven, and one of our hens has a tendency to go broody so she might hatch two or three next spring. We once had seven older chickens, but three were roosters and one died just before the chicks after being lethargic for three weeks. Now we have three older birds. The sick bird in February had discharge from the eyes and beak and respiratory symptoms.

 

[mountainchickens]

Would cleaning and three weeks with no birds mean culling? Is it possible that we could diagnose via testing and treat them in a completely clean, different coop and run while cleaning the other one?

 

[Folly's place]

Get that diagnosis first, and then you can have a plan that will actually work.
Mary

 

[igorsMistress]

Would cleaning and three weeks with no birds mean culling? Is it possible that we could diagnose via testing and treat them in a completely clean, different coop and run while cleaning the other one?

I'm sure others will disagree but here's what I did.

My chicks got sick, one died from respiratory illness but I nursed the others with GSE and herbs. They lived and laid eggs which was my goal. Within a couple of years I ended up culling them all due to a different illness. My young roo was the worst and he wasn't a part of the original flock, but almost all were sick. I culled even the 2 who seemed ok because they'd been exposed and weren't laying. Yes, I killed them, as humanely as possible. I have12 chicks that were exposed to those older birds before I knew there was an issue a second time. My fault entirely. I have the 12 chicks still and so far they are fine.

I housed them in a separate coop the entire time though and cleaned the main coop with Virkon S. I changed my entire set up in there. After a week I moved the littles in and they're still doing fine.

I'm planning to buy chicks again in the Fall, I'm starting over with breeding for meat and eggs, so I'll be cleaning BOTH coops again then because I'll be adding chicks.

It depends on your goals and the risks you're willing to take. If you do the testing it will tell you what your flock has and you can make better decisions based on that. Or you can skip the testing, cull them all, clean your coop and start again with chicks after your vacation. Or you can keep whoever seems fine, clean the coop and try again.

You have to decide what YOU think is best. If I could do it over, I would cull the chicks I started with and start fresh. That's based on my experience and personal feelings though. My chickens aren't my pets. They are my food.

 

[aart]

Would cleaning and three weeks with no birds mean culling? Is it possible that we could diagnose via testing and treat them in a completely clean, different coop and run while cleaning the other one?

Yes.

Diagnosis and treatment might work, but most respiratory stuff never really goes away and symptoms can crop back up with stress. Cross contamination between coops(and your clothes and equipment) would be difficult to avoid.
The risk is up to you.

 

[igorsMistress]

Yes.

Diagnosis and treatment might work, but most respiratory stuff never really goes away and symptoms can crop back up with stress. Cross contamination between coops(and your clothes and equipment) would be difficult to avoid.
The risk is up to you.

I completely agree with this. If it's not respiratory it could be something else too.