About two weeks ago I bought seven Buckeye pullets to add to our small Buckeye flock. One of them had what appeared to be an injury under an eye. Everyone seemed quite certain the bantam rooster who was in the pen with them may have been trying to mate with her and scratched her under the eye. The next day the eye looked worse even after treating it with anitbiotic ointment. The day after that both eyes looked bad and one was bubbling. Then I had a friend come over who knows a heck of a lot more about chickens that me (I am a novice). She said it looked like either corzya or some sort of pox, both of which she and my friends at Pet Chickens of Va. said is highly contagious and the birds should be culled. Two days later I had someone come get them and take them far away to "take care of things". A serious family situation got in the way of getting them out sooner....it was a really bad week!
In the meantime, I was careful to wash my hands and arms after handling the new pullets from the beginning. I don't remember if I changed shoes the first day though. I would wear an apron when I handled the new pullets which never left the brooder room where I was keeping them in isolation from my other birds. It wasn't until after my friends suspected how sick they were that I started to shower and change my clothes after being around them though.
It has been about fourteen days since I brought the new pullets home. It has been ten days since the pullets were removed from the property and culled. It has been eight days since we throughoughly cleaned and disinfected the room and everything else.
I have been watching my birds (twelve three month old Buckeyes and eight two month old guineas) like a hawk looking for signs of illness. They do have the occasional little sneeze...but no more than they did before; they will shake a head now and them but again, no more than before...usually because of gnats bothering them! One chicken had an eye closed for about half a day but no bumps, no bubbles, no oozing from anywhere, another bird seems to be developing wry tail. Other than that they are full of vim and vigor and bright eyed and alert and happy.
My questions are: How long before I can feel confident that I did not inadvertantly pass the illnesss on to them? I have been offered some free hens (not Buckeyes but we seriously need hens!) but I am reluctant to risk endangering them if my birds may be infected. Also, I have an abundance of roos and would love to be able to sell or trade them but cannot in good conscience if I suspect they may be carriers of an infectious disease. If I can't sell my roos and end up having to eat them (I am still not sure if I could no matter what but my husband wants to *sigh*), would it safe to eat them if I suspect they are carriers? I would google all this but every time I look at sites about corzya (the main suspect) I start crying again. It really broke my heart bad. *sniff* So please keep answers to the point and PLEASE be gentle. I am still morning those poor pullets and still kicking myself in the hind parts for possibly endangering my sweet Buckeyes and Guineas.
Rene.
In the meantime, I was careful to wash my hands and arms after handling the new pullets from the beginning. I don't remember if I changed shoes the first day though. I would wear an apron when I handled the new pullets which never left the brooder room where I was keeping them in isolation from my other birds. It wasn't until after my friends suspected how sick they were that I started to shower and change my clothes after being around them though.
It has been about fourteen days since I brought the new pullets home. It has been ten days since the pullets were removed from the property and culled. It has been eight days since we throughoughly cleaned and disinfected the room and everything else.
I have been watching my birds (twelve three month old Buckeyes and eight two month old guineas) like a hawk looking for signs of illness. They do have the occasional little sneeze...but no more than they did before; they will shake a head now and them but again, no more than before...usually because of gnats bothering them! One chicken had an eye closed for about half a day but no bumps, no bubbles, no oozing from anywhere, another bird seems to be developing wry tail. Other than that they are full of vim and vigor and bright eyed and alert and happy.
My questions are: How long before I can feel confident that I did not inadvertantly pass the illnesss on to them? I have been offered some free hens (not Buckeyes but we seriously need hens!) but I am reluctant to risk endangering them if my birds may be infected. Also, I have an abundance of roos and would love to be able to sell or trade them but cannot in good conscience if I suspect they may be carriers of an infectious disease. If I can't sell my roos and end up having to eat them (I am still not sure if I could no matter what but my husband wants to *sigh*), would it safe to eat them if I suspect they are carriers? I would google all this but every time I look at sites about corzya (the main suspect) I start crying again. It really broke my heart bad. *sniff* So please keep answers to the point and PLEASE be gentle. I am still morning those poor pullets and still kicking myself in the hind parts for possibly endangering my sweet Buckeyes and Guineas.
Rene.
