To cull or not to cull? In need of advice.

[Barredrock92]

They’re on probiotics, electrolytes, and ACV in the water now and some vitamin supplements. I’ll give your method a try as well.

I won’t be breeding or selling birds, they’re just for eggs and personal enjoyment.

They’ll be in the brooder for a while longer; so I have some time to see who makes it and who doesn’t.

 

[Ebony Rose]

...and NEVER handle the new birds before you tend to your existing flock, and then wash up and change clothes after you tend the new flock before you go back to your existing flock...

I handle this part of biosecurity a bit differently. I handle my existing flock FIRST. I feed, water, clean up, pet the members of the existing flock first and then, without changing clothes or washing up, tend to my quarantined birds... May seem harsh, but it exposes the new birds to their new home, in daily doses (often several times a day, like when it's hot and I need to freshen up their water).
I think of my approach as 'immunizing' the new birds; tiny doses of what they will come in contact with when they finally get out of their cage!

There is a HUGE difference between being a carrier and being immune, and starting to talk about needing closed flocks or having any other bird that is brought in get sick is WAY premature here.

Discussing a closed flock was less drastic than culling and since OP specifically asks if they should cull or not, I felt the timing of the possibility of a closed flock offered more hope than despair. In the same post, I also questioned how certain they are that their flock has a permanent carrier of some dreaded disease.

I want to be certain the difference is understood here, as some parts of the previous comments seem to have spoken like someone there is or was a permanent carrier of something terrible. That simply may not be the case.

Exactly. OP stated that even though their chick is now healthy, that they consider it a carrier now. My post questioned if OP is absolutely certain they have a CARRIER of a disease in their flock, or if their once sick chick was merely that... once sick, but now healthy... period.

 

[Barredrock92]

I handle this part of biosecurity a bit differently. I handle my existing flock FIRST. I feed, water, clean up, pet the members of the existing flock first and then, without changing clothes or washing up, tend to my quarantined birds... May seem harsh, but it exposes the new birds to their new home, in daily doses (often several times a day, like when it's hot and I need to freshen up their water).
I think of my approach as 'immunizing' the new birds; tiny doses of what they will come in contact with when they finally get out of their cage!

Discussing a closed flock was less drastic than culling and since OP specifically asks if they should cull or not, I felt the timing of the possibility of a closed flock offered more hope than despair. In the same post, I also questioned how certain they are that their flock has a permanent carrier of some dreaded disease.

Exactly. OP stated that even though their chick is now healthy, that they consider it a carrier now. My post questioned if OP is absolutely certain they have a CARRIER of a disease in their flock, or if their once sick chick was merely that... once sick, but now healthy... period.

I have no idea if she’s a carrier or not, but we’ll see if she gets better.


I also don’t quite understand the idea of a closed flock, or how to ensure that, or if it even matters in this case. I have a very small flock, that will never exceed more than 10 birds because of zoning rules, and I only keep them for eggs and companion ship. I don’t plan on selling or hatching birds.

 

[Ebony Rose]

A closed flock is one that doesn't go out to other people... birds can come into the closed flock, but can't go into other people's flocks because they're carriers of a lifetime-contagious disease or another. In your case, since you haven't any intentions of giving or selling your birds, it's a moot point Also, as stated in your last post, you're not certain that she's a carrier of a disease; you're only certain that your original sick chick got sick, was treated and is now better. This second chick getting sick, with symptoms similar to the first (very common symptoms, by the way), may or may not be related to your other chick.