UGH!!! I have over read about these sneezing rattle breathing hens I just got- I need the go ahead a

[LindsayRae]

I am super new to the chicken world. Ended up with 3 roosters and then traded two for 4 hens. . . .they were supposed to be decent and laying.

These things are scrappy. Missing feathers, beaks that were clipped and growing back(?), tons of parasites, and they have the sneezing with rattling sounds and snotty noses. . .

Really, it couldnt get worse. Im used to my beautiful fluffy roosters that followed me everywhere. . now I have these sketchy golden comets that I am *this close* to killing. . .

So far they have dramatically improved on looks and the way they have been moving around. They are in my homemade coop. A fancy tarp over a fenced off wedge of my yard, they have been dusted with Sevin, on Duramycin-10, and I just wormed them with Wazine. . . . . All on top of getting fresh veggies, cat food(suggested for protein), and electrolytes. This care has been going on for 4 days now. Except the worming, I did that today.

They are still snotty and weird breathing sounds. They eat and drink like there is no tomorrow. Way more than my roosters ever did.

I am reading how if they get better- I never can introduce a new hen to the flock without it getting sick too, and/or I will have to torch the coup when they finally die!!

I was really excited to have egg layers and I am LEARNING A LOT!! Buuuuuut, I am ready to hack off their heads if they dont start showing signs of being snot free. And I dont want to be restricted with my hen collection because I wasn't using my head in getting these hens.

If anyone has experience with this, it would be greatly appreciated. I would like to know if I should wait it out, or start watching YouTube videos on killing chickens.

Im pretty sure I will only order fresh day olds next time! WowZA!!

Basically they are normal except snotty noses, the dirt sticks on them a lot, and the weird breathing sound. . . .

 

[QueenMisha]

Sounds like a contagious respiratory disease. My flock carries two of these, so I have a lot of experience with them.

Do you like the hens? If not, cull immediately. You will also need to cull any bird who has been in contact with them. These diseases are not curable - they are only treatable. The hens may appear to "recover" but they will still spread and transmit the disease. Anything you bring in will come down with the same issues, and may or may not survive. Unless you have a bird who is literally like a child to you, culling is the best option. I have lived with a 24/7 quarantined flock for over 3 years now, 1 year with respiratory issues. I did it for my baby Misha, if I didn't have her I would've killed the whole flock, over 100 birds, chickens, turkeys, ducks, peafowl and all, it doesn't matter.

Daily keeping is a horror. Constant shoe bleaching and clothes swaps. Problem birds cannot be rehomed, only killed, and no shows, auctions, or swaps.

Kill them, burn them, bleach everything and leave the ground clear for a few months. Be sure your new birds come from a reputable hatchery or breeder, and always quarantine.

 

[LindsayRae]

Thanks for the reply!

I have no special bond with these gals. I have this rooster that I am fond of- He is separated by about 20ft of space. He got out and went to go look at the girls for about 2 minutes. Would that be enough time to transmit their illness? There wasnt any touching either. How would you say it transmits? Because they did go play under the same bush, just at different times. . .

So, unless I wake up tomorrow and they are popping out eggs and chirping to the sun, what do you recommend as the best way to end these birds? Or I should just hop on youtube?! Hah

 

[Toddrick]

Thanks for the reply! 

I have no special bond with these gals. I have this rooster that I am fond of- He is separated by about 20ft of space. He got out and went to go look at the girls for about 2 minutes. Would that be enough time to transmit their illness? There wasnt any touching either. How would you say it transmits? Because they did go play under the same bush, just at different times. . . 

So, unless I wake up tomorrow and they are popping out eggs and chirping to the sun, what do you recommend as the best way to end these birds? Or I should just hop on youtube?! Hah 

Like she said, it doesn't really matter if they appear perfectly healthy tomorrow or the next day. They are still carriers. If they have respiratory symptoms and runny noses then that is a clear sign of a contagious disease. I'd go the bleaching route...

 

[chickenpatch]

Poor babies

I think the best way is to put them down. Keep the rooster, I doubt he got the disease after just two minutes. But if he starts showing signs of the same illness then he'll have to share the same fate.

Next time avoid trading sick hens and always see and inspect the conditions they are raised and kept in.

 

[LindsayRae]

Thank you-

I guess I better grow a pair by tomorrow morning! Im getting the whole chicken experience in just a few months!!

They arent touching anything I would keep, except a dog crate. I think Ill just scoop up the dirt they are on and make it the bottom of my burn pile---I dont really have anything to bleach. . unless you are talking about using it in other ways . .

 

[LindsayRae]

Yeah- I dont know what I was thinking. I guess I am naive didnt know nearly half the stuff I learned in four days! I just really want some **** hens. First ALL roosters from chicks i bought, then this! hahah super lucky!

 

[QueenMisha]

Thanks for the reply!

I have no special bond with these gals. I have this rooster that I am fond of- He is separated by about 20ft of space. He got out and went to go look at the girls for about 2 minutes. Would that be enough time to transmit their illness? There wasnt any touching either. How would you say it transmits? Because they did go play under the same bush, just at different times. . .

So, unless I wake up tomorrow and they are popping out eggs and chirping to the sun, what do you recommend as the best way to end these birds? Or I should just hop on youtube?! Hah

Depending on the disease, it can be transmitted via various bodily fluids and/or poultry dust.

20 ft. away is a gamble, so is contact with the same areas. After you cull, bleach/clean everything ASAP, including the area he is in. Don't move him back into their area for at least a few weeks, preferably a few months. You can try adding new birds after this time period, but if he carries it, he may spread it without even exhibiting symptoms. Any/some new birds will likely become sick if this is the case.

Breaking the neck is ideal. Broomstick or posting are good ways to do this. You can also grab the bird by the neck, swing it around a few times, and then crack it like a whip. You can tell if a bird is dead by checking the eyes. A live bird will blink/react when the eye is poked, a dead bird will not. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between "injured neck/something is wrong spasms" and "I'm pretty dead now" spasms, that is the reason for this check. Poke the eye several times to be sure. If it blinks, repeat the neck-breaking process.

 

[LindsayRae]

Depending on the disease, it can be transmitted via various bodily fluids and/or poultry dust.

20 ft. away is a gamble, so is contact with the same areas. After you cull, bleach/clean everything ASAP, including the area he is in. Don't move him back into their area for at least a few weeks, preferably a few months. You can try adding new birds after this time period, but if he carries it, he may spread it without even exhibiting symptoms. Any/some new birds will likely become sick if this is the case.

Breaking the neck is ideal. Broomstick or posting are good ways to do this. You can also grab the bird by the neck, swing it around a few times, and then crack it like a whip. You can tell if a bird is dead by checking the eyes. A live bird will blink/react when the eye is poked, a dead bird will not. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between "injured neck/something is wrong spasms" and "I'm pretty dead now" spasms, that is the reason for this check. Poke the eye several times to be sure. If it blinks, repeat the neck-breaking process.

Dang- I messed up big time! The area they are in will just be kept fenced off. Ill sterilize everything. . I just watched how to kill chickens. I cannot do the neck thing. but cutting its throat seems easier. Maybe I should let them loose out in the wild for foxes and coyotes!

 

[QueenMisha]

Cutting the throat is easier, although I consider it unnecessary suffering if the bird is not for meat. Can you aim an axe? It's a more certain method, but is immediate.

Frankly, letting them loose is a bad idea. Anything you do to them is better than letting wild critters get their paws on them. Many animals don't kill before they eat.