Okay. MY fiance and I bought 7 hens over the corse of this August, 2011. We started with 3, a Buff Orpington and 2 Rhode Island Reds. then we bought 2 Americanas and then later we bought 2 more mix breed hens. No roosters. Right now 3 are laying and the rest are very close to laying.
The problems began back when we got them in August, the 2 Americanas I bought sick and didnt know it. this is my first flock, EVER. So these 2 have always had runny noses and because they were new and smaller they were picked on pretty hard in the begining, which I thing stressed them out even more. at one point it go so bad I was picking solid chicken boogers out of ther nose so they didnt have to breathe through their mouths. so we called the couple we bought them from and did the apple cider vinigar in the water for ever and they started to look better and then in Oct. we got this freak snow storm and all my chickens started getting runny noses and coughing.
and today one of my americanas has droopy feathers and I dont think i have ever seen her with the tail feathers up but now its her wings, they arnt dragging on the ground but shes not as perky and alert as her sister. she never stands up straight. All of the other chickens have runny noses and are coughing. it keeps getting colder and there coughs are getting worse. Also they dont cluck any more. they only cough and occasionally they will screech, but its raspy. I went to the tractor supply and they gave me antibiotics to give them but I really dont understand how much i am supposed to give them and I have been reading here and people say not to use them.
also they are starting to get watery poop. super watery poop. The other day I watched one f my RIReds poop straight water. I saw it come out, I heard it and then there was nothing on the ground. it was bad. and there are just puddles of poop everywhere. light brown puddles that smell sooo bad. this liquid poop has been going on for about 2 weeks now. We switched food, started using scratch to give them some variation in their diet and we alternate using powdered vitamins and vinigar in their water, but nothing is working
so! I want my girls healthy! what do I do? I grew up in a city and I really have no idea what im doing. I mean im learning as I go and i really care about them! I just want to hear there chicken voices again! no more sneezes and coughing!
Thanks!
The problems began back when we got them in August, the 2 Americanas I bought sick and didnt know it. this is my first flock, EVER. So these 2 have always had runny noses and because they were new and smaller they were picked on pretty hard in the begining, which I thing stressed them out even more. at one point it go so bad I was picking solid chicken boogers out of ther nose so they didnt have to breathe through their mouths. so we called the couple we bought them from and did the apple cider vinigar in the water for ever and they started to look better and then in Oct. we got this freak snow storm and all my chickens started getting runny noses and coughing.
and today one of my americanas has droopy feathers and I dont think i have ever seen her with the tail feathers up but now its her wings, they arnt dragging on the ground but shes not as perky and alert as her sister. she never stands up straight. All of the other chickens have runny noses and are coughing. it keeps getting colder and there coughs are getting worse. Also they dont cluck any more. they only cough and occasionally they will screech, but its raspy. I went to the tractor supply and they gave me antibiotics to give them but I really dont understand how much i am supposed to give them and I have been reading here and people say not to use them.
also they are starting to get watery poop. super watery poop. The other day I watched one f my RIReds poop straight water. I saw it come out, I heard it and then there was nothing on the ground. it was bad. and there are just puddles of poop everywhere. light brown puddles that smell sooo bad. this liquid poop has been going on for about 2 weeks now. We switched food, started using scratch to give them some variation in their diet and we alternate using powdered vitamins and vinigar in their water, but nothing is working
so! I want my girls healthy! what do I do? I grew up in a city and I really have no idea what im doing. I mean im learning as I go and i really care about them! I just want to hear there chicken voices again! no more sneezes and coughing!
Thanks!
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