- Nov 14, 2011
- 24
- 66
- 54
Short flock history. Long post.
Started with 30 chicks from a kindergarten project 8 + years ago. Free ranged, all got picked off one by one by foxes. Learned lesson, built run with top for hawk attacks.
Decided to go with friend to bird sale in July(stupid sucker me) and came home with 8 two month old various breed cute buggers, raised them for the year, healthy, awesome. 3 ended up roosters, 2 (araucana) were mean as hell so got rehomed, and even they couldn't hack them and shot them.
Said friend goes through separation in August moves and gives me birds she couldn't sell before leaving farm. Were isolated at my farm and all healthy, integrated slowly into flock after one month isolation and then only after separation by adjoining fence for a month.
Purchased 8 more mixed layers from another farm in November, isolated for winter, one bird was snuffly but not "sick" and only when it was stupid cold (below minus 20).
Separated by adjoining fence post-isolation to get used to each other one month. Integrated one month ago. pecking order established within few days, no visible injuries.
Now birds are sick one by one, but not the last farm-acquired flock, nor the oldest chickens from friend's flock (4 year old leghorns). Symptoms are runny nose, gunky eyes that are sealed on day 2 and three, but warm water bathing relieves this, coughing, sneezing, gurgly, lethargic, some sick birds have normal poo and some are yellow. There are some recovering already, and others still becoming sick, no mortality and no drop in egg production or weird eggs, etc. I have not medicated, because this could be viral, bacterial, fungal (so don't want to use something unnecessary), and seems self-limiting.
I have three six week old babies with a silkie surrogate only four feet away. I always practice management of these by feeding and watering first, etc, no contact directly, until older and ready to integrate.
Any ideas? And really, should I worry if none are dying? It doesn't fit into any disease standard as far as I can tell. And how the heck could it have taken this long to catch and incubate if the last flock is carrier? Is it something the wild birds may have "dropped off" ? The birds are not vaccinated, were hand-dewormed with Valbazen in late February and March, are fed layer pellets (recent = 1 month change from crumble, and supplier change at feed store)' fresh water every third day (5 gallon waterers), oyster shell grit, leftovers from kitchen, cracked corn and barley scratch.
Started with 30 chicks from a kindergarten project 8 + years ago. Free ranged, all got picked off one by one by foxes. Learned lesson, built run with top for hawk attacks.
Decided to go with friend to bird sale in July(stupid sucker me) and came home with 8 two month old various breed cute buggers, raised them for the year, healthy, awesome. 3 ended up roosters, 2 (araucana) were mean as hell so got rehomed, and even they couldn't hack them and shot them.
Said friend goes through separation in August moves and gives me birds she couldn't sell before leaving farm. Were isolated at my farm and all healthy, integrated slowly into flock after one month isolation and then only after separation by adjoining fence for a month.
Purchased 8 more mixed layers from another farm in November, isolated for winter, one bird was snuffly but not "sick" and only when it was stupid cold (below minus 20).
Separated by adjoining fence post-isolation to get used to each other one month. Integrated one month ago. pecking order established within few days, no visible injuries.
Now birds are sick one by one, but not the last farm-acquired flock, nor the oldest chickens from friend's flock (4 year old leghorns). Symptoms are runny nose, gunky eyes that are sealed on day 2 and three, but warm water bathing relieves this, coughing, sneezing, gurgly, lethargic, some sick birds have normal poo and some are yellow. There are some recovering already, and others still becoming sick, no mortality and no drop in egg production or weird eggs, etc. I have not medicated, because this could be viral, bacterial, fungal (so don't want to use something unnecessary), and seems self-limiting.
I have three six week old babies with a silkie surrogate only four feet away. I always practice management of these by feeding and watering first, etc, no contact directly, until older and ready to integrate.
Any ideas? And really, should I worry if none are dying? It doesn't fit into any disease standard as far as I can tell. And how the heck could it have taken this long to catch and incubate if the last flock is carrier? Is it something the wild birds may have "dropped off" ? The birds are not vaccinated, were hand-dewormed with Valbazen in late February and March, are fed layer pellets (recent = 1 month change from crumble, and supplier change at feed store)' fresh water every third day (5 gallon waterers), oyster shell grit, leftovers from kitchen, cracked corn and barley scratch.
