gagirl02
Chirping
- Aug 22, 2016
- 68
- 38
- 81
I purchased a young hen and two pullets from another backyard chicken owner. When I got them home I separated them in another pen from my established flock. They were about 250 feet apart.
The day after I got them one of the pullets started sneeting, slinging her head with clear liquid coming from her nostril. I kept her for about a week and after much despair and advice from here decided to give her back. I got a hen in her place. Then the other pullet got fowl pox. After she got over it, the young hen I got originally of the 3 got fowl pox. I waited until they were healed and about 5 weeks passed (still separated) before I put them with the established flock. Two weeks later, my 3 yr old roo starts sneeting and wheezing. I took him to the vet. His lungs were clear and was diagnosed with URI. He got a shot of Baytril and sent home with 10-days of baytril. But the vet asked me if I added any new birds. I told him I had, AFTER they had been separated for 5 weeks. He said that is why he was sick - the introduction of new birds. I kept him in the house in a large dog cage Thursday - Sunday. It had warmed up Sunday and was dry so thought it would do him good to get some fresh air. I let him stay with his girls (where there was no draft) overnight. I went out this morning to get him to give him his daily dose of Baytril, but I could hear him wheezing with each breath. I got him and put him back in the house. He's still wheezing some and sneeting some. I don't know what else I could have done to ensure the new birds were well enough to not infect the others. How do you add to a flock if introducing new chickens will make your established flock sick. That's question #1. Question #2 - is my roo going to get over this or will he be forever altered because of the URI? He's eating, drinking, crowing (even at 4 in the morning - waking up the whole house), and acted fine yesterday when he was back with the flock. Any help would be appreciated.
The day after I got them one of the pullets started sneeting, slinging her head with clear liquid coming from her nostril. I kept her for about a week and after much despair and advice from here decided to give her back. I got a hen in her place. Then the other pullet got fowl pox. After she got over it, the young hen I got originally of the 3 got fowl pox. I waited until they were healed and about 5 weeks passed (still separated) before I put them with the established flock. Two weeks later, my 3 yr old roo starts sneeting and wheezing. I took him to the vet. His lungs were clear and was diagnosed with URI. He got a shot of Baytril and sent home with 10-days of baytril. But the vet asked me if I added any new birds. I told him I had, AFTER they had been separated for 5 weeks. He said that is why he was sick - the introduction of new birds. I kept him in the house in a large dog cage Thursday - Sunday. It had warmed up Sunday and was dry so thought it would do him good to get some fresh air. I let him stay with his girls (where there was no draft) overnight. I went out this morning to get him to give him his daily dose of Baytril, but I could hear him wheezing with each breath. I got him and put him back in the house. He's still wheezing some and sneeting some. I don't know what else I could have done to ensure the new birds were well enough to not infect the others. How do you add to a flock if introducing new chickens will make your established flock sick. That's question #1. Question #2 - is my roo going to get over this or will he be forever altered because of the URI? He's eating, drinking, crowing (even at 4 in the morning - waking up the whole house), and acted fine yesterday when he was back with the flock. Any help would be appreciated.