What should I do?

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RandiMarie

In the Brooder
Apr 28, 2021
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Hi Everyone! I love coming to this community for backyard chicken support, everyone is so mindful and wise. I own four beautiful healthy chickens for about a year and they are thriving like nothing else.

But I recently purchased two new chickens and I quarantined them per advice I had read so they never fully interacted with my original ladies. Upon the second week of having them, I noticed a wheezing and coughing sound coming from them. Well, long story short, I built a separate area for them and the sicker chicken died today. She had oozing eyes that eventually were stuck shut, she wheezed and had a cough.

The healthier chicken that she came with, stood by her side the entire time, and she only suffers from an occasional cough. But now she's alone in her quarantined coop area, and I feel horrible. She was nesting with her dead friend this morning when I found them. It broke my heart. The sad part is she seems perfectly fine, I just cannot chance to put her with my original ladies.

Well, now I would like to get her a friend. I was thinking of a couple of ducks? Any suggestions?
 
DobieLover said:
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
That's very sad.
You're in a tough spot. She very likely is now a carrier of whatever killed her friend. Most would suggest you humanely euthanize her to protect your main flock.
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Thank you!!!

Awe, I know. Thats what I don't want to do. Poor thing. Shes so sweet. If she starts showing worse symptoms, that may have to be the way.
Thank you for taking the time to reply to me🙂
 
Welcome to BYC! I'm so sorry for your loss. @DobieLover is correct, she is very likely a carrier. I hope your original flock hasn't contracted the illness. Respiratory illness is easily spread by humans interacting between to groups and that is the most likely cause of their illness.
I personally would have a float test done to rule out gapeworms and have her checked for a fungal infection to rule out aspergillus, if that's possible.
Again, I am so sorry.
 
janiedoe said:
Welcome to BYC! I'm so sorry for your loss. @DobieLover is correct, she is very likely a carrier. I hope your original flock hasn't contracted the illness. Respiratory illness is easily spread by humans interacting between to groups and that is the most likely cause of their illness.
I personally would have a float test done to rule out gapeworms and have her checked for a fungal infection to rule out aspergillus, if that's possible.
Again, I am so sorry.
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Thank you so much. I will look into those tests asap! Luckily we never exposed the sick ones to the healthy ones. thanks to this forum for suggesting to quarantine new chickens before exposing them to your flock. I interact with the sick chicken area last so that I make my way out of the backyard without getting near my healthy ladies.

I'm based in Los Angeles, Ca, so I'm having a bit of a hard time finding a local vet that cares for chickens. I'm going to keep looking tho!:barnie
 
RandiMarie said:
Thank you so much. I will look into those tests asap! Luckily we never exposed the sick ones to the healthy ones. thanks to this forum for suggesting to quarantine new chickens before exposing them to your flock. I interact with the sick chicken area last so that I make my way out of the backyard without getting near my healthy ladies.

I'm based in Los Angeles, Ca, so I'm having a bit of a hard time finding a local vet that cares for chickens. I'm going to keep looking tho!:barnie
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In California you can get a necropsy performed for about $20.00 bucks. There are labs in the state to send the body too.

More information: https://cahfs.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/tests-and-fees

Based on the results, you will be able to make a plan.

Welcome to BYC!
 

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