Sooo much pooping

[sewitall]

This morning DH and I collected 2 new chickens - a white star and a bluebelle. Within an hour of arriving home the bluebelle was sneezing and by five o'clock was getting a rattling chest. Now having been through all of this within the last few weeks with a gingernut who sadly never made it after developing crop problems straight after being treated for mycoplasma I was anxious not to go down that road again so soon. So I 'phoned the breeder who was more than happy for me to swap to another bluebelle. This evening bluebelle mark 2 was placed in the divided-off run with the white star and within 30 minutes she too started sneezing. I use aubiose/hemcore for floor run material. The white star seems to be fine. Can chickens develop sneezing due to stress less than an hour after arrival? Or are bluebelles particularly sensitive to this type of bedding (at the breeders they were kept on earth with rubber chippings). Both bluebelles showed no signs of damp noses at the breeders and looked very healthy. I am flummoxed and a little bit concerned.

[Redwing]

Guessing where you got them from I'd probably keep the Bluebelle separate for a few days and keep an eye on her

[sewitall]

Thanks for your advice Redwing.

[Redwing]

No probs, to answer you actual question no Bluebelles are no more prone to allergies with bedding etc.. than other chooks

 

If could be down to the fact that the hen was in a box on the way home and scrabbled the bedding up making her snotty nosed

 

I would say that the Bluebelle pen at the breeders is probably to blame and that there is the sniffles going round it, if you can bear it I'd consider returning her for another breed from a separate pen

 

If she isnt better by tomorrow morning separate her from the other newbie too just in case

 

then keep an eye on her if you are set on keeping her. Sneezing is one thing a rattly chest is another so if she goes the same way as the first then think harder about keeping her

[sewitall]

Thanks again. All the hybrids are kept in one large enclosure (about 150 of them!) so I would be taking a chance doing yet another swap. All her hybrids are bought in just before POL and are vaccinated (including against mycoplasma although I realise this is not 100% guarantee). She is still sneezing this morning but is bright, eating etc. The only place I have where I can keep her separate is the garage so I may try her in there for a bit.

[Egluntyne]

Might be worth giving her some Citricidal.

[sewitall]

Thanks Egluntyne but put some in the water with some Avipro yesterday afternoon. There's also some poultry spice in the pellets.