Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Mercedes55]

OH picked up a Bluebell hen on Saturday when he took our young hen back to the breeders we had bought her from to make sure she was a hen and not a cockerel. Last night we noticed she seemed very quiet and was no longer interacting with the other 2 young hens in the run and was very hunched up and just kept closing her eyes. This morning she seemed to have a bit of mucous like stuff around her nasal passage and this evening she seems to be kind of sneezing or coughing and sort of shaking her head when she does this. Once again she has just been hunched up, not eating or drinking and closing her eyes all the time. I did phone the breeder this morning and he said she had been vaccinated but he wasn't specific with regard to what she had been given. I'm concerned that she may have myco The breeder suggested we take her back to him so he can look at her, but he is only available until 4pm each day and OH is at work till 5pm and the only day he can get back earlier is on Friday and we are only at the beginning of the week. I'm at a loss as to what to do. We can take her to our local vet but he has been quite honest with us and said he doesn't really have much experience with poultry, but would be happy to see her and give her some antibiotics. However I know that myco is very contagious and we now have 12 hens and I'm worried they are all going to be ill now and really don't know what to do.

 

Are there any other illnesses that produce those symptoms

[Chucky Mama]

Hmm I think I'd be tempted to isolate her and then take her back. Vaccinating is all very good but they have to be fit and well when they are done (and free from the disease they are being vaccinated against). I wouldn't take any chances if you have an apparently myco free flock at the moment. Whatever she has I would be worried that sneezing and discharge may pass on infection to others.

[Mercedes55]

Hmm I think I'd be tempted to isolate her and then take her back. Vaccinating is all very good but they have to be fit and well when they are done (and free from the disease they are being vaccinated against). I wouldn't take any chances if you have an apparently myco free flock at the moment. Whatever she has I would be worried that sneezing and discharge may pass on infection to others.

 

Well OH has come home from work, had his dinner and gone to bed as he doesn't feel well, so haven't been able to isolate her tonight. She is just with the other 2 young girls and I haven't opened the door to let them go into the other part of the run where the others are in the Cube. The ex batts are in the Eglu and there is a solid piece of wood between them and the ill girl to give some shade in the part of the run they are in. We got all 3 new girls from the same place and to be honest I wasn't happy with how they didn't seem sure of what breeds they said they had to sell, it was like they were just buying them in randomly from elsewhere and I had said to OH that I wouldn't buy from there again. I feel so stupid for not sticking to that I could kick myself Will isolate the Bluebell in the morning when OH can help me and hope we haven't left it too long.

 

Well I just dragged OH out of his sick bed and got him to help me move her into the Summer House. He isn't happy and said he feels like getting rid of them all at the moment and on days like today I can see where he is coming from as it's just one thing after another

[Chucky Mama]

Sadly you should probably have listened to those alarm bells that were ringing Fingers crossed for you.

[Daphne]

Oh dear, try to keep your pecker up. I think you've done the main things right - keeping her isolated. It could be any number of respiratory infections which are less serious than myco and moving house does tend to bring these things on. If it gets desperate is there any way you could get a lift/taxi before Fri? If not, keep her isolated, fed and fluids, perhaps with a booster tonic if you have any. You've done well to recognise you need to trust your instincts with regard to the seller, and even though hybrids are vaccinated, I'd always still keep newbies quarantined for 10 days or so if at all possible. I also hope your OH feels better soon.

[Plum]

I'd take your vet up on the offer of antibiotics for her and the other two if they show symptoms and get him to pay for them on friday. If she's hunched and not eating and drinking I wouldn't leave it until friday even if shes not coming home again.

 

Vaccination doesn't always take.

[Mercedes55]

Well I now seem to have the virus that OH has, so we are both feeling rather fragile today. However OH is going to drag himself in to work and go via the breeders with the Bluebell who this morning seems even worse. He is also taking the Silver Laced Wyandotte and the Old English Pleasant Fowl as both have been in the same run as the Bluebell and we bought them from the same place. I think as we are both feeling not too brilliant in ourselves all this hassle with the Bluebell have just brought us down. It's the first time I've heard OH mention rehoming all but the ex batts, but I can see his point as we seem to have had nothing but problems lately in one form or another

[scarlettohara]

I seem to remember someone saying they had also had a bad experience from that breeder when you posted before

[Mercedes55]

I seem to remember someone saying they had also had a bad experience from that breeder when you posted before

 

You know I had forgotten about that, but yes you are right, they lost 2 hens quite soon after buying them

[Chucky Mama]

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