Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[Mercedes55]

I know this question must have been asked a million times and I have read and re read all the info I can about the importance of quarantine and just wonder how many people really do a 'proper' quarantine as in making sure they keep any news hens at least 5 metres apart for weeks and change their footwear and clothing everytime they go from one lot of hens to another and how many, like us, take shortcuts

 

As some know from my previous posts we have gradually increased our flock from the 4 ex batts we started with last Summer (sadly lost one at Easter) to a current total of 9 hens.

 

When we first increased our flock last September we had our new 4 posh girls in a separate house for 6wks and never mixed them at all, although there was only a wire partition between both runs. We had no problems integrating them after 6wks and quite honestly the thought of them passing diseases to each other didn't seem to be an issue as they all seemed healthy and obviously they were as none of them were ill after the intros were done.

 

The last time we got some more girls, as our ex batts were back in the Eglu and our posh girls were in the Cube, we made a makeshift run in the middle of our WIR to keep the new girls separate and only put them in the Cube on the second night. We thought they were all healthy, we were wrong. One had Myco and although we dealt with the situation immediately by taking the new hens back to where we bought them, our whole flock is now infected.

 

We now have all our girls on antibiotics and have no idea if they will survive, just hoping we took them for treatment in time. Obviously with hindsight we realise we should have kept the last lot of girls separate for longer, but it's so hard when you keep backyard hens and I know very few people who do a 'proper' quarantine. Ironically our ex batts, who just got ill today had no contact at all with the sick hen, yet a week on they too have Myco. I can only assume it's down to the fact that when we clean them out we have been wearing the same shoes and clothes etc. as it didn't occur to us that this disease is as contagious at it obviously is.

 

I'm not trying to scare anyone here but we've had the week from hell in our house and my OH and I both feel physically and emotionally wrecked with it all. Sad thing is much as I keep on blaming the supplier who sold us a "fully vaccinated hen" that he said would be fine to put straight in with our existing flock, we could have avoided all these problems if we had been able to introduce the new hens over a longer period of time.

 

I could kick myself for being so stupid and for putting my beautiful girls through all this

 

Related thread can be seen Here

Edited August 21, 2011 by Guest

[jennym]

Oh, that's terrible luck, I hope all of your ladies pull through. Thank you for sharing as a good warning to us all. I've not done any introductions yet but I'll definitely keep this in mind.

 

A question - is a hen who is vaccinated against myco 100% safe? Just wondering if it was a lying and/or incompetent supplier or if there's a possibility of illness even with vaccinations.

[Space Chick]

I'm so sorry, what a sad tale

 

I only fully separate for the first week, and then allow combined free ranging, and I know this is a common approach.

[Mercedes55]

I meant to add that the supplier who we returned the sick girl to intends to sell her and the other 2 girls on once they have finished their Baytril and are out of 'quarantine'. They will all be carriers now I have been told. They will all have the potential to be bought by an unsuspecting person who will think they have bought a healthy hen that could in reality cause to them all the problems we are going through

 

As for hens actually being 100% vaccinated it seems often that's not the case according to our vet. Some vaccines are given by spray and it's not that accurate I guess. I had a picture in my head of someone going round with a syringe giving all their hens their vaccines one by one

[Redwing]

Some vaccines are sprayed on and so can miss chicks

 

Personally I'd be skeptical of anyone selling vaccinated pure breeds unless they can give you full info, most pure breeds arent vaccinated but then that doesnt tend to cause problems

 

Hybrids are usually vaccinated as they are bought in from commercial hatcheries, the seller may be vague about the vaccination specifics simply because they didnt hatch the birds

 

As I hatch most of my own birds I rarely buy in new ones though I do have ones that pass through from time to timeas part of a chicken train (these are always kept separate throughout their stay)

 

Its really about having the right set up for new birds, most people who have chooks as pets dont have a second coop or a big enough garden to ensure sucessful separation so must simply do the best they can, in this case always buy from a recommended breeder, look at the breeding stock if you can keeping your eyes peeled for poor looking hens and if the people seem at all clueless walk away

 

If you can rig up a coop cover or some boards as a 'sneeze guard' between pens its better than nothing!

 

My no1 piece of advice re chooks is to do your homework thoroughly and get all your birds in one go if you possibly can, sure Morehens will strike but if it strikes constantly and you add to your chooks in dribs and drabs then you stand more chance of encountering a problem

 

I'm no angel with regards to quarantine or intros but the times I have lapsed are the times where a bird has come from a flock known to me

 

I am planning an increase in breeds kept in the next couple of weeks and will do a proper full on quarantine on that occassion, I am already clearing out whole runs in preparation and plan to see to the new birds after all of the existing ones to avoid problems

[scarlettohara]

Myco is airborne like lots of things so it's not your fault. I keep separate for a week and then free range together for a week then integrate, but I think the key is who you buy from. For the last year (gone from 8 to nearly 30 ) I have bought from small private breeders who are friends or recommendations and have had no sick hens. If you ever feel like getting more and I'm sure you don't at the moment, pm me and I can put you in touch with people who have small flocks of healthy chooks

[Mercedes55]

Was just going to type some more but OH just came in and sadly our Favorelle has just died.

[Redwing]

Oh no! I am so sorry, you have really had one awful week

[Mercedes55]

I'm gutted, I feel terrible, she was always my favourite girl and was the most friendly and trusting hen you could have and I let her down

[jackian]

How very sad , and a terrible time you have had ,but could someone explain what Mycro is please? being new to all this I have not a clue.

[scarlettohara]

I'm so gutted for you

[Daphne]

Mercedes55 - I am very sorry for you; I had a nasty feeling this was going to happen. RIP little faverolles girl Please try not to beat yourself up unduly, even though I always quarantine (not meaning to sound saintly) I've still had myco - it won't prevent it happening.

 

Jackian - myco is a respiratory disease; try googling it and you should find plenty of into. It can be fatal but thankfully most of the time it can be treated, tylan is the preferred antibiotic. It is a nasty disease, often brought on by stress (eg coming into lay, moving house, changing food, new introductions etc etc etc - chooks are quite easily stressed), and the most recognisable symptom is a foamy eye, coupled with wheezing, chesty, rattly breathing, lack of movement/appetite. It should not be underestimated.

[Mercedes55]

The irony is that we do try as hard as we can to quarantine, which was why when we had our WIR built we had a door put at either end so that if we introduced new hens we could divide it up. We even kept our Eglu when we got our Cube for that very reason, but had to put the ex batts back in the Eglu when one of them started plucking feathers out of the Favorelle and the Araucana to the extent where they both had bald necks and the Araucana still has a bald head, poor thing. Never realised how virulent this Myco could be and that it would spread so quickly.

[Chickvic]

I am so sorry to hear about your girl

[auntielizzie]

So sorry you lost your girlie today I hope the others manage to pull through Best wishes.

[pips_pekins]

So sorry to read your posts. What an awful time you have had. I do hope your other girls will be ok.

[WitchHazel]

Mercedes, I'm so sorry to hear of the problems you have encountered and I am especially sorry that you've lost your lovely little Faverolle.

 

It could have happened to anyone. True, full, quarantine - washing hands and changing clothes and shoes between pens - is rarely done. At best, I would guess that people just keep the hen as separate as possible, say in another bit of the garden where space and accomodation permits, and leave the newbies for a week or so to see that no illness develops; then moving on to having adjoining free range areas (or half of a divided walk in run).

 

You'll certainly know not to use that particular supplier again.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Hazel xx

[Egluntyne]

I agree. I always keep any new hens completely away from my established flock for a minimum of one week, to observe for the signs of the onset of any illness, but I don't change clothes, and footwear etc.

[Luvachicken]

So sorry to read about your lovely chicken.

I hope the others are getting better.

You really have had an awful time of things. I hope things improve soon.

[Chucky Mama]

I meant to add that the supplier who we returned the sick girl to intends to sell her and the other 2 girls on once they have finished their Baytril and are out of 'quarantine'. They will all be carriers now I have been told. They will all have the potential to be bought by an unsuspecting person who will think they have bought a healthy hen that could in reality cause to them all the problems we are going through

 

Yes they will be carriers and it is very sad to know that someone else will unwittingly be buying birds that will infect their flock No doubt they will deny all knowledge when it happens. Apart from animal welfare side of this, it is jolly expensive, stressful and time consuming nursing them through this It is one thing having carriers in a private flock as it is containable but quite another to breed and pass on birds to other people knowing that they are carriers.

[Mercedes55]

 

Yes they will be carriers and it is very sad to know that someone else will unwittingly be buying birds that will infect their flock No doubt they will deny all knowledge when it happens. Apart from animal welfare side of this, it is jolly expensive, stressful and time consuming nursing them through this It is one thing having carriers in a private flock as it is containable but quite another to breed and pass on birds to other people knowing that they are carriers.

 

I have emailed the supplier again and told him what happened to our Favorelle and that our whole flock has been affected, so he needs to take note of what I am telling him and treat those girls as being carriers. Didn't hear back from him, now why does that not surprise me

[Chucky Mama]

very naughty.

[Daphne]

This is precisely what annoys me most about your unfortunate story. You have had all the anguish and expense, but the underlying problem has been caused by somebody else. You probably don't want to be bothered as it just prolongs the agony but I do wonder if this could be construed as either an RSPCA or Trading Standards issue; it must be downright reckless to sell stock like this and its certainly not fit for purpose. The other thought, which is probably more effective, that occurs to me is that the supplier won't be a supplier if "Ooops, word censored!"ody buys from him. Adverse publicity?

 

Mods - I hope I haven't contravened any rules; please remove my post if I have.

[Mercedes55]

This is precisely what annoys me most about your unfortunate story. You have had all the anguish and expense, but the underlying problem has been caused by somebody else. You probably don't want to be bothered as it just prolongs the agony but I do wonder if this could be construed as either an RSPCA or Trading Standards issue; it must be downright reckless to sell stock like this and its certainly not fit for purpose. The other thought, which is probably more effective, that occurs to me is that the supplier won't be a supplier if "Ooops, word censored!"ody buys from him. Adverse publicity?

 

Mods - I hope I haven't contravened any rules; please remove my post if I have.

 

Well I did phone DEFRA, no help. They gave me a number to phone and I spoke to a vet who told me as it wasn't a notifiable disease there was nothing they could do. I did name and shame the supplier on a number of hen forums and was threatened with a ban from one of them and all my links were removed. I don't consider myself to be a trouble making kind of person, but as I'm sure I've said a lot of times already, I would hate for anyone else to go through this.

[Daphne]

Well you've done a lot Mercedes55 to try to help, more than many, well done you