Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

caitybabes

Mojisola wrote: »

Holidays - cat to be looked after by neighbour, dog off to the kennels, chickens to Fowlty Towers!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2408915/Fowlty-Towers-Poultry-resort-opens-meet-boom-chicken-keeping.html

Wow! Amazing idea - she seems to really love chickens! We're very lucky that our neighbours on both sides look after our chickens whilst we're away, but I don't think they'd know what to do if one of them was poorly.

Mojisola

We're lucky enough to have neighbours who are happy to look after the chooks for us but it must be difficult for some people.

ALIBOBSY

I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts on some symtoms the chickens had/have.

Basically we were down to just one very old girl who hardly layed any eggs-she is around 6. So we went to a recommended local breeder and bought 5 new POL hybrids about 2 weeks ago.

Yesterday afternoon our old girl sneezed a few times. Picked her up and there was no snot/mucus or anything, but she did "rattle" a little bit. I put some poulty boost stuff (vitamins) in the water and sprinkled her with DE just in case it was some kind of mite-although I couldn't see anything on her. No other symtoms-eating and drinking, strutting around no runny bot. Went to check this morning to see if I needed to take her to the vet. This morning she seems fine, perkier than ever no rattle, no sneezes. BUT one of the new bird has sneezed a few times and sounds like our old girl did yesterday-newby is still eating and drinking, no bot problems and seems fine in herself.

So can chickens get a mild cold that just clears itself?

We have recently changed the bedding from straw to hay as it was cheaper, but seems more "dusty", could it be this?

Any thoughts or similar experiences?

Ali x

Gigervamp

You shouldn't use hay as it can cause respiratory problems in chickens, so it sounds like that's the culprit.

Otherwise, yes, they can get colds. Mycoplasma is another illness they can get which has similar symptoms (cough, rattle, sneezes and snotty nose).

ALIBOBSY

They are all in bed now and seem quite ok. I have put down a layer of different bedding on top of the hay and will get a bag of fresh straw tomorrow and clear the lot. Hopefully its just a bit of sensitivity to that as no mucus or other symptoms. Funnily enough I said the sneezing and such reminded me of when I get allergies or dust sets me off.

I left a message for the supplier we got them from in case she is aware of an issue that's come out after we bought, but no call back as yet.

Will see how things go tomorrow, but hopefully as things have not progressed its not a serious illness.

fingers crossed

Ali x

Gigervamp

Well, hay is a no-no with chickens, so hopefully it's just that that's causing the sneezing.

ALIBOBSY

Well the chickies haven't got any worse overnight and in fact the 2 birds who had been sneezy seem to be sneezing a bit less often.

They are all eating and drinking fine and no other symptoms which is good news. Got some apple cider vinegar this morning and some better bedding-gone back to the dust extracted straw we usually use.

Gave the whole coop a really good scrubdown, so hopefully things are sorted and the chickens will recover. I am hoping its a good sign neither of them have got any worse as surely a more serious infection/problem would have progressed by now?

Can't tell about egg production as they were POL. The one girl who had started laying straight away is still laying and our old girl is a bit hit and miss at her age anyway.

Fingers crossed its the combo of the hay and the stress of moving etc and they shake things off.

Ali x

ALIBOBSY

Well 3 days later and the girls are all still here. No sneezing now, but our old girl still sounds a bit horse when she does her shouty thing in the morning and early afternoon. So looks like it was the hay or just a mild cold that seems to be passing .

Ali x

Syman

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Well 3 days later and the girls are all still here. No sneezing now, but our old girl still sounds a bit horse when she does her shouty thing in the morning and early afternoon. So looks like it was the hay or just a mild cold that seems to be passing .

Ali x

good news!:T

Syman

Last night, my three girls became victims to the local foxes. Very sad,