Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

Third outbreak of Avian Flu

This one is in Herefordshire

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-54911712 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-national-prevention-zone-declared

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Thanks Edwink. All very worrying (although is this dramatically different to previous years? I've not really done hen keeping for that long). 

We're having our own mild hen drama here today - poor old Rusty is looking a bit uncomfortable. She's been slow for a couple of days, spent a while in the nestbox a couple of days ago without laying anything, and this morning just seemed a bit less bright than usual. Gave her a prod, and her abdomen is all swollen which isn't a good sign, so we've given her a bit of a bath to see if we can ease things along a little. She's currently in the house drying off, and having a bit of a snooze. Not liking the heavy breathing - this is what happened to Bessie when she swelled up (although that was several months ago and Bessie is still with us!)

Fortunately we've been able to get to see the vet this afternoon. A new vet to us, although we did register with them when Bessie was ill, but their chicken specialist was on holiday so we ended up somewhere else. They're quite a bit closer than the other place (still a 50 mile round trip, but better than 90 miles!) They're registered with ChickenVet too so fingers crossed. 

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:

Thanks Edwink. All very worrying (although is this dramatically different to previous years? I've not really done hen keeping for that long). 

We're having our own mild hen drama here today - poor old Rusty is looking a bit uncomfortable. She's been slow for a couple of days, spent a while in the nestbox a couple of days ago without laying anything, and this morning just seemed a bit less bright than usual. Gave her a prod, and her abdomen is all swollen which isn't a good sign, so we've given her a bit of a bath to see if we can ease things along a little. She's currently in the house drying off, and having a bit of a snooze. Not liking the heavy breathing - this is what happened to Bessie when she swelled up (although that was several months ago and Bessie is still with us!)

Fortunately we've been able to get to see the vet this afternoon. A new vet to us, although we did register with them when Bessie was ill, but their chicken specialist was on holiday so we ended up somewhere else. They're quite a bit closer than the other place (still a 50 mile round trip, but better than 90 miles!) They're registered with ChickenVet too so fingers crossed. 

Hi Cheery

Yes, it is different from the last outbreak of Avian Flu in this country because we have "yet" to be told to keep all of our poultry undercover although I am sure as the outbreak(s) spread across the country (if it does) this will become mandatory for all poultry keepers.  Bird flu can be spread by wild birds through their droppings so it can spread very rapidly.  It would be just a matter of keeping your girls undercover at all times and making sure you do not take wild bird droppings in on the bottom of your footwear.  Last time we went outside with one pair of shoes on and at the hens coop we changed into our wellington boots and went in with those on and changed back again when leaving their coop. I'll keep this thread updated as and when I hear anything further.

If anyone hears or reads anything further on the outbreak please do post it on here for others to see, many thanks. 

Poor Rusty, how is she now Cheery?.  You didn't say in your post what your new vets thought the problem was with her. It is always a worry when they are not at all well, bless her.  Glad this vet is nearer to you and you didn't have a 90 mile round trip this journey to the vets. Please do let me know how she is getting on.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Well we have had a right fiasco today! 

Most disappointed with new vet, and won't be going back. I chose them because they were a Chicken Vet 'associated practice' (whatever that means - supposedly that they have training etc). They said on the phone they weren't chicken experts, but they saw a lot of chickens - I should have taken that as a warning sign...

Vet came out to the car, but was clearly in a rush and not that interested in listening to what I had to say (but then I do waffle...). She was in and out within about 5 minutes. Said it was egg peritonitis, there wasn't much they could do, gave her an injection of anti inflammatories. 

We told him we'd thought it was similar to what happened to Bessie, that she'd had fluid drained and an implant, and was it worth considering those for Rusty? No, he said, he'd felt inside, there was no fluid, no infection, it was just one of those things.

Basically go away and see if she dies

Anyway, we weren't taking that, not when this is EXACTLY what happened to Bessie - one said she was about to die, the other did various things and she's still with us and healthy months later. So we rang the other vet, the one we actually trust (but who are miles away), and bless em, they managed to squeeze us in, although we did have to hang around for a bit.

Anyway - today's tally. Two vets, 100 miles, 7 hours in the car (including waiting time), 2 injections, anti inflammatories, antibiotics, an ultrasound, and a hormonal injection And would you believe she's still not our most expensive chicken?! Although at £300 in one day she's coming close...

Poor thing was quite disorientated - of course it was dark by the time we got to the second vet. When we finally got home we put her straight to bed with the others, poor thing will be wondering what on earth happened! Hopefully feeling better by tomorrow though...

edwink

As you say Cheery what a Fiasco, OMG.  You really are not having much luck with your girls health and all the vet visits.  From what you say it sounds as though the first vet was not at all bothered by what was happening to her. 

I do hope she is feeling much better in the morning Cheery.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Thanks edwink. I suppose our older ladies are almost three and a half years old now, which is knocking on for an ex battery hen And I'm sure most sensible people would take the advice of their local vet rather than tearing half way round the country!

Pleased to report that Rusty seems rather brighter today, thank goodness. She was actually making quite a bit of noise today, which is normal for her - always worrying when she's quiet! She took her medicine well today too. Yesterday we tried to hide antibiotics in grapes and she got all suspicious and refused to eat them but today I managed to cut the damn tablets (which are almost the size of a 10p piece) into six and hide the pieces in sultanas or cheese. Put her off guard by giving her an unadulterated sultana, and then she just swiped the rest out of my hand one at a time, no bother She's getting quite a few treats though - 3 sultanas and 3 sultana sized pieces of cheese (to keep things interesting) twice a day, plus anti inflammatory liquid soaked into a bit of bread. Spoilt chicken! 

Been a vile day for them here. Thick fog til about 11 so we left them in the run, then it was p*sting down and really dingy by about 2.45 so we put them back in again.

See a couple of stoats knocking about the garden and fields this week it's that time of year I suppose, but after what happened last time I don't like to think of them so close to the ladies I don't THINK they'd go after an adult hen out wandering, but I don't trust them at all now

edwink

Information from the British Hen Welfare Trust

Avian Influenza | British Hen Welfare Trust

Edwink x

baggins11

Thanks for that link edwink. I have to admit I was very confused trying to work out if the hens needed covering before seeing this. Also I read another source saying the boot dip was mandatory and also food/water had to be under cover. It said otherwise you face fines.

I will do these things anyway as we are not a million miles from an outbreak but I am glad I have a little time to think about how to cover my girls. We didn't have hens last time around and they are used to a very large enclosure.

Cheery_Daff

Yes, thank you edwink, I just got round to reading that link. We don't have a boot dip, but I'm going to pop to the country supply shop on Saturday and get the recommended stuff, disinfectant etc and set us up a boot dip. I did a good clear out of the chicken run last weekend, dug a couple of inches of the ground cover out (partly for compost, partly because I assume it helps with the build up of parasites, not that they're in the run very often!) 

We did used to get the odd garden bird sneaking into the run to punch the food, but that seems to have stopped completely since we switched to hanging feeders, so there's no spilled food on the ground. We do scatter corn in the evening but the hens seem to eat ALL of that, which they don't with the food. Pesky blighters. Our run is at least covered with a proper roof now so if they do end up having to be under cover, we won't be messing around with tarps. Hoping very much that doesn't happen. 

Rusty seems to be improving, although goodness me it's difficult to get tablets down her! We've not yet experimented with forcibly stuffing them down her throat - Mr Cheery is very averse to the idea and is far more patient than me in trying to disguise bits of tablets inside sultanas etc. I was banished from the room today because I was getting so impatient, and she has become properly suspicious of anything we try to feed her, even grapes and cheese

Hey ho. The rest of the tablets have all been pulverized throughout the week so we'll be experimenting with yogurt/oats. I just wish they weren't bright pink - they're so obviously not food!! Much easier to give her the anti inflammatory liquid on a tiny bit of bread!

edwink

This might be helpful for making your own boot dip

https://virkon.com/product/biosecurity-products0/how-to-guides/preparing-a-virkontm-lsp-disinfectant-boot-dip/ 

Edwink x