We lost a chook :(

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

I should have seen this coming :cry:

One of our new chooks sneezed every now and then. Not often enough for me to think she was sick, but enough that I was taking note of it. The other baby seemed fine.

On Thursday evening, the older hens were free ranging and my 3yo decided to let the babies out. They were only with the older hens for about 15 minutes and as we went to get the older girls to put them in the coop, they both ganged up on the sneezy chook and attacked her. Most of you will know where this is going...

Sneezy chook sat on the ground for quite a while, I helped her stand up and then she just stood there for ages. I figured she was stressed, so we let her have her space and guided her back into their coop. She seemed quiet but otherwise unscathed.

Checked them Friday and they all seemed fine, with Sneezy still sneezing occasionally. Saturday morning we left to stay overnight somewhere and on the way down Miss 12 tells me that she checked the babies before we left and thought that Sneezy sounded like she was breathing funny. I half expected her to be dead by the time we got home today, and she was

I feel bad for Miss 12 because this was "her" chicken. Anyway, as I was removing Sneezy from the coop, I heard the other baby sneeze.

So my question is this: I have read here that respiratory infections with chooks are common, and pretty easily treated. Meds can be bought online (Oxymav B) and I need to keep the surviving baby away from the older hens. How far away should I keep them, and since the coop the sick chooks were in is pretty much right up against the other coop, should I put the older hens on a course of Oxymav just to be safe?

And now I am worried that the two older hens will gang up constantly on the other baby. I was going to keep them free ranging separately until the baby is bigger, but she is still going to be outnumbered. Should I get another chook when the baby is better and not sneezing, and put them together?? I dont have a 3rd coop.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

I can see that the oxymav is pretty easy to come by (Pet Stock?) so treating all the hens wont be a problem, which is great.

Still dont know what to do about the odd chook out though. Should I wait until she is 20w old, and then get another of the same breed that is also 20w and put them together? Would that be ok or is that a bad idea? I realise I run the risk of the new chook infecting the existing 20w old with whatever diseases it may have but I dont know what else to do, short of getting a 3rd coop which isnt going to happen.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

My deepest condolences on the death of Hedwig :cry:

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Stress can result in illness also we have had some EXTREMES of weather in Victoria of recent...

Inform the breeder politely that you now have a deceased new baby who was sneezy since she came home. Keep Bagee in quarantine from the older girls and perhaps put a padlock on the door and keep the keys out of reach so the little 3 year old who can't let her out to play with BIG girls...

I think that patience is a virtue, wait until the little ones are BIG enough to defend themselves from older more experienced hens and their pecking order battles.

After all they are chooks and they have a rank and order and it is THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST and they will relentlessly bully the weak and ill.

Keep Bagee isolated from the others until she is well and fit, and make sure your little chickee doesn't liberate her to again for a play date

Maybe you can get another Hedwig who will be the same age when Bagee has recovered.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

Thanks PP, I was going to do all those things

Do you think it would be ok to put a new 20w old together with Bagee when she is 20w old? She is only 12w now so there is a fair bit of time to work it out. I dont know anyone who has a spare 3rd coop that we could borrow (and to be honest, the idea of having 3 coops for 4 chooks even temporarily is not appealing).

wickedwings · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:49 am

I would speak to the breeder and see what she has to say about the sneezing and death. She may offer you some advice on treatment. Tell her you'd like to replace the dead one and see if she'll come to the party with a discount on anther sussex, she should have some of a similar age. That depends of course if you are willing to risk another one from the same place.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

^ I was thinking of doing that wickedwings, though right now my priority is finding some oxymav b. I have called around and no one seems to have it. The Pet Stock people didnt know what it was, and neither did my local vet :-?

Does anyone know where I might find it in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne?

wickedwings · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:35 am

I think you would be better off taking it to the vet first rather than just administering medication without knowing what you're treating. There is an avian vet in Burwood http://www.birdclinic.net/ you could try.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

Yeah, if I didnt have this forum I probably would do that, but I am pretty confident I can sort this out.

Although in saying that, oxymav b seems extremely hard to come by, despite it being available for sale over the counter. Not one single vet clinic I have called knows what it is, and the only pet supplies shop that knew what it was told me they only order it in when requested and that it would take a week.

Taking the chooks to the vet seems to be a redundant idea if they dont even have the medication to treat the animal. One place wanted $70 to see the chicken, and $17 for an undisclosed amount of an unamed medication.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:53 am

Have you spoken to the avian clinic? One would suspect that a vet that is set up to deal with birds might be better stocked than one that is more of a general practice. Of course, one could be wrong.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

I called them as soon as I read your message. They were the ones that wanted $70 to see the chicken, and couldnt tell me anything about the medication other than how much it costs.

On the phone to the Sydney people who supply Melbourne stockists to see if they can point me in the right direction. She said most places will take a week to get it in if ordered, and a week is a long time when you have sick chooks. Seeing if it goes by another name, or if there is an equivalent I can use.

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