[trinacooke]

Hi All

I need some advice from all you experts on here! please....

As some of you know I lost 3 of my girls to a fox attack a few weeks ago   

We as a family were devistated although one girl Sage Survived  any way we managed to get a speckled hen from my last supplier but they would not get any more chickens until the end of July.

I hunted down another supplier in Essex and we went to meet her and came home with 3 pullets a Black Pearl, a Rhode Ranger and a Maran Cuvier the lady had a lovely website and a long list of happy customers on her blog!! she holds chicken advise days and seems very knowledgeable on chickens .....

Well two of the chickens started shaking their heads the next day and sneezing and coughing they had bubbles comming from their eyes and nostrils ...... so I phoned her and she assured me they have just been vaccinated for bronchitas and they sometimes get colds as it is a live vaccine! and dont worry they will get over it!!!! well yesterday my Maran 'Brie' died in my arms  and now the Rhode Ranger is sneezing as is my poor 'Sage' but The Black Pearl 'Pearl' has got over it now and she is fine!!!!

I phoned the lady who is still standing by the Vaccination story and said 'Brie' probably picked up a secondary infection and as she was a young pullet probably was too weak to pull through, as they normally just have a sniffle for a couple of weeks! and thats it.

She has offered a replacement 'as a good will gesture' her words in which we are going to get tonight! as she did not offer to give me my money back she did offer a credit on my account ??

What do you think ? I would like some advice on this vaccination business! they are apparently vaccinated for alot of things she has a long list including Myplas...thingie.

has any one had these symptoms with their new chickens please!

I have been through quite alot loosing my girls then this!! so please put my mind at rest! 

Trina

[poultrygeist]

Hi trina.

I can't offer any advice but it sounds like very poor service to me. I would have thought she'd want to know exactly what was wrong in case it was affecting the rest of her flock.

I hope someone can give you some proper advice.

Rob

[Kym503]

Hi

I can't offer any advice re the illness but I would definately wait till all the others are healthy before collecting your replacement.

Kym

[GrannieAnnie]

I personally would be very concerned Trina!  See, told you to come to Lincolnshire!

I vaccinated my last flock of Babcock's against 3 things, infectious bronchitis was one of them.  The chicks were only weeks old at the time, and none suffered any ill health whether temporary or otherwise!

When you go back tonight, ask her if they have been vaccinated against Mareks disease, and ask her when they had these vaccinations.  If she gave them to the hens, she should have records.  I can tell you when mine had theirs and the batch numbers, everything!

But looking down my list, the foamy eye and nasal discharge sounds more like mycoplasmosis.  Really though you want to get your other girls well like Kym said before getting any more in case they catch it too!!!

Hope they are okay!!!!

[trinacooke]

It was so kind of you Granny when you offered to bring a couple down for me when you came to Danbury! but I had picked the 3 girls up already! I would have loved some of your chickens and I know they would have been superb birds!! people are so kind and it is appreciated!

I went to the lady tonight to have a chat and she showed me the vaccination chart and dates batches etc....... mycoplasmosis and Bronchitas also meriks disease and various others ....... she works in a vets and gave me some water sol Antibiotics incase they have an infection...

So we will see .. as I said the first bird that went down with it, is fine now after a week of being poorly.

thanks so much for the kind replies.

Trina 

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh well if she works in a vets, then she has access to the vaccinations, and at least has now shown them to you.  that's good  Trina.

I do hope all your girlies get better soon!!!   And NO MORE FOXES!!!!   

[hopper]

Hi there,

It sounds just like what I had with my first girls.

I had my girls from local farm 2weeks ago -all vaccinated- and one of them was just like your hens : bubbles in her eyes, shaking head...my one had nose bleeding as well as yellow dropping, chesty breathing.

I went through some intensive internet search and I suspected CRD.

When I phoned the lady who supplied the girls and mentioned the CRD she was very strait and ask me to bring them in for refund. (Later conversation, she admited that her flock had CRD problem last year and thought it's over...well it isn't..)

It is a possiblity your girl's have this (or IB, Mycoplasma -as the symptom's almost identical)


Thing is though if it's the case...(I hope not....)you'll have to get rid of ALL of your birds INCLUDING those looking ok ones.

It's extremely contageous and if one have it, all have it (with or without symptoms) within a day or two.

Once they have the virus it's for good.

You can treat(?) them with a jab from vet but it's expensive and if you ever going to add new flock to exisiting one they'll have it too as survivors carriers.

If you breed eggs from infected bird, chicks will have it and mortality will be high.



Some people decide to keep them, tend them and live with them.

My choice was send them all back, disinfect the hen house and wellies, car, cage,.... leave it empty for more than a week, moved the hen house to new spot and start all again.


I'll advise you to contact the supplier again.
She can't say because hens vaccinated they'are fine when clearly they aren't. (Mine were vaccinated too)


I'm sorry I couldn't give you a good news.

hope this helped.

[trinacooke]

What does CRD stand for?

Thanks for the info I will give them a week as the lady has urged me to use this antibiotics up ..... and as the first bird is perfectly ok now I will have to give her the benefit of doubt for the time being wont I.

She said she has only ever had 6 birds returned/replaced in 7 years out of over 300 sold!

perhaps I am too trusting! but I will give it a chance and then look further into the CRD route! but I wouldnt be able to get rid of 'Sage' she has been through far too much already!

Many thanks for the info!

Trina