[shetan]

i recently purchased 4 hybrid pullets at £!2.50 each. keeping some of the stickies i've read on here in mind, i duely kept them apart for 2 weeks before introducing them to my flock to make sure there weren't any hidden nasties lurking....its been 3 days and today my rooster has a gargling sound coming from his mouth, is keeping his beak open and can't seem to crow.

basically it seems like he's got a chest infection. i'm absolutley livid.....now its gonna cost me an arm and a leg to get him to the vets and also treat the others. which have never shown any signs of illness before.

my question is this.......where do you stand if the breeder is deemed reputable (has a link of the poultry pages)  but you feel that you've been given a raw deal?

[joyfull]

Are any of the new hens ill? Have you checked to see if there is anything stuck in his throat? have you checked for gape worm?

[shetan]

its not worms and i checked his throat this morning...i thought he sounded rattle-y yesterday evening but wasn't sure.....til i heard it again this morning.

all the the pullets except one seem fine...she has a slight crust to her nose today which wasn't there yesterday - i handle them eveyday right now to get them used to me.

i know that the pullets are vaccinated so wondered whether they've not shown any signs because they can fight whatever it is off or have resistance to a degree.

[joyfull]

there are quite a few respiritory illnesses and some are bought on by stress (they can lie dormant for years and passed down through the egg). Also any wild birds could have bought it in unless you have a fully enclosed and roofed run. Vaccinated birds can still get the illnesses and can also infect non vaccinated birds.

[shetan]

the birds are in an enclosed run and away from any wild birds so i know its not that and he's a pretty robust bird who hasn't had anything different happen to him or startle him.

i've looked at every possibility and considering he hasn't been ill once in
the last year and half and to suddenly have this -

well even if i don't have any concrete proof i'm certain he's picked it up from these new pullets.

[joyfull]

in which case you need to have a word with the breeder.

[shetan]

but what can i say? its been over 2 weeks since i got them and like  i said i don't have anything concrete to link it. 

[joyfull]

have you taken him to the vets to get him checked out and to see if he and the others need antibiotics?

[dizzylizzie]

Im sorry to state the obvious, but it was your rooster who showed symptoms first, before the new hen had any symptoms.You have quarantined the new ones and they showed no symptoms, surely it is coincidence rather than contamination?Flocks who have no newcomers get illness in them, sometimes if the 'bug' is airborn, the best defences in the world will not stop them getting ill, covered run or no covered run.I suggest you do as Joy has suggested and contact a vet for medication as it may prevent it from spreading through your whole flock

[joyfull]

the list of breeders on the poultry pages are just that a list, they are not recommendations. I would check any supplier over before I bought anything from them as I have had a very nasty experience with one breeder.

[carolbriar]

I think you have just been unlucky.  If you quarantined the newcomers for 2 weeks I would think it is coincidence.  A trip to the vet?

[shetan]

i've already made an appointment for the vets. the soonest they could see him is tomorrow.

having just now spoken to someone else who brought birds from there in the past and had to return them because of something similar i guess i've been unlucky and learnt from my mistake.

won't be buying from them again