Question about the worst week I've had with my flock

Last month, my 8 hens in Portland got hit with a mystery illness. One morning, my favorite barred rock, Betty, was just sitting in the corner, not eating. By the next day, three more were acting the same. I spent over $200 at the vet, who said it was likely a respiratory bug going around. I had to isolate the sick ones in my garage, give them medicated water, and deep clean the coop twice. The worst part was not knowing if they'd pull through. It was a solid week of stress and extra work. Has anyone else dealt with a sudden sickness spreading through their whole flock? What did you do?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_adams27d ago

How did you stop it from spreading to your other birds? That sounds like a nightmare week. I had a virus sweep through my flock a few years back and it was the same awful feeling of helplessness. The isolation and cleaning you did is exactly right, even if it's exhausting. It's the not knowing that eats at you the most, watching them and hoping the medicine works. You did everything you could for them.

kaimiller27d ago

Tell me about the cleaning part. What did you actually do between the coops? I used a bleach solution on everything, but I still felt like I was missing spots. Did you change your shoes and clothes every time you checked on the sick ones? I was going through so much laundry.

the_nathan16d ago

My buddy in Tacoma lost four of his six birds to something similar last spring. He said the worst part was the constant disinfecting, even scrubbing the bottom of his boots before he went near the healthy ones.