[twizzel]

Last night I put one of my hens down with canker. Having read that it’s contagious today I’ll go check the others in her flock. I run 2 small flocks and this hen came out of a bunch of old girls, the other bunch are some pullets I bought earlier in the year. Their pens are separate, separate feeders, drinkers, roosting and scratch areas, but they do share airspace in that they’re under the same roof, separated by floor to ceiling chicken wire.


My question is, should this outbreak be confined to the older birds in 1 side, or is it likely to have spread next door too? If I find more of the older hens have it, then culling the group may be what we have to do, but I’d rather not cull the pullets for obvious reasons!

[Richmond]

I think you should be ok if they are not sharing drinkers and feeders. Might be worth having a foot dip outside the pens so you don't track anything into the new pullet area.

[chrismahon]

It's caused by a parasite (Trichomonas Gallinae) and spreads from saliva introduced from an infected bird into feeders and drinkers. It has poor environmental resistance, so won't spread any other way. You can be certain that the entire flock she came from is carrying it, but it won't show until their immune system is depressed. Treated with Flagyl successfully in our one case that showed during quarantine. We did however have a flock of Orpingtons carrying it. Vets here aren't cheap, so the flock was kept isolated (didn't share feeders or drinkers, but only separated by chicken wire) and the birds despatched when it showed. It didn't transmit to any other flocks and now none of our birds are carrying it.


Annoyingly, it came in from two hens bought and didn't show up in quarantine. They of course infected all the others. Can be suppressed with iced water and chopped onions, but not cured. Eventually it overruns their respiratory tracts - they can't breath. Or their throat and they can't swallow.

[twizzel]

Glad I kept the pullet flock separate then!    The hens in her group are all quite old and I’ve been wondering what to do with them as they’re not laying well. To be honest culling the whole group may be the best option, leaving it over winter and fully disinfecting and then restocking in the spring