Author Topic: A nice surprise this weekend :) and a not so good chicken update (Read 2535 times)

twizzel · « **on:** September 09, 2013, 10:43:14 am »

About a month ago I bought 2 white campbell ducks from a poultry sale. They were late entries so weren't listed in the catalogue and I didn't know how old they were... but figured for someone to be getting rid of them they must be spent and not laying any more. I liked the look of them though and really wanted some ducks, so bought them.
I found an unrelated 8 week old drake about 2 weeks later and he came to live with his ladies.
They have settled in really well in their new duck house, stand up to the chickens that they share a big pen with more every day. And one of them has now started laying

totally unexpected, I thought it might just be a fluke but was dead chuffed with my 1 duck egg that I found on Saturday. Sunday came and I found another one, and she's laid another one this morning

so hopefully if she lays another one tomorrow, I will have enough to bake my first ever duck egg cake

the guy I got my drake from has more ducks coming in as day old sexed females in October, so I'll have a few more from him then.

So that is the good news, the bad news is my chicken have got what sounds like a real bad rattly chest and cough and a runny nose

I've separated the 2 that I think caught it first but the hens in my main house have it too. They've had a breathing supplement in their water and straight into their throats but it's made no difference, ive also put garlic in their feed. As a last ditch attempt I've rung the farm vet and am waiting for them to ring me back to see if antibiotics will help... but if not I will have to cull those who have got it

poor chooks

so fingers crossed that the vet can help them...

HesterF · « **Reply #1 on:** September 09, 2013, 10:59:16 am »

Yay for duck eggs! Mine have completely surprised me by coming back into post-moult lay.

For the chucks, have you got a small animal vet nearby - preferably one experienced in 'exotics' (yes, chickens are exotic in vet speak). Your average farm vet will know nothing about poultry but I've found our local small animal vets are brilliant.

H

mojocafa · « **Reply #2 on:** September 09, 2013, 03:34:08 pm »

Oh no, read the mycoplasma thread!

it's not that

twizzel · « **Reply #3 on:** September 09, 2013, 08:56:02 pm »

the vet never got back to me... so will have to try again tomorrow. I'm not really sure what it is, whether it's just a bog standard respiratory infection as they all seem to be fairly spritely and still laying, eating well, out and about in the day scratching around, but just have this lingering cough, runny nose and rattly chest

TheCaptain · « **Reply #4 on:** September 11, 2013, 08:52:57 pm »

fingers crossed it isn't Mycoplasma!!!

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #5 on:** September 11, 2013, 09:23:38 pm »

congrats on your first duck egg! I felt similar todays as most birds are either mothering youngsters or started early moult - what a surprise to find one in the cage of the mum of a one-week-old duckling!

Fingers crossed your chooks just have a cold!

Victorian Farmer · « **Reply #6 on:** September 12, 2013, 11:57:49 am »

Dint Cull them yet give the a mil and half tylin for 3 or 4 nights then put in the water of the other hens .You need a syringe and give it at night it will work .I had a fantastic hen that had them systems and a week later she was fine .............................TYLIN YOU NEED .