4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[emz]

Hi everyone - anyone.

 

I'm going to brief as there's a lot to explain.

 

Bought 2 POL pekin bantams 1st wk August 09 - super healthy no probs.

 

Bought 2 POL Buff sussex mid-end sept - seemed very healthy. Also bought 2 POL Light sussex same time.

 

One day or so sorting out pecking order then seemed all to settle down well together.

 

A few days ago 1 little bantam had one eye shut for best part of day - on weekend. Swollen eye with bubbles/ watery. Monday morning took her to vet. She was given baytril and eye drops - treating her for eye/sinus infection. Was told prob not contagious. I explained that 1 sussex occasionally sneezed and the other bantam didn't seem herself. Vet didn't seem concerned.

 

I separated bantams from chickens just in case. On closer inspection honey (2nd bantam) looked a little scrawny - feather pecked all around neck- must be by bigger birds. She started to look ill that day too. Closing 1 eye, all bunched up and tilting beak toward sky and opening beak as if to breathe. So i took her to the vet too (afternoon on same day).

 

She was given same treatment. Was told eye thing looked like conjunctiva was contagious but not easily passed on. I explained again as this was a diff vet about 1 light sussex sneezing other bantam ill etc.

 

Next afternoon. Light sussex (mopsy) has a very slight bubbly eye and is sneezing more. The other light sussex (flopsy), my only layer at the moment is acing peculiar, tail feathers high, slightly dirty vent feathers - she just layed a soft shell tho - so hoping her behaviour is down to that.

 

So what shall i do? money is not the issue but £45 so far at vets. Could mopsy just have a cold that'll clear up - can't really separate her - no facility. was flopsy's behaviour down to her laying a soft shell or struggling through the day? do they occasionallt have buubles in their eyes and they just go?

I really don't want Rosie and Jemima to become ill.

 

Sorry for such a long post - but thought details might help people to give sound advice!

 

Thanks in advance,

Em.

Edited October 18, 2009 by Guest

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Sorry to hear your run of bad luck, can't comment from personal experience, but have you any Citricidal, Life Guard or one of the other tonics which may perk the healthy girls up & give them a better chance of fighting whatever the infection is ?

 

Somebody will be along soon & give sounder advice I'm sure, if not try PMing Claret, she's fantastic with poorly chooks.

 

Good luck

 

Sha x

[Redwing]

It sounds like Mycoplasma

 

Go back to the vet and ask for Tylan - the Baytril is not as good for such a serious iinfection

 

good luck x

[Pikey]

Not had this but would suggest wiping all their eyes with warm salt water first thing in am and last this at night (remember to use seperate cloth and wash your hands each time)......doc advised this for my sister who suffered with conjunctivitis.

 

Also give them citradal and loads of garlic to help fight off any infection if it is a cold.

 

Hope they are better soon x

[Plum]

As Tasha says it sounds like Mycoplasma when eyes bubble and sneezing. This affects the sinuses and needs treatment with Tylan according to my books. It is infectious so guess they all need treatment. They do respond though

[emz]

Thank you i am going to speak to the vet first thing tomorrow - i tried earlier but the vets that had seen the chickens had gone home. The receptionist was helpful but could not prescribe.

 

I will ask them about tylan!

 

Do you think i should treat all my birds? 6 in total. or just the 3 that are already displaying symptons? i have read a little about MG but not sure how contagious it is?!

 

I'm going to buy an additive for their feed/water tomorrow to help them stay healthy.

 

Thanks for replying everyone - i'll keep you all posted!

[Egluntyne]

Redwing is right. Bubbling eyes and a snotty nose are symptoms of mycoplasma.

 

I'd try another vet for a second opinion.

[Redwing]

I'm going to buy an additive for their feed/water tomorrow to help them stay healthy.

 

 

Treat all the birds with the Tylan (when you get hold of it) its normally put in the water

 

Then use the tonic you purchase afterwards - dont use it at the same time as the Tylan

 

At the end of the day if the vet is not a chicken specialist be respectful but firm about the Tylan, if they play you up try another vet

[Jools]

There is no doubt it's Mycoplasma. It's dormant in most flocks and it surfaces at times of stress .... a new home, new birds etc.

 

Citricidal, good as it is, won't help. As Redwing says, it antibiotics for all of you chickens, and it may take more than one course.

 

Is it a good time to mention the importance of quarantine. At least one week, two is preferable. And as far from your existing flock as possible. It gives time for anything to surface in the newbies before they infect the rest of your chickens.

 

I don't mean to sound like a smart ar*se, but it's a prime example of the importance of quarantine. I hope they all recover and that in a couple of months, this is just a distant memory.

[emz]

I have separated the two bantams already but do not have anything suitable to separate the sneezing light sussex. Any ideas???

 

Only the light sussex is sneezing - the 2 bantams just had bad eyes. Which could have been caused by bullying/pecking.

 

I know it could be MG but i'm still hopeful as the bantams aren't sneezing and they don't have any nasal discharge.

 

I was hoping that the light sussex had a little cold and nothing more serious but the slight (and they were very slight) bubbles in one of her eyes started me worrying again!

 

I really appreciate all the advice you guys are giving - i am listening to all of it and will follow it too!

 

Thanks - from a very worried beginner!

[chick wiggle]

Just wanna say thanks to all you knowledgable, clever omeleteers. Id never heard of this before, now i have a note of it and its treatment in my chicken documents.

 

Good luck Emz, I really hope your vet listens as it is often the case that these clever omeleteers know more than the vets!

 

hope your girls get better soon

[Jools]

They are likely to all have Mycoplasma so it's important that all your birds are treated at the same time. Like I said, it's dormant in most flocks and surfaces at times of stress. There's not a lot more stressful to a chicken than being moved to a new home! If you don't get them all treated at once, you're likely to be treating them in dribs and drabs for months to come. It's one of those things where it's better to hit them all at once and get it over and done with. And I'm not one for treating anything unnecessarily too lol.

 

Good luck. Keeping chickens is a learning curve. We've all been there, made the mistakes and learned from them. There are new mistakes to learn from all the time too!!

[emz]

Thanks Jools - I will contact vet in the morning and persuade them to treat all my birds - otherwise i shall seek second opinion from another vet!

 

Just wondering once treated and cleared up - can they get it again?

[Redwing]

They can yes, like Jools says its dormant in many flocks

 

Best thing is to isolate new birds for a while (as recommended above) and try to keep stress levels down, there is not an enormous amount you can do to stop it

[Saronne]

There is another upper respiratory tract infection called, 'Coryza' which is very common in backyard flocks and which also affects the eyes and sinuses. The symptoms are similar to Myco and they respond well to antibiotics...do your hens smell a bit off? (more than the usual chickeny smell) One or two of mine had this recently and the vet suggested I dose the whole flock with orally administered anitbiotics to wipe out the infection in one go. For me, that meant dosing each chicken twice a day for 7 days ! I had to be very organised to fit that in each morning before work.

 

Anyway, the good news is that they've responded well to Baytril, but now I have to wait out the egg withdrawl period.

 

Experience has taught me that quarantine is very important...

 

[emz]

UPDATE!!!

 

Hi all,

 

Went to check on the chickens first thing and to put my 2nd quarantine plan into action (clear out old stone shed, make chicken-wire door, add flooring, food water grit etc).

 

Put both light sussex hens in new home.

 

Checked mopsy's eyes (light sussex with slight bubbles and occasional sneezing) - and was pleased as there wasn't a bubble in sight.

 

They still sneeze every now and then but are both eating and drinking well. I have added 'poultry booster' to their water and am going to keep an 'eye' on them (no pun intended).

 

Buff sussex seem fine - added booster to their water too!

 

Honey is still sick but not getting any worse - maybe slightly better, eye fine (1/2 way through antibiotic course).

Lemon-pepper's eye loads better and she nearly back to normal. (also 1/2 wat through course).

 

Decided not to visit vet at the mo - do you think i have done the right thing?

 

Thanks,

Em.

[Plum]

If they are responding then I would do the same. Good news.

[emz]

Well a little update to let you know what's been happening...

 

Bantams - Lemon Pepper seems fully recovered, finished baytril.

 

Honey's feathers are growing back & she's making progress - still underweight but eating, drinking well and very alert.

She is still sneezing but no other probs, going to put her on poultry booster when she finishes baytril tomoz.

 

2 xBuff sussex fine.

 

2 xLight sussex still sneeze but eating/drinking well -still in quarantine. Read a few people mentioning that some birds sneeze. I'm putting it down to weather etc but still keeping a close eye on them. No more bubbly eyes - so i don't think it is anything serious like myco.

 

Emz

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Great to hear that things are improving

 

Sha x

[cluckingmad]

been following this with interest... glad to hear the little ones are getting better Vets, like Dr's, don't always get it right first time!

[Evergreens]

so glad they are on the mend Emz, its so worrying when someone is sick..................i know i have a rabbit that is sick everry 8wks or so