Controlling Coop light from the Omlet app

[TonyJolly]

Hi,

 

We have two Light Sussex chucks, about 28 weeks now. Penny is doing well growing fine and laying 5 eggs a week. Henny has been tested for Mycroplasma and has got it, and is on Baytril. She's been on Baytril for a few weeks now.

 

We have two other chucks a peppperpot and G. ranger from Omlet, which have just been delivered to a friends and are waiting safely there.

 

Henny the ill chuck, still seems to have respiritory problems, slightly laboured breathing, and after giving her the antibiotics sometimes get foamy eye and discharge from nasal cavaity. But generally seems happy enough with her sister. She is noticeably smaller though, and isn't laying.

 

From what i have read its possible Penny is an unaffected carrier.

 

Questions I have are:

1) if Penny is a carrier, are her eggs safe for human consumption, she isn't on any antibiotics

2) i don't want henny to suffer unnecessarily and have considered the horrible option, but want to consider other options first.

3) We now have an issue as to if and when we shoud introduce the Omlet chucks, i know they are vaccinated but can't seem to find out if they are vaccinated against mycoplasma, what I have read elsewhere suggests they will not have been due to expense of the vaccine.

4) is it worth testing Penny to see if she has Mycroplasma?

 

One plan we have is to take henny off the antibiotics and see if she deteriotates. We have the option of quaranteenining her at a friends, but would need to introduce the two new omlet chucks to our run at the same time, hence possibly exposing them to mycroplasma if penny is a carrier.

 

Any thoughts and advice greatly appreciated. the objective is to minimise suffering, but keep as many alive and well as possible.

[Egghead68]

I'm sorry about the problems you have been having.

It should be fine to eat the eggs from the chicken not on baytril - mycoplasma gallisepticum does not cause illness in humans as far as I'm aware.

Has your sick chicken seen the vet again recently? Mycoplasma can take months to get rid of, and often needs a change of antibiotics (eg to tylan or erythromycin) to finally see it off. I would recommend taking her back to the vet if she is not showing signs of improvement.

As TF says, mycoplasma is dormant in many flocks, so I don't think you need to worry too much about your other hen being a carrier - she may well be, but so are lots of chickens. The myco shouldn't cause a problem unless the hens are stressed or sick with something else.

As for introducing your new chickens, I recently had a similar problem. If it were me, I think I'd either (a) isolate the sick chicken, leave the other on her own for a week to check she isn't developing symptoms and then introduce the new chickens to her or (b) wait until the poorly one recovers or doesn't and then introduce them.

Good luck. I am sure a proper expert will be along soon to help too.

[Egghead68]

SOrry - seem to have caused tf 's post to disappear. Don't know what happened.

[Tutti Frutti]

No, I deleted it cos I wasn't sure I was correct!!!! Sorry to cause confusion.

 

I was just saying that mycoplasma is dormant in many chooks - healthy, happy chooks can see it off whilst poorly, off-colour or even stressed chooks can succumb.

 

But then I remembered that my vet ALSO said it's highly contagious so to keep my poorly girl (susepcted myco) separate from my other girls so I thought it didn't add up... I asked Mr Frutti what the vet said - and he couldn't remember if it was the vet that said it "or the internet" so, rather than give duff advice, I removed my post. Sorry

 

Myco is a tricky illness to shift - keep up with the Baytril and have faith in Henny, she's doing well so far. Keep her separate, good advice from Egghead to keep Penny separate and then only introduce your Omlet pair when you're sure she's OK (but then, keeping her alone could raise Penny's stress levels?)...

 

So my advice is to call your vet on Monday and ask for their professional advice!

 

Good luck Tony, fingers crossed for you all.

[Egluntyne]

Some good advice from Egghead68.

 

I would take the sick hen back to the vet and ask for a change of antibiotic , and I'd be inclined to keep her apart from the others until she is showing signs of improvement.

 

I'd add Apple Cider Vinegar to the drinking water too, as it will give their immune systems a boost and might help the others to fight it off.

[TonyJolly]

Hi,

 

thanks for advice guys, Will be visiting vets asap.

 

Just checked back. Henny has been on Baytril for 4 weeks. We've had both birds since Xmas eve, and Penny has been with her all the time. At present I can't easily separate them, so given she has seen no signs of illness, far from it infact , she a fiesty girl and they seem to be happy in each others company, so i think we'll keep them as they are for now.

 

We're lucky that our friend who has here own 'flock' is happily looking after the new arrivals for now. So keeping them separate seems like a good plan for now, and we'll see what the vet says.

 

thanks again.

 

Cheers

 

T

[TonyJolly]

Hi,

 

Just found this http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=1065&start=15, I'm assuming mycoplasma isn't one of the other nasties mentioned, can anyone confirm. If the new arrivals have been vaccinated against it then it would help with teh decision of when to introduce them.

[Egluntyne]

Mycoplasma isn't on the list of vaccinations for Omlet Chickens.

 

[TonyJolly]

Just returned from the vets, Henny has been off Baytril for 4 days now, and was showing a lot of recovery. As soon as she went in the cat box to go to the vets her eyes started foaming again, so it looks like stress brings on the symptoms, she has been fine all week until then.

 

Vets said still some residual infection, but best she stays off Baytril, unless she shows deterioration. She does need feeding up, significantly lighter than her sister.

 

blood test (not cheap) showed she had Pastereulla and Corynebacterium (sp?) rather than mycoplasma as first suspected, symptoms appear identical to my untrained eye.

 

Anyway she seems happy enough. Having spent hours searching through past posts on the forum we've opted to keep the new chucks with our friend for a week or so further, and then follow the advice about introductions. just acquired a second hand rabbit hutch, which with a few minor modifications should make a temporary home for new arrivals, and with a new entrance from that into the run, which will be divided, the introduction process can be as controlled as we feel it needs to be.

 

We're very lucky our friend is happy to keep the new arrivals until we're in a good position to recieve them.

 

Thank you to all the posts on this topic and all the others in general, its been very educational and full of good tips, excellant site for budding hen keepers.

 

thanks again