Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Minty_76]

Hi all

 

My little Boki has had frothy eyes for a few days and now she is hunched up and not eating or drinking. I have popped her in a cat box in the run so she can see the others but she looks very sorry for herself. She can't really see as her eyes are gunked up and i have tried wiping them with warm water but it keeps happening. Any ideas what this could be? She laid an egg though in the box. I hate it when pets get ill especially over the weekend!

[Daphne]

Bubbling eyes is a classic sign of mycoplasma - which can only be treated with antibiotics from the vet. I'd book her in tomorrow.

[Plum]

Frothy eyes are often a sign of Myco, a sinus/respiratory infection. I'd take her for a course of antibiotics from vet tomorrow.

 

I've read that cleaning the eyes with cold tea is beneficial in the meantime.

[Minty_76]

Thanks both of you. Do they usually recover from this and will my other girls get it? Im not sure what to do with her tonight whether to put her in the eglu with the others or keep her isolated?

[Egluntyne]

It does sound like Myco. It does spread I'm afraid, and they will always have it once infected. Treatment by antibiotics will sort it out for now, but at times of stress it is likely to recur.

 

I'd get a vet to see her asap.

[Minty_76]

I shall cal them tomorrow. I don't want her to keep getting this if she's prone to it. I don't know what to do for the best. I suspect the weather has played a part in this. I clean the eglu every weekend but the run is a mud pit at the moment. May have to move them to concrete if that would be better. I assume I will need to disinfect the eglu but I have no spare one to use in the meantime.

[Egghead68]

They do vary. Some get it once and then never again and some seem to get it recurrently. She needs antibiotics (Tylan injections are best, I think) and to be kept in the warm.

[Minty_76]

Well Ive just checked on her and she seems worse. I have put out her in the nice warm shed in the cat carrier within a box with bubble wrap (don't worry she has the big opening at the front to breathe through!). I have a feeling she won't be there in the morning though.

[Egghead68]

If she's not drinking you can syringe water into her beak a little at a time. Hope she's still with you in the morning. If she is, she needs to see a vet asap.

[Minty_76]

She's still with us and I have just discovered one of the local vets keep chickens. I hope to speak with him first thing. I shall keep you updated. Thanks for all your advice.

[Minty_76]

Boki is still here. I rung the vets at 8am and yet to hear back! I rung again a moment ago but they are taking ages! They do treat hens so thats good news. The consultation fee is £13 so not too bad. Poor girl she is feeling so sad and can't see out of her eyes. She won't let me clean them. Hope the vet can do something.

[Daphne]

If it is myco, ask them to treat with tylan - it is the best antibiotic for this condition, but not all vets seem to carry it in stock and so they have to use baytril. The best way to get fast results is by tylan injection which usually has to be done twice in 48 hours - I don't know how confident you are, some vets will let you administer the 2nd dose, others require that you return to them. I have to say it isn't difficult, but much easier with 2 people. Some vets prescribe tylan in powdered form to be added to the water which has the added benefit of treating the whole flock, although of course they may not have it! Baytril usually has to be given by syringe which is a another good way of doing it.

[Minty_76]

Ok, so the vet who keep his own pet hens, said it looks grim for her as she not eaten or drunk and its been a few days. I have a feeling that she will be PTS. I would rather that than her suffering. You get so attached to the little madams. She was always the friendliest letting me stroke her and she used to fly on my back when the treat dish came out. I am preparing myself for the worst. I shall of course ask if she can be given the antibiotics if he thinks there is a good chance she will survive.

[Daphne]

Thats the right attitude. Good luck at the vet. I presume you've tried syringing water into her and also feeding wet food (eg pellet porridge) which they seem to find more appealing when ill. Hand feeding works for me best in these situations.

 

Edited to add: myco is quite treatable in the short term, but on the other hand I have lost a bird to it. My personal policy is to treat once, and possibly twice if I'm particularly attached to the bird, but thereafter to call it a day. Birds which have had it often don't thrive fantastically well - laying stops/drops but worse than that they become suspectible to things/another flare up in the future.

[Uma]

Anecdotal story, but one of mine had myco a year or so ago and she recovered well with antibiotics. However, it can affect their egg production systems and mine have all suffered from peritonitis since then. However, this is not an absolute, and for mine at least, they have been able to be treated for the perintonitis. Just something to be mindful of for the rest of your flock too.

Hope she gets the treatment she needs.

 

Uma x