Goldie Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Hi all, I seem to have a plethora of poorly hens at the moment! The young girls are all fine, but the older ones are all suffering with different ailments. Hen 1 - 4 year old hybrid, has had rattly breathing for a few months now, finally got her 'Breathe Free' by Global farms? Has anyone tried this or had success? Hen 2 - 3 year old hybrid, is limping badly on one foot. At first I thought it was her left which has a slight patch of bumblefoot so have been using DAC cream on that. But it seems to be her right foot that she's limping on and holding up..without any evidence of anything wrong. No heat, no wound, no anything really but still a bad limp. I've put a small bandage on it for some cushioning, anything else you would do? Hen 3 - 3 year old hybrid. She isn't eating at all and has had green poos for about a week. She will however eat mealworms with voraciousness! Turning her nose up at pellets, mash and corn. Despite feeling really thin on her keel bone she seems to be quite chunky and hard around her lower abdomen which is unfortunately looking like she is heading the same way as a previous hen who had egg peritonitis. What do you think? Would you feed her mealworms in the hope of getting her appetite back? She also has a small bursa on her left outer toe which a year ago drained with pus and healed nicely. It looked to be rearing its head yesterday and with a small squeeze a hard tube of yellow pus came out. That has now been hibiscrubbed and bandaged with germolene and doesn't appear to be coming back. The last 2 hens are on NutriDrops to try and help pick them up. Any advice on any of the 3 hens would be good! Unfortunately no good poultry vets round here so trying to do all I can to keep them happy at home where it's less stressful. Thanks Goldie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Oh dear, all ar once. Personally particularly with the wheezy hen I would see a vet as she may need antibiotics. You could maybe try cage rest for the limping hen but again she may need anti-inflammatories or painkillers. I think that once they are showing symptoms it's usually not good as they try to hide illness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I don't have any advice on 1 or 2 I'm afraid. But as I think you already know really, 3 does sound like peritonitis I'm afraid. Any chance your vet will do 3 for 1 if you take them altogether?! Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kopperdrake Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 We brought a rescue banty home that had rattly breathing, a if she'd been smoking 60 a day. The vet diagnosed Mycoplasma - in particular Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, a reasonably common respiratory disease in backyard chickens. We treated with Tylan Soluble, as advised by the vet, and it cleared up. However, the poor chicken would came down with it a few more times over the years she lived here with us, and I'm glad we kept the bantams separate from the rest of our hens, as it's highly contagious and once they've got it, they've got it. It's a nasty disease, but very common I'd take her to the vets to be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 Hi all, Thanks for your replies. Just a bit of an update really... Hen 1 seems less rattly after 3 days on the medicine. Not really sure what it is supposed to do but when she is on the nest/sunbathing (generally a bit squished) her breathing is definitely less like a purring cat. She has been this way for nearly a year now without getting worse or passing anything to the others so I really believe she isn't infectious or likely to get worse - just wanted to try and help her feel more comfortable. Saying that she is my oldest and still you'd think she was a young'un the way she runs around! Hen 2 is limping much less on the right foot. Not sure if the cushioning bandage for 2 days helped at all or not, but I've taken it off for tonight and will see if she is still much improved in the morning or limping again. Hen 3 has perked up too. Although she doesn't have the same gusto for life as the other 6, she is more interested in her surroundings now, and when let out to free range is pecking at the ground. Her vent is less green and she even joined the others in having some layers mash tonight and told the newbies where to go! I'm not sure she'll be fixed forever but just to see a bit of improvement makes me feel like it wasn't all wasted effort or prolonging her agony. I'll be sure to update if there are any more twists in the tale. Are Nutridrops something people have used with success in the past, or is it all coincidence? Thanks Goldie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 I've used nutridrops twice now, both times with great success. It was some time ago, can't remember how I administered them or what for....one for a rattle possibly and the other onset of peritonitis...but not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Have remembered what I used nutridrops for, it was for sour crop. I think others on this forum have used it too successfully. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
