WeeDoris Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Hello fellow chicken friends, I’m new to hen keeping, had my 3 girls since the start of the year. One of them has developed a bad wheeze, she sneezes a lot, it has gradually been getting worse over a month or so, and now she is opening her beak to breath and extending her neck. Sounds like darth Vader, and today I noticed her left eye is very blurry and she had it closed a lot. She is eating and drinking fine and acting normal, crop also appears normal. Neither of the other 2 birds have any symptoms at all. I have wormed them this week as was worried it was gape worm but no improvement. Any suggestions?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Trip to the vet, I would say. Doesn’t sound like something that would improve with home remedies or treatments. Especially as she has only gotten worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeDoris Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 Thanks, yes I have taken her to the vet (our local vet doesn’t get a lot of hens though.....) tried one courseof antibiotics, no change, wormed, no change. Help!! I’m really worried for her 🐔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 It is difficult. My vet is ok with chickens if it’s something obvious but otherwise I tend to know more than they do. Did she have injected antibiotics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 I would take her back and get more antibiotics for a longer period of time. Did your vet give the usual Baytril ? She might need something like Tylan instead. Let us know how she gets on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 27 minutes ago, Luvachicken said: I would take her back and get more antibiotics for a longer period of time. Did your vet give the usual Baytril ? She might need something like Tylan instead. Let us know how she gets on. Agreed, sounds as if she may have a chest infection, which has worsened without treatment. Roughly where are you based? It might pay to phone around the local vets and ask if any of them has avian experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeDoris Posted August 24, 2018 Author Share Posted August 24, 2018 Thanks all. Took her back to the vet yesterday, they have ordered more antibiotics - arriving today as they dont carry them - Tylan (?) will start the course tonight and hopefully that does it - everything i have read online points towards Mycoplasma. Last time the vet said they gave a standard antibiotic (i think he said Baytril) so hopefully the Tylan will do the job. Will keep you all posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Tylan usually works where Baytril doesn't, especially for respiratory issues. Dose her up with Vit Boost in the water until she's better. Myco, and other resp problems can affect their egg laying, so she may lay mis-shapen eggs, or even none at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Let's hope she starts feeling better soon. Were your vets able to give you just a little dose ? I was unfortunate that I had to buy my own bottle around £38 because they said they didn't get enough animals in to use it. I haven't had to use the rest of it either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeDoris Posted August 24, 2018 Author Share Posted August 24, 2018 Ok so I have the Tylan - I got given a dosage in a bottle that wasn’t full, cost me £40 to I’m not sure if this means I actually paid for the full amount or not?! (At this point I don’t really care mind you!) anyway, it says 1teaspoon per 1litre of water per day - there is no way my 3girls drink 1litre a day...... how do I know if they are getting enough? Is there another way I can give it to them? It’s a powder so I wondered if I could mix 1teaspoon in with some food and they would all eat that no problem? But would it still work? So many questions - sorry but I really appreciate all your help guys! 🐔🐔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 That sounds a bit random to me, but then (when I need it, which is almost never) I get given a bottle and syringes as I know how to vaccinate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 11 hours ago, WeeDoris said: Ok so I have the Tylan - I got given a dosage in a bottle that wasn’t full, cost me £40 to I’m not sure if this means I actually paid for the full amount or not?! (At this point I don’t really care mind you!) anyway, it says 1teaspoon per 1litre of water per day - there is no way my 3girls drink 1litre a day...... how do I know if they are getting enough? Is there another way I can give it to them? It’s a powder so I wondered if I could mix 1teaspoon in with some food and they would all eat that no problem? But would it still work? So many questions - sorry but I really appreciate all your help guys! 🐔🐔 Keep to the instructions on the bottle. They aren’t meant to get the whole amount you are using in one litre. As the bottle doesn’t know how many chickens you have. It’s most likely dosed on the average amount a chicken will drink in a day, which results in one teaspoon per litre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 (edited) OK, so I texted my vet about this.... Tylan 200 can be given orally (as in syringed) the dosage is 1cc/regular sized bird/day for 3 days max. I am guessing that the vet gave her a jag of it before you left. Please check this wit your bet first though. IMHO, giving in the water is too hit and miss, especially as they tend to drink from other sources. Tylan is much slower t absorb orally thank by injection Edited August 25, 2018 by The Dogmother Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeDoris Posted August 25, 2018 Author Share Posted August 25, 2018 No injection at the vets, just this powder to put in their water - which they haven’t drank any of....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 When I was being dithery and wimpy about injecting Bernadette my vet told me that taken orally the antibiotics really aren’t likely to work all that well. The vet showed me how to inject into the breast muscle and once you’ve done it once it’s fine. And that was on a skinny pekin. On the one occasion before I learned how to do this the vet at least gave her a shot to start her off. So perhaps if the next few days don’t show any improvement ask for injections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 3 hours ago, WeeDoris said: No injection at the vets, just this powder to put in their water - which they haven’t drank any of....... That's odd, they should star them off with an injection, which is much more effective than orally. Tylan tastes pretty bitter, so they won't be keen on drinking it. Personally, I would go back to the vet, armed with your new information, and ask for the injectible version and a quick lesson in jagging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 I’m pretty sure someone on here once suggested adding a little bit of honey to the water to counter the bitter taste of the antibiotics. I have had antibiotics in a dropper for one of my hens once, which was given orally too, but at least I knew she got what she needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 Your bottle of Tylan sounds very similar to what I was asked to pay for. We bought some scales that measure teeny amounts to work out what she needed - she was kept indoors at the time and so had no access to any other water. I mixed up fresh daily but I'm sorry I can't remember the amounts off the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeDoris Posted August 26, 2018 Author Share Posted August 26, 2018 Thanks all, phoned the vet again and they said try dissolving a teaspoon of the powder in 50ml of water then giving each hen 1ml of this solution per day by mixing it with whatever I can that they will take. So far iv mixed it with chopped up fruit and they are eating it up so hopefully that means they are getting some. It’s a 5day course - seems a bit short ? If no improvement after 5days will ask for the injections 🐔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 That sounds like a plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
