Sick Hen - Help Please!

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austintxchick

austintxchick

Chirping
5 Years
May 25, 2014
108
5
61
About a month ago I lost an Ameracuana hen to what we thought was possibly egg binding. We never found out exactly what it was.

Now I have another hen, a Silver Laced Wyandotte, who is acting sick but I can't find any visible signs to show me what it might be. I don't really feel an egg (she's never layed before...she's about 6 months old,) no parasites, her vent is clean. She does appear to have a bit of a raspy wheezing when she breathes. She's listless and really just lays around.

We have her isolated in a warm room, have given her epsom salt soaks since yesterday. I started her on Oxytetracycline antibiotic in her water last night. She's still not better. She's not drinking or eating much so I dosed her gently myself just now using an eyedropper so I'm certain she got some of the antibiotic This is what I'm using

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/durvetreg;-duramycin-10-6-2-5-oz

Is there something else I should be doing? My daughter will be devastated if we lose another one. :(
 
You can check for a stuck egg with a rubber glove by inserting a finger an inch or so inside the vent. Stop the epsom salt soaks, since you don't think she is egg bound, and it is not good to bathe a sick chicken. She could possibly be showing early symptoms of a respiratory disease such as infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma, ILT, or others. Has there been wet conditions or any mold around the coop? Oxytetracycline is one of the several antibiotics that may treat respiratory diseases, but if it is a virus, it will have to run it's course. The dosage for the oxytetracycline brand is 2 1/2 tablespoonful per gallon of water to achieve the highest dosage. I would watch for eye or nasal drainage, swelling of an eye or the face, coughing, chirping, or sneezing. If you lose another chicken, try to contact your state vet about getting a necropsy done. Here is a link to read about the more common diseases with symptoms, plus one for the state vet:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
 
Thanks, Eggcessive!
I've stopped the baths but still keeping her in a warm room. She's still hanging in there and doesn't seem to be getting worse. She ate a little bit yesterday and is drinking a little bit as well. No eye or nasal drainage, swelling or sneezing just a faint raspy honk when she exhales.

I live in Austin, Texas and we've had some rains but I don't see any visible mold in the coop. The mold counts are high in these parts though.

In other news...our second hen just laid her first egg today! She seems to not be affected, thankfully! Knock on wood. I'm dosing her water just in case though.
 
Keep us updated on her condition. If she doesn't drink enough of the medicated water, you may need to give her some concentrated medicated water orally with a dropper.
 
Unfortunately she went downhill fast and died. I don't understand. I really feel like I did everything I could. :( I had no idea this would be so hard. I only had 3 hens and this is the 2nd one to die in the same way as the other.
 
I would suggest getting a necropsy done on your chicken by the state vet, if you can refrigerate the body. I can't send links now but you could Google "state poultry health officials 2014" to find the contact info. I'm very sorry for your loss.
 
I wish I would have seen this sooner. Sorry I missed this. It is a little bit hard. On the heart too. So very sad. I've heard to use a humidifier, those new ultra sonic ones with colloidal silver. At the farmers market there's a booth that sells the colloidal silver stuff. Both barton creek and cedar park. Or an injection with medicine. Treat that third one with the care of a sick one to keep her well.
 

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