Lathargic Barred Rock

Well, the vet trip today was a waste of time. After looking my hen over the vet tells me she is gonna go read in her book and decide what to tell me. She offered to prescribe antibiotics for the heck of it. She told me she could not do any swabs or cultures and that she can't diagnose my single hen in the office. To properly diagnose the chickens she would need to see them in their natural settings and surroundings. OK let's do it then. Nope they don't do that. OK give me the number of who does. No one in our region does. OK. Then she tells me she isn't really a production/backyard flock vet more of a pet vet. WHY DIDN'T"T YOU TELL ME THESE THINGS THE 3 TIMES WE TALKED ON THE PHONE!!! I said that I felt I was there for no reason then if she can't help me and why was I there. She told me I was there for her expert advice. Really?! I probably know more by reading BYC than she does looking things up in her book. Then she said well let her know how things turn out and didn't even offer a suggestion as to what might be wrong.

I was so frustrated and upset when I left there. Why didn't they tell me they wouldn't diagnose the chickens? How can you tell me you do poultry when clearly you do not!So here I sit with no answers.

I think after all the reading I have been doing that the coop I built doesn't have proper venting. That issue is being addressed. But what do the birds have and how do I help them get better? Is it just a respiratory thing, or pneumonia, or infectious bronchitis or what? Do I wait it out or try to find another vet?

Sorry for venting my frustrations. I feel like I should be doing something for the hens but I don't know what I should be doing.

Have you wormed your chickens??

So sorry. I can not believe the lack of 'farm animal' vet services. I had an issue with one of my goats, he couldn't pee was blocked for 2 days before I could find him help 40 minutes away. ThanK god he lived. It is so frustrating to have a sick hen and have no answers. I am kinda dealing with the same thing I lost the RIR last week and I am now seeing strange poop so I am going through the check list I hate over medicating and giving them things they don't need but if I don't try then I could lose them. Best of luck with your girls

Enola I wormed with wazine 17 and will retreat monday for a second round . I purchased strike iii but not sure if I should give it now or wait until after the wazine treatment ?

Wazine only gets round worms. There are many other worms chickens suffer from.

You should probably worm with something like Safeguard (liquid for goats or paste for horses) or Valbazen.

Safeguard dose = 0.23ml per pound orally for five consecutive days
Valbazen dose = 0.08ml per pound orally and repeat in ten days

-Kathy