Bubbly eye on Buff Brahma

[3 Dozen a Week]

Thank you for your info again. Yes, I am pretty stressed about this. I know a number of folks with chickens and none have ever had this issue, so I feel like I must not be doing it right.
Someone I know told me not to give dairy as it gives them sour crop, but I do give probiotics, not daily though. We also add apple cider vinegar to their water a few times.
By the way, what do you use for deworming? I dread those awful things.
Our buff Brahma is doing Ok, she is eating well, but her eye doesn't look any better, or much worse. She has no other symptoms.
I plan to going to feed store today.
I'd hate to sacrifice her, as she is a sweet girl, very tame and docile.

 

[brandy21410]

Thank you for your info again. Yes, I am pretty stressed about this. I know a number of folks with chickens and none have ever had this issue, so I feel like I must not be doing it right.
Someone I know told me not to give dairy as it gives them sour crop, but I do give probiotics, not daily though. We also add apple cider vinegar to their water a few times.
By the way, what do you use for deworming? I dread those awful things.
Our buff Brahma is doing Ok, she is eating well, but her eye doesn't look any better, or much worse. She has no other symptoms.
I plan to going to feed store today.
I'd hate to sacrifice her, as she is a sweet girl, very tame and docile.

honestly, I would send the worst hen in for necropsy in order to know what exacally the disease is and treat it properly. CRD are not something alot of chicken owners admitt. Because you have yo keep a closed flock and no birds or hatching eggs can be sold with this. I only worm my chooks with the wazine (i think is the spelling lol) but only if there are symptoms or if they are new. And always quarantine any new chooks for at least 40 days before introducing them to ur flock. I give my new birds denagard the preventative treatment for 5 days when I introduce new birds or young birds. You have done nothing wrong I give my chickens whatever is left over and they are very healthy. All it takes is for someone to have an infected flock and not know it and then come into contact with u. Or a wild bird ate or drank out of ur chooks feeders. If i were u I would sacrafice one to know what it is exacally. But my money is on mycoplasma.

 

[3 Dozen a Week]

Thanks, Brandy21410
I am considering your advice regarding sacrificing her. Where would I have to take her to?
At this stage she still looks good and laid an egg this morning and yesterday, although I am keeping those separated. I have no intention of selling birds or chicks if we ever hatch any. I have previously given extra eggs from my flock to friend and yes I would want to know that they're OK to eat. My major concern is keeping the flock healthy and to be able to add to it in the future.
They all came from a hatchery that did vaccinate them, but I do not know if they got vaccine for mycoplasma, if they even are able to. The rooster we got locally and he was quarantined for 4 months far from the girls who were still very young then. He hasn't got any symptoms, but if he were a carrier would this only have come out now? They've been together since Oct.
I am concerned about the deep leaf litter in the run, if it's a breeding ground for disease then it's got to go, any thoughts on this?

 

[brandy21410]

Thanks, Brandy21410
I am considering your advice regarding sacrificing her. Where would I have to take her to? 
At this stage she still looks good and laid an egg this morning and yesterday, although I am keeping those separated. I have no intention of selling birds or chicks if we ever hatch any. I have previously given extra eggs from my flock to friend and yes I would want to know that they're OK to eat. My major concern is keeping the flock healthy and to be able to add to it in the future.
They all came from a hatchery that did vaccinate them, but I do not know if they got vaccine for mycoplasma, if they even are able to. The rooster we got locally and he was quarantined for 4 months far from the girls who were still very young then. He hasn't got any symptoms, but if he were a carrier would this only have come out now? They've been together since Oct. 
I am concerned about the deep leaf litter in the run, if it's a breeding ground for disease then it's got to go, any thoughts on this?

the bird can be a carrier and show no symtoms at all or only show symptoms in a time of stress (cold/hot weather, preditors, new birds ect..) perhapse even ur neighbors birds could be carriers and when they were moved closer to ur flock ur birds were infected. And as for the vaccination I have heard it does work, but there are several types. I personally believe that getting a necropsy done will give u the info u need. I live in California so I went to the Livestock Diagnostic Labratories in Sanbernadino. You can look for the nearest testing area near you online. Search animal necropsy. The should euthanize the burd gor you for free, as that is what they do in my state. Iam in the same situation so I know exactly how you feel. I have culled 2 flockes before this one due to Mereks and mycoplasma and they still get mycoplasma reguardless of what I do. And I have had them completley confined away from wild birds. The chooks can develop CRD's without even being infected. You can eat the infected eggs no ptoblem, but idk if the tylan has a withdrawal period in which you cannot eat the eggs. But denagard has a zero withdrawal period for the eggs. I just had to sacrifice my good egg layer Charolett, because her symptoms are the worse, in order to find out what exacally it is. Even though I pretty much already know as this has already happeded to me. Iam currently awaiting the labs results. Are ur birds having any other symptoms such as sneezing or wheezing?

 

[brandy21410]

Thanks, Brandy21410
I am considering your advice regarding sacrificing her. Where would I have to take her to? 
At this stage she still looks good and laid an egg this morning and yesterday, although I am keeping those separated. I have no intention of selling birds or chicks if we ever hatch any. I have previously given extra eggs from my flock to friend and yes I would want to know that they're OK to eat. My major concern is keeping the flock healthy and to be able to add to it in the future.
They all came from a hatchery that did vaccinate them, but I do not know if they got vaccine for mycoplasma, if they even are able to. The rooster we got locally and he was quarantined for 4 months far from the girls who were still very young then. He hasn't got any symptoms, but if he were a carrier would this only have come out now? They've been together since Oct. 
I am concerned about the deep leaf litter in the run, if it's a breeding ground for disease then it's got to go, any thoughts on this?

and I dont use the deep littler. I live in the desert and the sand works perfect for keeping the coop clean. I have heard that deep litter works well tho, especially in the winter.and havent heard anything about it hindering bacterial growth. There are alot of options out there tho if you are worried about that.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for your info again. Yes, I am pretty stressed about this. I know a number of folks with chickens and none have ever had this issue, so I feel like I must not be doing it right.
Someone I know told me not to give dairy as it gives them sour crop, but I do give probiotics, not daily though. We also add apple cider vinegar to their water a few times.
By the way, what do you use for deworming? I dread those awful things.
Our buff Brahma is doing Ok, she is eating well, but her eye doesn't look any better, or much worse. She has no other symptoms.
I plan to going to feed store today.
I'd hate to sacrifice her, as she is a sweet girl, very tame and docile.

Many people do not worm their chickens ever, but many worm at least twice a year. Worm and their eggs can be present even if you don't see them. Most have some worms if on dirt. Your local vet usually can do a fecal float on a baggie of several fresh droppings, to look for the main types of chicken worms. I use Valbazen 1/2 ml orally to each chicken, and repeat it in 10-14 days. Another good one is fenbendazole (SafeGuardGoat wormer, equine paste, and Panacur.) Dosage is 1/4 ml per pound of weight given orally daily for 3-5 days, depending on the types of worms you have.

 

[3 Dozen a Week]

No other symptoms, the other birds do not seem infected today, I am not sure why they seemed different to me at first, so I have kept them all together still. Basically it is just her eye, but I am pretty sure this isn't an injury or a worm. She's eating well and behaving just fine. Today was finally not raining and slightly sunny so we took her out the sick bay and put her in the summer coop, which is an A-frame tractor, she was very happy to scratch etc. Tonight she is alone in the little sick spot with a heat lamp as it's going to be 20 degrees.

I have decided to try using Colloidal Silver orally as I read about here: 2 drops per day.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/mycoplasma-gallisepticum

So sorry to hear about the trouble you have had and are having with your flock still.
Again, thank you for your response and info about the eggs.

 

[3 Dozen a Week]

I have sand in the coop too, it does work wonderfully.
We just decided to try the deep leaf litter in the adjacent run for the winter. They spend most of their time in it, although they are free to run out on grass/dirt.
During the warmer months, they are on grass in movable pens.