California - Northern

[BCollie]

I'm freaking out. I don't want my chickens to die.

There's a couple feed stores I can call in the morning but I don't know if they'll carry it. I don't know what will happen to them if I can't find the meds they need.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Welp, I just went to check on them and one of the hens has bubbly eyes. A ton of little bubbles in both of her eyes. The other two have very wet sounding sneezes, which is not normal for them. The only ones not showing any symptoms are the two Speckled Sussex and the Tolbunt Polish. So, half my flock seems to be sick.
I want to give whatever antibiotic is going to work best, without risking killing them like people have said happens with the injections. I have $56 to my name, that's all I can afford for medication. What do I buy for them? I just want my hens to be better again.

I have no way to quarantine or separate. The chicken yard is to small to keep them separate, and the only other yard I have is the dog yard, both of my foster dogs want to chase my chickens so that won't work. I really have no other options.

Since that is too long to wait to get the medication, what should I do?? I can't find any store around here that carries it

You need to get the chickens that are showing those symptoms (bubbly eyes) away from the healthy ones NOW. Or you risk having all of them get it. Some (most) of the illnesses that cause bubbly eyes are not curable and are highly contagious.

 

[ronott1]

I'm freaking out. I don't want my chickens to die.

There's a couple feed stores I can call in the morning but I don't know if they'll carry it. I don't know what will happen to them if I can't find the meds they need.ON

It depends on what they have. Some of the respiratory illnesses will be fairly mild and they will recover. The thing to do now is make sure they are getting vitamins and eating. Give them some scrambled eggs, yogurt and etc. Feed back any eggs that they lay while you treat them. The goal is to get their immunity up and reduce stress. Getting them into a quiet place to recover helps along from keeping them from spreading the illness.

Can you get the boarder dogs out get some quarantine space?

I am so sorry that we did not tell you about quarantining. I though you knew about that. We have not talked about it here in a while I guess.

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
I knew about needing to quarantine but had no way to, and I don't think this is caused by the new hen. I was not worried about her bringing in diseases as I knew where she was coming from. She exhibits zero symptoms. The first one to show symptoms was my Andalusian.
I will go to the store right now and get them some yogurt. I'll also put some electrolytes and probiotics in their water. I'll make sure to keep them away from the dogs so that they aren't stressed at all.
There's no way I can get the other dogs out. I really wish I could, but they are foster dogs for a rescue and have no other place to go.

What do I treat them with if I can't find Tylan at a local feed store tomorrow?

Quote:
I have no way to! I wish I did, but there is absolutely nothing I can do to get them away from the healthy ones. The only way I can separate them is just with some chicken wire but even then they are still able to have direct contact with the sick ones because they'll be in the same yard. I have foster dogs that will hurt them if they are kept in the other yard. There's no way I can separate them, I don't even have a spare bathroom in the house to keep them in.

 

[tls_ranch]

 

 
I found the Tylan Soluble powder on eBay from someone with 100% positive feedback for $48 including shipping. It won't be here until June 4th, is that too long to wait?

I need an antibiotic that's approved for poultry because I do sell my eggs sometimes.

Yes, it is too long to wait.

Separate the sick ones, even if you make a pen in the yard out of old wire.

Remember to quarantine new chicks away from the flock for two weeks before integrating them. Bubbles in the eye can be bad.

I have no way to quarantine or separate. The chicken yard is to small to keep them separate, and the only other yard I have is the dog yard, both of my foster dogs want to chase my chickens so that won't work. I really have no other options. 

Since that is too long to wait to get the medication, what should I do?? I can't find any store around here that carries it

I am so sorry you are having to deal with sick chickens

It is difficult to give advice in this situation. Much depends on what illness your chickens have. If it is mycoplasma ( like MS or MG types) then only a few drugs may help. But, even if the drugs help...your chickens may remain carriers and spread mycoplasma to new flock members. The best drugs for treating mycoplasma is tylan and or denagard ( denagard is really only approved for pigs here in the USA). You can research both here on BYC. I've never used tylan, but used denagard as a preventative a few years ago because I was paranoid about wild birds etc. I've never treated birds that had respiratory illness symptoms, so my advice is not expert.

The problem is that it is hard to tell what illness your birds have and that is most important in regards to what drug to try. Most likely it is mycoplasma with the symptoms of foamy eyes and sneezing. But those may be just early symptom it could get worse. Sadly culling sick birds and sending them to UC Davis is the most responsible action. This may be too hard for you because they are pets. On the other hand, You may get lucky and the ill ones could recover from symptoms without treatment if it is a very mild strain of mycoplasma. They will remain carriers though. I would recommend keeping a closed flock ( no selling chicks, hatching eggs or birds).

I am sorry to give you such sad advice... Try to quarantine , be more careful visiting " chicken farms", and possibly only bring in hatching eggs from now on. Hatching eggs are a risk, but in general much safer than started birds.

Trisha

 

[OR4-hmom]

BCollie, a few years ago I used totes with screen on the top to separate the Brahmas that were getting pecked and bleeding. Do you have an area you could put totes or crates for the sick birds?

I can look up here for meds if you know what you need. There is a feed store in Palo Cedro also.

 

[tls_ranch]

Link to denagard :

http://www.qcsupply.com/denagard-liquid-concentrate-novartis.html?gclid=CMXwnLfJ0r4CFQqPfgod0lEAOQ

Overseas it is used in poultry and is reported to have a good success rate with with mycoplasma. Possibly even curing birds in carrier states.

Note, birds hate the taste when in drinking water. If you do use it you will need to sweeten the water/ denagard solution.

 

[OR4-hmom]

You just addressed part of my question about totes or crates, but is the run big enough for a watermelon box for the sick ones?

 

[BCollie]

You just addressed part of my question about totes or crates, but is the run big enough for a watermelon box for the sick ones?

Maybe. How big are watermelon crates?

Quote: I have no way to quarantine or separate. The chicken yard is to small to keep them separate, and the only other yard I have is the dog yard, both of my foster dogs want to chase my chickens so that won't work. I really have no other options.

Since that is too long to wait to get the medication, what should I do?? I can't find any store around here that carries it

I am so sorry you are having to deal with sick chickens

It is difficult to give advice in this situation. Much depends on what illness your chickens have. If it is mycoplasma ( like MS or MG types) then only a few drugs may help. But, even if the drugs help...your chickens may remain carriers and spread mycoplasma to new flock members. The best drugs for treating mycoplasma is tylan and or denagard ( denagard is really only approved for pigs here in the USA). You can research both here on BYC. I've never used tylan, but used denagard as a preventative a few years ago because I was paranoid about wild birds etc. I've never treated birds that had respiratory illness symptoms, so my advice is not expert.

The problem is that it is hard to tell what illness your birds have and that is most important in regards to what drug to try. Most likely it is mycoplasma with the symptoms of foamy eyes and sneezing. But those may be just early symptom it could get worse. Sadly culling sick birds and sending them to UC Davis is the most responsible action. This may be too hard for you because they are pets. On the other hand, You may get lucky and the ill ones could recover from symptoms without treatment if it is a very mild strain of mycoplasma. They will remain carriers though. I would recommend keeping a closed flock ( no selling chicks, hatching eggs or birds).

I am sorry to give you such sad advice... Try to quarantine , be more careful visiting " chicken farms", and possibly only bring in hatching eggs from now on. Hatching eggs are a risk, but in general much safer than started birds.

Trisha

I will call all the feed stores I can find within an hour radius tomorrow and see if any of them carry Tylan.
So...no more hatching eggs/selling chicks, since I have an infected flock. That means I need to sell my brand new incubator, right? And I can never again add chicks/chickens to the flock like I'd been planning on doing...this is devestating.

 

[capayvalleychick]

I am so sorry you are having to deal with sick chickens

It is difficult to give advice in this situation. Much depends on what illness your chickens have. If it is mycoplasma ( like MS or MG types) then only a few drugs may help. But, even if the drugs help...your chickens may remain carriers and spread mycoplasma to new flock members. The best drugs for treating mycoplasma is tylan and or denagard ( denagard is really only approved for pigs here in the USA). You can research both here on BYC. I've never used tylan, but used denagard as a preventative a few years ago because I was paranoid about wild birds etc. I've never treated birds that had respiratory illness symptoms, so my advice is not expert.

The problem is that it is hard to tell what illness your birds have and that is most important in regards to what drug to try. Most likely it is mycoplasma with the symptoms of foamy eyes and sneezing. But those may be just early symptom it could get worse. Sadly culling sick birds and sending them to UC Davis is the most responsible action. This may be too hard for you because they are pets. On the other hand, You may get lucky and the ill ones could recover from symptoms without treatment if it is a very mild strain of mycoplasma. They will remain carriers though. I would recommend keeping a closed flock ( no selling chicks, hatching eggs or birds).

I am sorry to give you such sad advice... Try to quarantine , be more careful visiting " chicken farms", and possibly only bring in hatching eggs from now on. Hatching eggs are a risk, but in general much safer than started birds.

Trisha

Trisha is right. I'm hoping that your Polish is resistant to whatever it is.

I went through this, years ago. Bought a bird off Craigslist and it came down with bubbly eyes. Then several of my other chickens got it. Sent the sick ones to UCD. They suspected MG but tests were always inconclusive. It kept spreading in my flock, so I had to cull any birds with symptoms. Every year, some would show symptoms. They would be culled. I don't medicate because it doesn't cure, just masks symptoms. Finally stopped seeing symptoms a couple years ago. Last year, I sent in a lame bird and it was the first known case of Mareks here. But I finally got a clear negative on the test for MG. So, I think my remaining flock is now resistant to MG. It took many years. Now I'm hoping that I can get resistance to Mareks.