can penicillin permanently stop egg laying?

[klmclain1]

I have two chickens - one black australorp and one white leghorn - that were sick about 6 weeks and 4 weeks respectively. They had some sort of ailment - not sure what but it was definitely contagious and killed a third girl in the week between the others being scik. The two surviving girls received penicillin for 3 and 4 days - one of them from the vet, the other from me.

Neither girls have resumed laying, and the white legorn's comb has become tough, kind of yellowy red in color, and it stands straight up now as opposed to the 50's combover look.

Are these normal longterm reactions to penicillin?

 

[CMV]

No. That is not a normal reaction to penicillin or even an abnormal reaction to penicillin. I am guessing your birds' illness was the cause if they have truly stopped laying. How long has it been?

 

[Animalian]

It would be the stress of the illness that stopped them laying. They needed to conserve their energy to get better, rather than putting it into egg making. Now they are probably building themselves up after being sick.

Sounds weird with the comb colour... I have heard that as the get older it can start to stand up.

 

[klmclain1]

<sigh>... well, they're only 8 months old... and it's been 6 weeks since the first was sick and 4 since the last. I wasn't real concerned about the egg laying. The change in the comb bothers me more. She seems to be fine otherwise!

I appreciate the answers! Thank you.

 

[Animalian]

do you/have you treated them for mites? that can cause a pale comb. Maybe a picture?

 

[CMV]

What did they have? Did the vet test them? Some illnesses (infectious bronchitis) can affect laying and egg quality in birds.