Chicken with Runny Nose, Swollen Face and Bubbly Eye

[Windy Bay Farm]

Can someone tell me if there is a natural way to treat a chicken with the symptoms I have described above ? I really don't want to give antibiotics. I should also mention that the hen has a bad rattle when she breaths. Any suggestions on what this might be and what, if any, natural treatments I could give her ?

 

[Eggcessive]

You may have coryza or mycoplasma which are chronic respiratory diseases that will come back whenever your chicken is stressed. Antibiotics will only temporarily treat symptoms, and I doubt if natural herbs such as garlic, oregano oil and other ingredients will do much. Removing this chicken from your flock permanently would probably be the best thing to do, otherwise it will infect the others.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a list of common diseases, including the above ones, for your reading: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

Thanks for the info and the link... I'll check it out !

 

[FluffyPuff]

My hen had this a while back too! She had a respiratory illness. I was able to treat it with antibiotics. If you are like me and eat your eggs then you are probably thinking that you don't want any medicine in your eggs! So here's what you can do: wait awhile and see if anything gets better, if not then take it to the vet! Get her on antibiotics and dispose of any eggs that she lays while on the antibiotics. After she is off of any medication wait just a few days so that you can be 100% sure that the medicine is out of her system. Then you can continue eating your delicious eggs!
Srry there are no "natural cures" that I know of.

 

[magpiesing]

I have a young bird and a couple of older birds with the same respiratory issues as well. I have done some digging on Denagard. I've read many positive feedbacks on it. There is an older thread on BYC that gives the dosage. It's labeled for swine but can be used in poultry. I've located it on line from QC supply. It's about $45 for what I believe is a quart. Going to see if my feed store sells it or can get it. My concern is the shelf life. I only have a few birds and at just a few cc per gallon it will take a long time to use that much. Anyway I'm going to get some and try it. Mine is a closed flock and I'd rather miss a few eggs than cull my birds. Hope this will help

 

[magpiesing]

Oh another thing that helps their immune system is to put unfiltered "with the mother" cider vinegar in their water. I understand that the denagard is very bitter so if you use it make sure the bird is drinking. Per BYC thread.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

Thanks for the feed back folks. I'm not one to use antibiotics as I believe that it only masks the symptoms of an illness and won't cure it. Once the birds get stressed it will usually always resurface. If it's a respiratory illness that is viral they will be carriers for life and I don't want to introduce anything to any new birds I bring in. I've isolated the birds of concern and am contemplating what to do. In the end I may have to cull. I hate the thought of it, but I won't keep sick birds around and pump meds into them.

 

[MacTFL]

Bought 50 birds... got my flock all sick with this. Production went down to nothing, lost two good layers. about 1/3 of the 50. Treated with Denagard and 2 days into the treatment, they were all doing better. Lost a few more of the 50 but production when back up and eyes, nose cleared up and swelling gone.