I have several pullets that are just starting to lay. My barred rock (not yet laying) has been sick for a little over a week. She started out with bubbly eyes, and that's it. I separated her several days b/c I noticed it was getting worse. The other day, one of her eyes was sealed shut. I opened it and lots of cloudy liquid came out. He beak/nostril area smells bad. She has had some nasal discharge. She has been not herself and more tired. I have been reading the post here and she has been on Duramycin 800mg for 3 days now. Yesterday I doubled the strength of it. She is acting a little bit better, but not back to normal. Her eyes are not as cloudy and not as full of liquid anymore. She has been able to keep them opened better without sealing, but still bubbly. I am not sure if she has a cold or coryza. I do not want my other hens to get it and I want to increase my flock, but want this under control first. Do you have any experience with this or advice for me? Anything is much appreciated! I read that tripling the dosage is okay. Do you recommend this. I also read that Tetracycline is better than duramycin. Thoughts? Thank you! Nathan
Sounds like infectious Coryza, but you'd have to actually have it tested to be 100% sure. Chickens don't get simple head colds like humans do. If it smells bad, it's bad. No antibiotic will actually knock Coryza out of your flock--it's a carrier disease. It may help with the symptoms since Coryza is bacterial, however, the recovered birds will remain carriers. Sulmet is one drug that is used for Coryza, but I don't use any antibiotics for respiratory stuff (well, haven't had any in the flocks here yet, not in over five years, but I refuse to treat it--they'd be euthanized).
