coughing sneezing hens PLESE HELP

[wolfpup]

I've read Reckless' post and hope her girl has improved.

I only have three ex-batt girls. Two weeks ago Penny started coughing and sneezing - I immediately rang the sanctuary for assistance and they recommended what they described as an antibiotic called Herban which is an oregano extractum "a proven antiseptic and microbial and bacterial killer" - according to the blub on the bottle. They said she probably had a cold.

I got some from them the same day 250ml costing £15. Administered it via the drinking water daily since then. They said there was no need to separate her as the others would be getting the antibiotic in the water. Penny has not improved and is loosing weight dramatically - her keel is sticking out - although she is still preening and walking about and seems bright enough in herself. Bright eyed. Today one of my other girls has started to cough and sneeze.

Penny is not eating much - although yesterday I bought her some sunflower seed hearts and she did eat those with relish - but tends to ignore her food and the usual treats of lettuce, tomato, and her favourite (scrambled egg) don't tempt her at all. I tried separating her yesterday for a special feed session - she was so distressed about being apart from the others she would not touch even the sunflower hearts until I let her back in with the others.

I am at the panic point now guys.

Their layer pellet food is in a covered feeder - and whenever it rains we have portable covers over the run (although now they have learned to take shelter). The feeder is off the ground as is their water, All treats and greens are given in a large ceramic flower pot and taken out at the end of the day. Their nest material is the dust free variety (and expensive) and nest boxes are cleaned at 9am daily. Their main run is gravel and drains reasonably well (no standing water ever) and their run extension is plain concrete - again no standing water. The main run is raked over and hosed down every second day and the run extension is hosed down each evening once they are in the main run.

They have been with me for only around 3 months and I love them to bits - however being ex batts I am not sure what if any medication/vaccination they were given. They had such a bad start to life and are loving their new surroundings - I really don't want to lose them - off the shelf antibiotics are not available in the UK - and a trip to the vet is likely to cost me 10 times what they cost me, and I am on a pension.

I have also given them apple cider vinegar and plain yoghurt.

I understood that hens either went down very quickly - or got better - Penny just seems the same - now I have a second hen showing the same initial symptoms, so its no use separating them now. Also If it is something like Aspergilliosis or any sort of upper respiratory infection - can we still eat the eggs????

If anyone can come up with a treatment I can use in the UK please let me know.

 

[realsis]

Can you get tylan50 in the UK?

 

[Judy]

Most respiratory infections are viral so Tylan or any other antibiotic will not treat the actual infection. Sometimes antibiotics help control secondary bacterial infections. Depending on which respiratory infections it is, if this is what it is (and I would guess it is,) the mortality may not be that high. However, they are never cured, and with many of them, the infection is passed through the egg to the next generation. You can't get a definite diagnosis without testing, unfortunately. I'll give you a link to a good document about the main ones in the US -- I'm not sure how different this would look if it were written for the UK, but I know at least some of the diseases are the same.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[wolfpup]

Thank you flockwatcher - wow that's a big read - but I will start now. I have no rooster so the eggs are infertile. If they will never get better and always have this respiratory problem - am I being cruel leaving them this way? Also are the eggs safe for us to eat???

I don't want them to live in misery with a hacking cough and sneezing all the time - although Penny does seem ok in herself - just not eating enough although I have just scattered grated cheese and sunflower seed hearts in the run extension - and the three of them spent 15 minutes hoovering up every little bit - even getting the 'happy cluck' from them.

 

[wolfpup]

Flock watcher I've checked through the first 3 dozen or so and can make these observations

No discharge from eyes or nose
comb and whattle colour normal
no blood seen anywhere
diarrhea is clear and watery with dark streaks in - no green or other colours
no spots on legs or comb

They are not keeping their mouths open - just coughing and rattling.

Hope this helps to give a clearer picture