nowchickens
Hatching
- Jun 6, 2017
- 4
- 2
- 9
Hello! First time poster here. I would appreciate advice regarding my chicken situation--sorry, it's kinda long:
I have six 1-1.5 year old chickens ( 1 rooster, 5 hens) in one coop and nine 16 week olds in a second coop. They share the same run, feeders, and waterers.
My roughly 1 year old Barnevelder rooster began having a watery right eye shortly after I got him. I got him a about 6 months ago. When I say watery, it was just extra teary, not dripping. The area around his eye was slightly inflamed/swollen once for a few days but cleared up. From the moment I noticed his eye, the eye itself has always been clear, nasal passages clear, appears 100% healthy, nice guy to have around. 2.5 weeks ago when I noticed he was not crowing nearly as often. I observed and noticed nothing off for a few days then on the third day I noticed the back end of his comb would turn dark purple randomly throughout the day. I also noticed a small amount of bubbles in this eye and his voice was pretty weak with almost no crowing during the day but otherwise acting normal.
Starting May 22, I gave him .75-1cc (a few drops would roll out of his mouth sometimes) of Tylan 50 orally for 5 days. Day 4 showed definite improvement, crow was stronger. The first day of no meds, he was great. Comb stayed consistently red, crowing coming back. The area around his right eye is currently inflammed, swollen (just the skin) but not enough to affect his vision.
On Wednesday (5/31), I was inspecting my one hen (Sally May) who hasn't been laying normally and noticed when I held her on her back to inspect her vent, she sounded slightly raspy. I inspected the other girls and 2 others sound slightly raspy when on their backs so I treated all 5 hens with the Tylan for 3 days, I had planned on treating 2 more days but all sorts of other things happened around here so they didn't get two more days. I noticed one hen (Mary) sneeze, at least I think it was a sneeze, on Thursday but not since then. Of the 5, 3 are laying regularly (I can identify each's egg easily). Mary is not laying as often (like 3-4 eggs a week instead of 5-6) and Sally May is a mess. She used to be my best, most consistent but for weeks has been laying soft, jello-y shells, no shell, or not pretty, normal colored eggs for her. She is also not using the nest box which has never been an issue so I cannot say how decreased her egg laying exactly because I might not be finding all the eggs. Weekly, I might find 2 eggs with a hard enough shell to keep. No lice/mites on anyone.
Today, I noticed the rooster's comb is turning purple at the back again. His crow is fine and frequent for now.
So, do I start Tylan again for just the rooster or all 6 adults? Do I medicate the young 9 just to be safe? Do I cull the rooster because he has something that has affected his eye for as long as I've had him? Cull all the adults? Is it too soon to medicate with Tylan again? I'm certain I could get some Tylan powder instead of using the Tylan 50 orally. Do I have more than one issue going on with Sally May? Could her crazy egg issues be a respiratory disease only?
I love my chickens but I'm trying going through any heroics to save one, especially if it won't really solve a problem. I feel like the rooster likely has a chronic issue and while I hope my hens don't, I'm trying to be realistic. As far as going to the vet goes, there is an avian vet I have used a few times. I could take the 3 with the most symptoms but cringe when I think of the vet bill. My husband already thinks I'm pretty crazy for going there once let alone 3 times. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Emily
I have six 1-1.5 year old chickens ( 1 rooster, 5 hens) in one coop and nine 16 week olds in a second coop. They share the same run, feeders, and waterers.
My roughly 1 year old Barnevelder rooster began having a watery right eye shortly after I got him. I got him a about 6 months ago. When I say watery, it was just extra teary, not dripping. The area around his eye was slightly inflamed/swollen once for a few days but cleared up. From the moment I noticed his eye, the eye itself has always been clear, nasal passages clear, appears 100% healthy, nice guy to have around. 2.5 weeks ago when I noticed he was not crowing nearly as often. I observed and noticed nothing off for a few days then on the third day I noticed the back end of his comb would turn dark purple randomly throughout the day. I also noticed a small amount of bubbles in this eye and his voice was pretty weak with almost no crowing during the day but otherwise acting normal.
Starting May 22, I gave him .75-1cc (a few drops would roll out of his mouth sometimes) of Tylan 50 orally for 5 days. Day 4 showed definite improvement, crow was stronger. The first day of no meds, he was great. Comb stayed consistently red, crowing coming back. The area around his right eye is currently inflammed, swollen (just the skin) but not enough to affect his vision.
On Wednesday (5/31), I was inspecting my one hen (Sally May) who hasn't been laying normally and noticed when I held her on her back to inspect her vent, she sounded slightly raspy. I inspected the other girls and 2 others sound slightly raspy when on their backs so I treated all 5 hens with the Tylan for 3 days, I had planned on treating 2 more days but all sorts of other things happened around here so they didn't get two more days. I noticed one hen (Mary) sneeze, at least I think it was a sneeze, on Thursday but not since then. Of the 5, 3 are laying regularly (I can identify each's egg easily). Mary is not laying as often (like 3-4 eggs a week instead of 5-6) and Sally May is a mess. She used to be my best, most consistent but for weeks has been laying soft, jello-y shells, no shell, or not pretty, normal colored eggs for her. She is also not using the nest box which has never been an issue so I cannot say how decreased her egg laying exactly because I might not be finding all the eggs. Weekly, I might find 2 eggs with a hard enough shell to keep. No lice/mites on anyone.
Today, I noticed the rooster's comb is turning purple at the back again. His crow is fine and frequent for now.
So, do I start Tylan again for just the rooster or all 6 adults? Do I medicate the young 9 just to be safe? Do I cull the rooster because he has something that has affected his eye for as long as I've had him? Cull all the adults? Is it too soon to medicate with Tylan again? I'm certain I could get some Tylan powder instead of using the Tylan 50 orally. Do I have more than one issue going on with Sally May? Could her crazy egg issues be a respiratory disease only?
I love my chickens but I'm trying going through any heroics to save one, especially if it won't really solve a problem. I feel like the rooster likely has a chronic issue and while I hope my hens don't, I'm trying to be realistic. As far as going to the vet goes, there is an avian vet I have used a few times. I could take the 3 with the most symptoms but cringe when I think of the vet bill. My husband already thinks I'm pretty crazy for going there once let alone 3 times. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Emily
Thanks!
