help help help!!! Antibiotics? Sick bird... Update

[NYREDS]

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She wouldn't neessarily be a carrier because you have no idea what she has. She is however a bird that is susceptable to illness & as such I would not keep her. The reasons being she's likely to get sick again & she's likely to produce offspring with the same susceptability.
Many respratory illnesses are viral in origin & so antibiotics are of no use. The indescriminate use of antibiotics in birds is as much a problem as it is in people. we're just making stromger & stronger bugs which are unaffected by more & more antibiotics. Randomly choosing an antibiotic to treat an unknown organism is a crap shoot at best. Terramycin used to be an effective antibiotic but it was over used & used improperly. Now it's pretty ineffective. Tylan & the other newer meds will go the same way if they continue to be used improperly.

 

[swtangel321]

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I think that her idea of "cold" was that since I have added no new birds to the flock and noone else was sick that she (the hen) might just be sick and my others might not get anything. When a chicken is sick does that always mean that the others will get it ?? I did read the articles you posted !!

If you were in this case sneezing, bubble eyes, rattlel in chest would you cull or try to treat ??

I can have hubby go out there tomrrow and cull, I just feel bad if I cull her over something that is an easy fix !!

I just dont understand how she would of got any of those in the articles you postes, but want to do whats best for the flock !!

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
I think that her idea of "cold" was that since I have added no new birds to the flock and noone else was sick that she (the hen) might just be sick and my others might not get anything. When a chicken is sick does that always mean that the others will get it ?? I did read the articles you posted !!

If you were in this case sneezing, bubble eyes, rattlel in chest would you cull or try to treat ??

I can have hubby go out there tomrrow and cull, I just feel bad if I cull her over something that is an easy fix !!

I just dont understand how she would of got any of those in the articles you postes, but want to do whats best for the flock !!

Honestly, you have to make those decisions for yourself. It's possible she has a fungal infection, but this is the problem: We just dont know for sure without a test. I understand you not seeing how she could get something, however, you can walk things back to your flock just by walking through the feedstore and not disinfecting your shoes or removing your clothing when you get home. There are many ways birds can contract something without being directly exposed to others. Me, you know what I would do-I made a decision on how I would treat stuff like this if it ever happened, even before I had chickens. Not everyone shares my view and they dont have to. I know it is not an easy decision to cull a bird when you really are not sure what she has. I have no idea if it's a carrier disease or just a sinus infection, as NYReds said in his post, so I cant really tell you what to do in this case. Tylan and Gallimycin are the preferred antibiotics for most everything respiratory if you decide to go that route.

 

[swtangel321]

Quote:
I think that her idea of "cold" was that since I have added no new birds to the flock and noone else was sick that she (the hen) might just be sick and my others might not get anything. When a chicken is sick does that always mean that the others will get it ?? I did read the articles you posted !!

If you were in this case sneezing, bubble eyes, rattlel in chest would you cull or try to treat ??

I can have hubby go out there tomrrow and cull, I just feel bad if I cull her over something that is an easy fix !!

I just dont understand how she would of got any of those in the articles you postes, but want to do whats best for the flock !!

Honestly, you have to make those decisions for yourself. It's possible she has a fungal infection, but this is the problem: We just dont know for sure without a test. I understand you not seeing how she could get something, however, you can walk things back to your flock just by walking through the feedstore and not disinfecting your shoes or removing your clothing when you get home. There are many ways birds can contract something without being directly exposed to others. Me, you know what I would do-I made a decision on how I would treat stuff like this if it ever happened, even before I had chickens. Not everyone shares my view and they dont have to. I know it is not an easy decision to cull a bird when you really are not sure what she has. I have no idea if it's a carrier disease or just a sinus infection, as NYReds said in his post, so I cant really tell you what to do in this case. Tylan and Gallimycin are the preferred antibiotics for most everything respiratory if you decide to go that route.

Thanks !! I HATE THIS

!!! I have no problem with culling if needed !! I mean, I love my chickens but not enough to take em to the vet and pay $100 on them and like I said I dont wont to lose my whole flock !! I would just think if it was a carrier disease that my others would show some signs of something !!

And since its been 3 days without treatment I would think they would show by now !!

If I treat with anti's and she shows signs of getting better would you put her back with the flock ??


How soon do you cull ? I mean you see bubbles in eyes and then cull ? Im not trying to be rude and I DO see your ways and totally agree. Just want an idea on if you would give ANY chance or not risk it at all ??

Also if I cull does that mean the rest of my flock is safe even if noone is showing any signs ??

 

[swtangel321]

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Sorry that im asking so many questions on your thread, Dont mean to hijack !! I guess im in the same boat as you... to cull or not to cull

 

[silkiechicken]

Really it is hard to say. Maybe she is just a weaker bird. It is up to you and what you decide is the best for your flock and your purpose of the flock so to say. If they were all together, they were all exposed, and if she keeps getting sick, she could become a weak link in the flock. A weak link can become sick from something the rest blow off, and while sick, get even sicker with something else at the same time, and become a reservoir to disease/pests/infections that can be shed to the rest of the flock, only to strike during a high time of stress. I too am one of those who can't justify a 100 vet bill on a chicken.

Viruses aren't affected by antibiotics since, they are just little packages of selfish virulent genetic material. Well, with the exception of the Mimi Virus that is, it shows some genetic hallmarks of "life" such as introns, DNA repair machenery, and so on. It isn't a human virus though so don't worry about it Most pathogens are species specific, with only a few that can cross barriers.

It is up to you if you treat, and if you put her back with the rest. Don't really think we can tell you what is best for your situation in the end. I personally would probably let it run it's course and cull once that sparkle of life disapears from their personality.

As for culling the whole flock, I would just let things run their course and let them be. All living things live in balance with the good and bad things in their enviornment, and sometimes a few will succumb to the bad. Each flock has their own balance too, so a 100% healthy flock at home A, might not do so well at home B.

Good luck with what you decide!

 

[swtangel321]

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Thanks Silkie !! When you say you would let it run its course and cull when the sparkle disapears, do you mean you would treat it with anti's, seperate and then put back into the flock when better and cull if it happend again.

Or leave her in the coop untreated with the others and see if she gets better or not ??

 

[silkiechicken]

I can't really see your bird... but personally if it was my flock and she was still up and running around, eating, drinking, and being a chicken, I'd probably just let her go with the rest of the flock if the only thing wrong was sneezing. Maybe the new shavings had something in it she didn't get along well. Hard to say. If she has gotten worse in isolation, I might just keep her in isolation inside till she got better. I personally would skip the antibotics, since I feel that they are to be used for animal bites, large wounds, or when you know there is an infection, such as bumble foot. This is largely because I don't want to increase the frequency of bacteria carrying resistance plasmids, plasmids which can be transfered to "good bacteria," then to bacteria living on our own skin, and then to bacteria that can make us or others sick, and ultimately result in us not being able to be helped by the family of antibiotics used on the birds some time in the past.

 

[swtangel321]

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I understand what your saying, and thank you again for the help !!

If the sneezing was the only thing I would do the same !! But, its not it started with bubbles in both eyes thought she had an eye infection (maybe got something in it) when I picked her up to treat her eyes noticed the rattle in her chest when she would breath, the open beak breathing and the sneezing. Ahhhh

I'm dreading going out there this morning to let them out, hope everyone is ok !!

 

[Beau coop]

I just checked on my girl, still sneezing. I will keep her isolated.