Help - Need advise with some strange symptoms

[spies04]

Hi - Some of my chickens appear to be sick but they all have different symptoms and hoping someone can help me with what I should do next.

Our treasured rooster was sick right before Christmas. He became very lethargic and would stand with his eye closed. I put him in a quarantined area and fed him baby food along with tetracycline (along with the others) and he has gotten better. But he is still not completely himself.

I have another hen who appears to be larger in the bottom area and now trouble walking. I have now quarantined her just recently and will begin some hand feeding and tetracycline.

I have had a few die over the last few months but I live in Minnesota and the winters can be hard on them. The others seem fine but I just have no idea what to do next. We treasure our chickens and only use them for pets and eggs.

Any ideas on what I can do next? I did pick up some vitamin supplements today to add to their diet to give them some "extras". I also give them other food other than their scratch and layers; veggies, bread, yogurt, bananas, etc.

Any help would be so much appreciated. None of my hens are youngsters with the youngest being around 2 years old.

thanks!!

 

[missnu01]

So one rooster is weak keeping one eye closed, and a hen is walking funny and seems swollen on the bottom?

 

[spies04]

Yes - the others seem fine. I have those two quarantined in separate kennels. We have a rather large chicken house that is insulated so with the severely cold weather Minnesota is getting, this is the best place for them today. Plus I have a guinea hen who is very attached to the rooster so I didn't want to stress her by taking him out.

 

[cafarmgirl]

It's possible that you've had them come down with some kind of respiratory disease. It often morphs into pneumonia or secondary bacterial infections, so it could be that is what your rooster is battling. You might try starting him on Tylan 50 and see if that clears him up. The dose of the injectable is 1/4 cc per day for 5 days. They really need extra warmth too, especially at night, while they are sick.

I suspect what's going on with your hen in regards to her swollen lower body is not related. That is usually caused by ascites, fluid buildup in the body cavities. That in turn is caused by other problems, anything from heart/circulatory problems to egg yolk peritonitis, none of them good. Antibiotic's may help in the short term if she's got infection but it will come back and usually the underlying cause gets them in the end or the pressure from the build up of fluid is too much for their heart and other organs.

 

[spies04]

Thank you! I do appreciate your help!! I will try both. I figured with the hen that there was not much I could do other than make her comfortable - her name is Mrs. Beasley and is just a sweetie so this will be a great loss. And our rooster, Chester, is so gentle and sweet that I am willing to try anything for him.

I have been very lucky with my flock and have had rare illnesses so this kind of took me by surprised.

I do have two brooder lamps in the house and it is insulated. So, I have been checking to make sure the temperature is maintained. I plan to go out there one more time tonight but then leave them locked up with no entry until tomorrow morning. The cold and winds we are getting hit with are just insane!

 

[missnu01]

The rooster that is lethargic, is he also sneezing, wheezing coughing, any other symptoms? Because he might need to be totally separated from any other birds. As opposed to separated in the same area.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Your very welcome. It's just a guess, a place to start at least. I know how frustrating it can be to try to figure them out when they are sick.

Edited to add:

The thing with separating at this point is that it's kind of like shutting the barn door after the horse has run off. If it is a respiratory bug they are contagious before they show a lot of symptoms. And this has already been going on since before Christmas. So quarantine won't help much at this point.

 

[spies04]

No other symptoms on the rooster. Just lethargic and the eye closed. He is eating and drinking still. Just seems like one would feel after recovering from the flu. I am going to try Tylan 50 and see if there is any improvement. thanks!!

 

[spies04]

One other question on the Tylan 50 - is it better to inject or the powder. Injections always make me nervous that I will do it wrong and cause them more harm or death.

 

[dawg53]

One other question on the Tylan 50 - is it better to inject or the powder. Injections always make me nervous that I will do it wrong and cause them more harm or death.

It's better to use the injectable rather than the soluable powder. You can give the tylan 50 injectable orally; 1/2cc orally once a day for 5-7 days, no more than 7 days.