Hen breathing hard, no wheezing (poop picture added)

[Hen Pen Jem]

Remember to give them some extra food, as a buffer, to prevent intestinal irritation.

Some left overs, bread pieces, egg, anything you can put together.

 

[arrowti]

I have just given the RLR her third aspirin dose... let me just say, she is NOT a happy chicken.

Our birds are being naughty. While I was giving her her pill the ducks slipped under the fence (I noticed them, but presumed since I was outside, I could watch them) and then promptly vanished... I looked around for a bit until I heard the telltale sound of duck bills snacking on water from the direction of the road... and there they were, in the ditch alongside the road drinking the nasty water that is full of trash that people throw out of their cars when driving by (rural area, people think they can throw their mcdonalds bags out whenever they drive through... grrr).

Our ducks are scared of the backup signal from a UPS truck that they can't even see, but they don't even flinch as an 18 wheeler comes by at 60 MPH from 3 feet away.

The buckeye and RLR are doing okay. I've been giving them some scraps (cauliflower, rice, and some softened pieces of apples).

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

I know what you mean, people drive like they are in a race here. The other day a family of quail almost got hit by a car, as it sped by!

And don't get me started on the trash people make, and toss out of their cars.

People always complain that the beauty of nature is disappearing, well, hello! Nature starts right outside your front door.

Your hen may be more willing to take her aspirin, if you hide it in a little bread ball. I do that for my hens when I worm them with a drench. Make the ball tiny, so she'll swallow it whole.

Watch out for those ducks!

 

[arrowti]

I tried the bread ball.. but she's determined to be picky. I tossed the bread to the buckeye who gobbled it up and placed the aspirin in the RLR's mouth and she swallowed it eventually. She is not a morning chicken, very grumpy. She even pecked me this morning!

Anyway... I noticed a something strange (in my opinion) in their area. I going to make the wild assumption that it came from the RLR since the buckeye had a normal poop in front of me while I was taking a picture. I've never seen anything like it! I poked it with a stick it was completely solid with a slight gob of yellowy slime attached to it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ewbfGie44DcIQnf69Vvw169DpTN6Jt7Y/view?usp=sharing

Also, I snapped a picture of each of the birds.

The buckeye:

And the RLR (her comb started to get floppy a couple weeks ago).

She's certainly looked better but she's eating, drinking, and apparently pooping.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings arrowti,

Pilling a chicken is not always easy. I have one who just won't go for it. That is why I use an oral syringe to administer meds. I create a thickened suspension to prevent aspiration. When you sweeten it, they'll swallow it down. I always wrap the chicken in a towel to restrain them, I sit on a stool, then place their legs between mine, as they are cradled on my lap. Then, I have both hands free, one to open the beak, and the other to deliver the meds. I place the medicine on the tongue, they click-clack their beak, and seem to say, "yum", in chicken language! LOL!

The RLR's posture is that of a hen with reproductive issues. I suspect she is the one who laid the yellow goop covered lash egg. At least I think it is a lash egg. A lash egg is coagulated pus and other bodily gunk, formed in the oviduct. This is not good...might be the cause of her ascite build up.

Many hens die some time after a lash egg is discovered. Because they have been ill for a while. Something has gone wrong in the oviduct, and infection has been stewing, thus, the lash egg. However, some hens only have one incident and after the lash egg is expelled, they recover, although may not lay again.

Sometimes a course of antibiotics is helpful. Also, do soak her in a warm Epsom Salt bath, it will help relax her. You can check her cloaca at that time, while wearing a nitrile or latex glove.

Other than that, just continue the care you have been providing. The Buckeye looks good!

God Bless

 

[arrowti]

Sadly the RLR has passed today. She looked terrible this morning when I gave her her aspirin, too weak to open her eyes or even struggle. I didn't have any time to do anything as I had to go to work. I suspected she would have passed by the time I got back.

She was lying where she was this morning, head still tucked under her wing as in sleep. At least, separated, she wasn't brutally mauled to death by our nasty flock before passing.

Our poor buckeye has lost yet another 'friend'. Our second buckeye was killed by a skunk a month and a half back, and then her other friend, an RLR with cancer, passed not long later. But, onward to good news, she is looking much healthier. I am considering trying to see if I can add her back into the flock this weekend, although that will probably be hindered by Miss. Nasty, our meanest hen who attacks everything that moves.

Thanks for all of your tips and advice so far!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings arrowti,

I am so sorry for your loss.

It is good that she passed in peace, with you caring for her.

I am glad to hear the Buckeye is doing better.

God Bless

 

[arrowti]

I did not manage to add her back to the flock due to a combination of graduation and mother's day (forgot about that.. oops). But, that's for the best. She's started breathing with her mouth open and sneezing. We're running low on Tylan since her initial course of treatment, which ended early last week (we've had it for quite some time, since before the new law)... I checked the petstore today while getting hay for the guinea pig and found some fish erythromycin... did a quick search and saw that it's used in chickens for respiratory diseases, respiratory symptoms, and stress (and a few other things).

I'm following the 3/4 teaspoons in 1 quart of water for 7 days timetable. A few other chickens have begun sneezing, but not breathing hard. I'm hoping it's from the high pollen and not sickness.

She's still eating, drinking, and being active, and looks alert, tail high, and eyes open.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

If you think it's respiratory and the rest of the flock is getting sick too, you can also try Denagard (Tiamulin hydrogen fumarate). It goes into the water, and treatment takes about 10 days. I've used it successfully on my chickens. There is no egg withdrawal period with it. The taste is yucky, so you have to mix in some apple juice concentrate, to make it palatable for the chickens. It also kills a lot of other organisms. I ordered it on Amazon. Just another option if you need something different.

Hopefully the erythromycin will take care of the problem. It's always good to use a different antibiotic after a course is finished. Don't want to encourage antibiotic resistant bacteria.

As long as the chickens are eating, drinking and active, they are strong enough to fight through this illness.

Just have to keep working at it. I am doing the same thing with my chickens. Had a terrible problem with watery diarrhea, this weekend, in 3 of my hens. Secondary infections after Infectious Bronchitis. But, the girls were out foraging and happy today.


God Bless

 

[arrowti]

The rest of the flock is doing well. No signs of any breathing trouble or even coughing. The sneezing seemed to be simply allergy related (and I can relate... good lord my sinuses feel like they're dripping lava).

The buckeye (I really should name her...) is doing about the same. She looked really awful this morning but has since perked up (I'm guessing it was cold related because it was quite chilly this morning!). Her breathing is still the same. Still occasionally sneezing. She's drinking and eating normally, and pooping solid, normal looking poops. Still no wheezing. The lack of improvement at day 4 of antibiotics makes me think if it's an infection, it's viral.

I did a quick video to show you the breathing: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17cxKY3VldB-BiRN8Pd_NO-Ssz2ghw0FF/view

It doesn't look like the videos of gapeworm I've seen from other members, where they stretch their necks out really far and then tuck back down.

The wormer STILL hasn't arrived yet!

They shipped it on Friday, because it was on backstock or something, but I see a package coming in tomorrow which is 'hopefully' the wormer. I don't think I've ordered anything else...

I'm thinking I'll have to get her the wormer by soaking a mix of it with bread, since they discourage mixing additional things in with antibiotics (in the water).