How much Duramycin-10 do I use?

[Zigmont]

My youngest hen(8 months) has been mouth breathing lately and isn't laying as much as usual. Since It has been pretty warm here and she is the lowest on the pecking order, she could be hot or stressed, but of course it could be a respiratory infection.

I cannot remember how much Duramycin to put in the water. I have 5 chickens and want to dose their water. The dosage on the package says CRD air sac disease is 400-800 mg per gallon per day and for infectious synovitis 200-400 mg per gallon. The only measuring tools I have are American, teaspoon etc, or ML. I can't find a conversion that makes any sense to me. I don't want to OD or under medicate. Can anyone help?

 

[speckledhen]

You said it was warm there. Some chickens are not as heat tolerant as others and they can also pant when they are in pain. Have you checked her body over, under the wings for wounds or her abdomen for swelling?

Why on earth are you giving her antibiotics? Did someone advise this? I would say that was ill-advised and I see no reason for antibiotics from what you described. If she was actually ill, it could even be a virus, which antibiotics won't even touch.

 

[Zigmont]

Thank you speckled hen. The chicken man I got some of my chickens advised the antibiotics. I will not give them to her then, and I did check her, but she seems fine. It's raining and cooler today so I will see if she is panting. Would you ever advise antibiotics? If she starts to sound congested?

 

[Cetawin]

Antibiotics are only good if you know what you are treating. Each different type treats different problems and diseases and illnesses. One may be great for staph type infections and one for bacterial but would not do any good if used for the opposite.

Watch her and monitor her behavior, breathing and so forth, review the sticky at the top of this forum in the blue area...be ready to answer the questions there so that when and if you need help with her, there is a better chance of determining what is actually wrong in order to treat her.

 

[Zigmont]

Thanks cetawin. What is the sticky part at the top of the thread? Also, I have been reading about apple vinegar and garlic. Do you think that might help?

 

[speckledhen]

I only advise antibiotics for wounds or non-contagious type stuff like pneumonia peculiar to that one bird. I just gave a hen who has a reproductive infection a huge dose of penG to try to nip it in the bud. For regular respiratory disease that leaves a bird a carrier, like Mycoplasmosis or Coryza, I never recommend antibiotics, but only euthanasia. If the bird has a virus, of course, antibiotics do nothing. If you don't know what is wrong, then you have no idea if an antibiotic is the way to go, and if it is, which one. If it's a fungal infection, antibiotics do more harm than good.

 

[Zigmont]

How do you know when a hen has a reproductive infection and what is penG?

 

[speckledhen]

PenG is penicillin.



You asked how I know she has a reproductive infection. I have had so many hens die from egg yolk peritonitis and/or internal laying that I just know the signs to look for now. It's sad experience. Riley hasn't been as perky lately, haven't seen one of her eggs in a few weeks, she went on the nest yesterday and came off without laying, she didn't come off the roost to greet me when I went into the coop late one day when everyone else did and her abdomen seems bloaty. Been through this many, many times; usually, there is nothing to be done unless you have caught the infection at the outset, and even then, it may be hopeless.


Sticky Threads are at the top of each section. They are "stuck" so they don't fall down the page as they contain helpful information. Go here and you'll see them in a blue band before you even get to the threads themselves: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures