Hi all. I live in Indiana and this is my very 1st winter having chickens. It's been a bitterly cold winter for here with highs barely making it out of the single digits most days. In the middle of two cold fronts we had a massive warm-up with highs near the 50's three days straight, then right back to bitter cold.
Yesterday I noticed one of my red hens had a 'snotty nose' sound. She was sneezing some too. I brought her into our garage and gave her a heat lamp, fresh water and food...she drank well and ate the three pieces of milk-soaked (the milk was boiled with onions) bread. Today I went out to the coop and two more of my reds were exhibiting symptoms. Off to Big R we went and I found Tetracycline Hydrochloride for poultry and found the answer for how much to use (thank you BackYardChickens!!). We treated their drinking water. I also brought my favorite red, Ginger, into the garage & gave her a quiet, private heat oasis unto herself. It seemed to really perk up the other red (Rhody). They are not together...I'm 'assuming' they have the same thing, as they both have what sounds like snotty noses.
Is there anything else I can do? My entire family has a cold!! I was reading in my Chicken Health Handbook that the common cold in a chicken is actually Infectious Bronchitis. I have chickens ranging in age from 6 months to 18 months (none added in the last 6 months...all were hatchery chicks). Is this because of the wet and extremely cold conditions? Is there anything more I can do? Did I panic in starting the antibiotics right away?
Thanks!
Cami
Yesterday I noticed one of my red hens had a 'snotty nose' sound. She was sneezing some too. I brought her into our garage and gave her a heat lamp, fresh water and food...she drank well and ate the three pieces of milk-soaked (the milk was boiled with onions) bread. Today I went out to the coop and two more of my reds were exhibiting symptoms. Off to Big R we went and I found Tetracycline Hydrochloride for poultry and found the answer for how much to use (thank you BackYardChickens!!). We treated their drinking water. I also brought my favorite red, Ginger, into the garage & gave her a quiet, private heat oasis unto herself. It seemed to really perk up the other red (Rhody). They are not together...I'm 'assuming' they have the same thing, as they both have what sounds like snotty noses.
Is there anything else I can do? My entire family has a cold!! I was reading in my Chicken Health Handbook that the common cold in a chicken is actually Infectious Bronchitis. I have chickens ranging in age from 6 months to 18 months (none added in the last 6 months...all were hatchery chicks). Is this because of the wet and extremely cold conditions? Is there anything more I can do? Did I panic in starting the antibiotics right away?
Thanks!
Cami