I think my pullet is near death. :-(

[TubbyChicken]

I feel uncomfortable treating the hens with antibiotics after reading more about the meds...

What are my other options (GSE) and...wait it out? If (and I know this is a very big if) this disease is something more mild in my flock would the hens be able to overcome something less severe?

Ugh...I feel awful right now. I'm so sad for these birds.

 

[chicknmania]

I think I'd be calling the chicken doctor www.firststatevetsupply.com, especially if you are able to get a necropsy and are just waiting for the results, which take a while. I don't like using antibiotics either but I think I would continue the antibiotic treatment you started while continuing to find out what is wrong. If it is too late to get a necropsy on this one I definitely would if you have any more that die...don't know about Kentucky but here in Ohio the state vets associated with the necropsy were very helpful and gave us lots of free advice for our flock when they were sick.

 

[speckledhen]

Doc Brown is a great guy, and I'd call him or post on his forum, if you can catch him when he isn't traveling. He's helped me several times and is a generous guy with his time and knowledge. This is the link to his forum, but you have to register to read it.
http://featherfanciers.com/forums/index.php

 

[chicknmania]

The antibiotics won't hurt you or your birds in the short term, and they can be useful in fighting any secondary infections which may arise while the birds are sick, that might weaken them further, even if they may not be helping to treat the original illness. Just wait two to three weeks after you're done treating, before you eat the eggs.

 

[chicknmania]

OH, one more thing...you'd be surprised what they can overcome. I know we were. Stay positive.

 

[speckledhen]

Maybe I should have been clear on my stand on the antibiotics. My personal decision is to cull birds with respiratory illness, not to treat it. Those can infect your entire flock and ruin your day, big time. I have used antibiotics for foot and hock infections, though, on my roosters and hens whose eggs are not being eaten anyway. Many people let them try to recover on their own. If they live, they live.

 

[chicknmania]

I only can speak from my personal experience, which was that our flock had back to back episodes with ILT and then Avian TB. The state vets told us to continue to use the antibiotics, even though they also told us culling was an option, and probably advisable, we didn't feel it was if we could help it, we wanted to try and save them. So we used the antibiotics and then the vaccine...wasn't much we could do for the TB but they told us to use the antibiotics for that, too...we did lose some birds...can't remember, around eight, I think...and four or so to the TB...but we were amazed at how many recovered, and how many never got it...we treated the whole flock with antibiotics. But, I don't think you should use antibiotics very often...they build up tolerance to them, and there are a lot of other reasons not to use them except in certain circumstances. Respiratory illnesses in chickens can be devastating, and a lot of work, that's true.

And by the way, to avoid confusion, Peter Brown is the chicken doctor and you can reach him at either of those links we mentioned, as far as I know, except, as Sphen mentiioned, if he is travelling. He is awesome. Please buy his products he recommends, if you use him.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, my, Avian TB! That's awful for you! My last two deceased hens had almost every symptom of it. The only way I was positive they didnt have that was that we did our own necropsy. The liver of a hen with TB is very distinctive. Ours had beautiful, healthy livers......that plus their oviducts were full of egg material (salpingitis).

 

[TubbyChicken]

I understand why someone with a larger flock would cull rather than treat or risk further infection after all that I've read. I'm really hoping that my flock is encountering something mild. I really, really hope.

This is my first time with chickens...and my first flock. I have so much energy, time and emotion invested in them that I want to do all that I can for them. I think my friend may have already buried the dead bird as it passed sometime last night. Knowing that a necropsy could be done is very helpful though! Thanks for that information.

 

[chicknmania]

Avian TB is nasty because it takes so long to run it's course, and, of course, you're really never sure, and keep hoping, as there's no way to diagnose it except from a necropsy...it takes around 9 months before they actually die from it, but it progresses so slowly that a lot of that time they don't really appear too sick. I read that, fortunately, lots of birds will develop a natural immunity to it, especially if they free range, and that seemed to be the case with us (knock on wood!) We had it over a year ago.