Im thinking one of my hens has a respiratory infection.....

[Paintedhorsegirl]

About 5 days ago I noticed one of my hens didnt leave the coop all day, she stayed under the heating lamp. The next day the same and so I figured she must not be feeling well, had no symptoms except seeming tired and cold. I moved her in to my house in a crate, gave her some vitamin water and fed her. She seemed not to be interested in eating, so I cooked her up an egg with garlic ( natural way to fight sickness) hoping it would help. She did eventually eat it, and Ive been feeding her eggs everyday sense with her grain. I noticed she was wobbling her head around a lot and sounded funny so for 2 days now Ive been giving her apple cider vinegar in her water. It seems to have helped a little, she seems to be gaging up some white icky stuff ever so often. She doesnt seem to cough really, her eyes are fine, she doesnt have a runny nose or anything. But her chest is all white with whatever she keeps gaging up, Im guessing the applecider vinegar has been helping to break up whatever is making her not feel well.
Im debating going to get some tylan 50 to give her, Ive never had to treat any of my birds before so Im not sure if I should or not. The rest of my flock seems fine, i dont seem to have any other birds not feeling well. I would like to go through and disinfect the coop though to be on the safe side, whats the best way to do so when its sooo icy cold out?
Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thank you!!

 

[saladin]

It is difficult to diagnosis without actually seeing the bird.

First: quarantine does not mean bring the bird in the house. This is a mistake because now she has to be acclimated to the outdoors again.
Second: all the natural remedies in the world aren't going to make a sick chicken well. They are ok for preventive measures (debatable), but that's it.
Third: you have already let this go on way to long.

When I chicken shows ANY signs of illness either treat it immediately or cull it.

Go get some Noromycin or Liquamycin.
Give the shot in the breast.
1 cc of either day one.
1/2 cc of Noromycin day two-four OR 1 cc Liquamycin day two-four
1/4 cc of Noromycin day five-seven OR 1/2 cc Liquamycin day five-seven

These are some large doses, but your bird has been sick too long already.

If she isn't better in 3 days cull her.
Stop with the apple cider vinegar. You are wasting your time.
Add 1 oz of Bleach to 1 gallon of water this will do more than anything else.

Add 1 oz of Bleach to 1 gallon of water for your other hens since they have been exposed. Do not use this mixture in a metal waterer. It needs to be plastic.

 

[GreenMeadows]

Are you sure its not an impacted crop? Is it smelly stuff she is spitting up?
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[Paintedhorsegirl]

First of all thank you for giving me some advise, I am simply asking for others opinions not criticisms.

I understand that you dont quarantine your birds in the house but I do, you dont need to criticize me and tell me the meaning of quarantine. Anytime I have had a sick bird, I have always quarantined them in my house. They do not go in the main part of my house but away from the rest of my animals, I have never had any issues with it over the years.
Im sorry you dont like natural remedies but I have always treated my animals with natural remedies and herbal treatments before going the other way. I use them for preventive care and treatments, I always go natural first so please dont treat me like Ive done something wrong because I have different beliefs than you.
I have not let this go on way to long, when a chicken goes under the heating lamp instead of going outside it does not always mean that its sick. Therefore I did not quarantine on the first day, second day I did quarantine her but she had zero signs of any illness so I gave her electrolytes and vitamins. I fed her cooked eggs and garlic, yes a natural remedy to see if she would perk up. It helped and she gained her appetite back and some energy, it was late on the third day that she started to bobble her head. Which we all know that can mean chest congestion and apple cider vinegar mixed with water helps to break that up. So thats what I gave her, and it has helped. Sense when she has been gaging up the congestion and perking up. She is eating really well again and having more energy so everything I have done has helped her, even though it has been natural.
I am not one to treat a bird with antibiotics when there are no symptoms to determine what Im treating the bird for. Antibiotics will not cure a virus, a virus needs time to run its course. This bird has not had running eyes , or nose, or any major symptoms. All I am trying to do here was to get others opinions on if they thought antibiotics was necassary when it wasnt a clear case of respiratory disease.
So please next time try to be a little nicer the way you respond to someone and dont criticize the way some one takes care of their animals. It would of been a lot nicer just to hear a helpful opinion not a judging one.

 

[saladin]

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[Paintedhorsegirl]

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No, I dont think its an impacted crop, I tred to check her out for that and it doesnt appear to be the case .Its not smelly, it seems like just chest congestion but no other symptoms at all...

 

[Paintedhorsegirl]

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Sorry , the way you wrote it made me feel like you were yelling at me so I felt I needed to defend my actions...

 

[saladin]

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Sorry , the way you wrote it made me feel like you were yelling at me so I felt I needed to defend my actions...

No need to say 'sorry.' Nothing was capitalized (that I remember): no yelling. Just my opinion on a sick bird. That's all.

 

[saladin]

I raise a lot of birds and have for a very long time. I have definite opinions on what to do with them.

If it is a virus then this can mean real trouble. If no other bird is/has been sick then more than likely it isn't a virus.

 

[Paintedhorsegirl]

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I agree, I have been keeping a close eye on my flock to see. I had already bleached their water in precaution. I thought it was just a virus so I was treating it as one but Im wondering if its something else which is why I am thinking about using the tylan 50. In my experience it has worked the best for respiratory problems but I also hate to treat her for it when there is no other clear signs...hence the others opinions...