ISO help w/ diagnosis and recommendation for antibiotics

[my three chickens]

I have a sick 2 1/2 year old Black Australorp named Pinky. Sick for ~24 hours now. Since last night she has been in a cage, inside, under a heat lamp.

Symptoms:
- Labored breathing, at times gurgly sounding
- Sleepy, droopy eyes
- Pale comb
- Sleeping all the time, head down (sometimes on the ground)
- Won't eat or drink (though I have offered feed and water, and tried to hand-feed yogurt, cottage cheese, and water)
- Didn't go up to the roost last night, just laid on the ground until we had to move her
- No poop in at least the last 12 hours
- Drowsy, sedated-seeming
- I think she laid an egg yesterday (found her up there, trying), but I can't be sure

Things I've investigated:
- Her butt is crusty but as far as I can see (but haven't touched) her vent is still open
- Felt for egg binding from the outside, but it felt soft and okay
- No mites around her comb or inner feathers; she does have some tiny white spots on her outer feathers, but I think they're just dried yogurt from yesterday (I tried picking them off and they're like dried paint)

From what I've read I think it might be pneumonia or another respiratory disease, but I'd love your input.
I'm inclined to try some antibiotics, just to see if that helps. My vet will sell them to me, but I'd like a recommendation for which kind and how much.

Also, of late there have been rats getting into the coop. I've read that they can transmit parasites like lice, but I don't see anything like that on her.

Thanks!

 

[Elite Silkies]

Tylan50 from TSC. Large fowl 1/2 cc daily for 3 days.

 

[my three chickens]

I'm afraid this story has taken a turn for the worse. I'd love your help.

My hen had been quarantined and under a heat lamp, etc., for 12 hours. I was just about to go get her antibiotics, when I found her dead. She seems to have struggled at least for a moment at the end, as her food was scattered and her body was splayed out. Very sad.

THE NEW ISSUE:
I'm writing because one of my other hens (I had four total, now three) may be showing the beginning signs of the same illness. (The other two, same age and breeds, seem 100% normal.) She is a 2 1/2-year-old Buff Orpington, very large and always a little bit weird. She has also always been rather lazy, but recently she is:

- Most often sitting in a nesting position all over the yard (this is behavior that began about three weeks ago, roughly when the other hen began the very early stages of illness) (p.s. this is not broodiness--I know what that looks like in her)
- This morning I noticed that she's breathing heavily
- Still eating
- Still moving around with the other hens, but more often than not she's sitting, as described above

MY QUESTION:
Should I try treating her? If so, with what?
I'm reluctant to isolate her because I'm about to leave for a couple of days and I don't want my husband to have to look after her. If it seems like she needs treatment, I'd prefer to leave her in the yard and try medication.

 

[chickenzoo]

i would try treating her with the above suggested medication. Is there wheezing in the chest? look up respiratory illnesses on here and it will show a lot of symptoms and what to do.

 

[my three chickens]

Decided to quarantine her at least until I leave. Put her inside with a heat lamp and she seems remarkably okay. Eating regular old feed and scratch, drinking some. Her breathing seems regular, too. Any thoughts or suggestions, I'm open to them. Still thinking I'll try antibiotics tomorrow if there's any indication she's ill.

 

[my three chickens]

Yes, I've read a lot about different respiratory illnesses, I just can't identify exactly which one killed Pinky and might be ailing this next chicken. From what I read in the Storey book it sounds like pneumonia.

Asked my vet for Tylan. he said he couldn't get it, but would give me an equivalent that I can administer orally. I just must wait until tomorrow.

Thanks for the help.