Keeping Sneezers Indoors?

[Flufflball]

Hi all,
I have four hens which are winter hardy breeds. I bought them recently and on the way home I noticed they had bits of sniffles, now they're all sneezing. I'm going to go to a store tomorrow and see if they have any antibiotics, but until then is it ok to keep them indoors? The temperatures are rapidly dropping where I am, from 60F to around and under 32 in a week.

I know when they're healthy my hens can take the temps but I don't know about now, can I keep them indoors for about three days after they take their meds? Or at least overnight?

 

[ThePRfan]

That's respoirty problems (sorry I cannot spell).But mines have caught.It brought 1 of my poor girls almost to death.But witha ssist from the friend we sorta did CPR on her.I carried her around crying as she died,but!She'd come back.And i was very lucky.After that attack and coughing/sneezing crap the next day she was healthy.Not 1 sniffle ever after that.The air assisted her breathing.Get Vet-Rx.It helps them breath.It's cold,buta cold to a chicken is Life or Death.

 

[Flufflball]

Oh dear, thank you for sharing! I'll try and get Vet-Rx today. Are they immune to colds after they get better, like people?

 

[Eggcessive]

Your chickens sounds like it has one of the many respiratory diseases, possibly infectious bronchitis (IB.) Mycoplasma(MG,) coryza, and ILT are some others to read about. They are all contagious and can make carriers of your flock. Vet RX is not an antibiotic, but a mixture of herbal oils such as camphor, pine oil, oregano oil. IB is a virus which has to run it's course over 4-5 weeks, and although it won't respond to antibiotics, the antibiotic (Tylan, Gallimycin, or Tetracyclines) may help prevent a secondary infection. There can be sneezing, runny nose, sometimes a decrease in laying, watery whites in eggs, and wrinkled shells. If there is any swelling or the face, it may be mycoplasma (MG.) Here is a good link to read that includes symptoms of the above diseases: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[casportpony]

Baytril can also be used for many infections, but always best to have a vet recommend it.

Places to buy it:

• http://www.allbirdproducts.com/newproductpages/baytril.html
• http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/product_baytril.php
• http://www.mexi-cali.net/eng/index/item/24/29/enfloxil-25-ml-same-as-baytril

Read this about using it:

• https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/medicine-chart/baytril-for-birds

Dose I use is 0.09ml per pound by mouth or injection for no more than 5 days.

-Kathy

 

[Flufflball]

Kathy and Eggcessive, thank you for your replies! Because of the incredibly fast spread of the disease (from 1/4 to 4/4 in a few days) I'm banking on this being infectious bronchitis.
I bought the chickens Duramycin. I put about 2.5g in their 1-gallon waterer, and sprinkled maybe 0.75g into a bowl with dried mealworms.
I noticed that they were sneezing much less after a night indoors today, but I still sent them back to their unheated coop today until a bit past sundown. Big mistake! They were all sneezy again. My one chicken that was the sickest, Ryaba, was in a really bad state. "Growling" through a stuffy nose, huddled alone in a nest box. I pulled Ryaba out of the nest box and pipetted a little bit of very strong (about 1g/4 oz water) Duramycin into her mouth. She let me pet her and then she joined her coop mates on the ground, drinking from the waterer and not hiding like she was.

How fast does Duramycin take effect? Am I crazy or did it really kick in within 15 minutes? Also, am I at risk of overdosing the girls? I know with person/mammal medicine you always give a bigger first dose for the meds to kick in quickly, but I don't know about chickens.

 

[Eggcessive]

Since infectious bronchitis is a virus, if it is that it will still have to run it's course, and the antibiotic won't have any affect (it just helps to prevent secondary infections.) All respiratory disease symptoms get worse at night (just like in humans.) Duramycin works better if you add a little citric acid to it. It is available in canning products in grocery stores, or online. I'm not sure on the exact dosage, but I would probably start with a pinch per gallon.

 

[Flufflball]

Oh darn, that makes sense. Thanks for all your great tips! If it is viral and they just need to tough it out, is it good that I'm keeping them indoors? It's a pain to clean, but if it ups their chances of survival I'll manage.