Left with 2 sick hens!

[2sickhens]

Recently, my father came to live with us and decided that he wanted to get some chickens. He started with just one rooster and two hens. About a week ago, I noticed that the rooster seemed to be having a hard time breathing and, after some research, decided that it was either bronchitis or CRD. I immediately brought it up with my father, who told me that the rooster had been sick for a while, and rushed to the nearest feed store to buy some antibiotics and electrolytes. Since then, the rooster has died, my father "flew the coop" and I've been left with two hens that are showing the same symptoms that the rooster had. I know NOTHING about raising chickens. Currently, one hen appears sicker than the other and I've separated them from each other. I'm working on cleaning out and better insulating the shoddy coop that my father built on his own. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated! I don't have a problem with keeping and raising them myself, I just want to make sure that I'm doing everything I can to keep them from dying!

 

[realsis]

You can try giving Tylan 50 at the rate of 1/2 cc for large birds and 1/4 cc for small birds it is given into the breast muscle once a day for 5 days. It is the antibotic Tylosin. most feed stores carry it along with the syringes. It is a Excellent choice for respitory symptoms. However if it is a virus the antibotics won't do much for the virus but WILL prevent secondary infections that go along with the virus. So I would start the Tylan50 immediately. I've used Tylan50 in my own flock and it is a Excellent line of Defense for respitory illness. Do NOT worry that the bottle says for cattle and swine MANY MANY poultry owners use Tylan50 successfully including myself!! Just go to the feed store and ask for Tylan50 and some syringes. If your worried about giving the injection you can watch on you tube how to inject a chicken in the breast and I believe they have several instructional videos available. Injections in my opnion are much better than a water soluable antibotic because when they are ill they tend not to drink as much thus interfering with the dose. So with injectables dose is more stable and it gets into the blood stream much faster. It is really very easy to give the injections.at first it might be nerving but after the first time it gets MUCH easier. You will want the injection to go into either the right or left breast. I do highly recommend watching how its done on you tube in a instructional video first. Then you should have no problem giving the injections yourself. I really hope this helps you out. I've always had excellent luck with Tylan50 for respitory issue. Even if it IS a virus the Tylan will prevent any secondary infections. Id start treatment ASAP. Best wishes and God bless.

 

[2sickhens]

I've been giving both hens the water-soluble antibiotic that we bought when the rooster was sick. I didn't find out, until today, that I haven't been mixing the right amount in their water. I figured I'd give it a day or two before working up the nerve to give them an injection. I also soaked a few pieces of bread with the antibiotic water mixture and the sicker of the two hens ate them right up!

 

[cafarmgirl]

Tylan can also be given orally if you can't do the injections. Dosing each bird directly is a much better way to medicate then medicating via water. That way you know each bird gets the exact daily dose it needs rather then hit and miss with water dosing. Sick birds may drink less, in hot weather birds may drink more then in cold weather, it's just really hit and miss that way. I also personally really don't like the idea of delivering small, here and there, doses of antibiotic's to sick animals. It seems to me like a good way to build antibiotic resistance over time.

 

[Wyandottes7]

I've been giving both hens the water-soluble antibiotic that we bought when the rooster was sick. I didn't find out, until today, that I haven't been mixing the right amount in their water. I figured I'd give it a day or two before working up the nerve to give them an injection. I also soaked a few pieces of bread with the antibiotic water mixture and the sicker of the two hens ate them right up!

Injecting isn't too hard once you've done it once or twice. The first time you do it, you think that you're going to hurt the chicken. The chicken will often give a small squawk, but when I've given my birds injections, they usually aren't too bothered by it. Here is a helpful link with information on giving chickens injections: http://shilala.homestead.com/injection.html

 

[2sickhens]

So, we're on day two of the correct dosage of antibiotics. The sicker of the two hens had a rough night but seems to be breathing much easier today. She has been coughing a lot more and even coughed up a yellowish mucous substance. Is this good or bad?