My Black Australorp is sneezing!

[cowcreekgeek]

The dosage on the pack definitely states 1g of powder per 10kg body weight - poultry included. Hope it doesn't do anything horrible to them! They were stll sneezing and wheezing last night - I'll check again in a few minutes when I shut them in - hoping to see some improvement soon.

Often, medications are cut w/ fillers or other ingredients to aid in delivery or improve effectiveness ... could be that yours is 10% active ingredient ... something folks often forget to consider, when calculating dosages. Even if it's not, and the vet prescribed far more than is req'd? Overdosing isn't much of an issue w/ amoxycillin ... not aware of any potential harm it could cause.

As for improvement? You might not see any, as the direct or immediate benefit of the antibiotic, but you should certainly continue it for the entire prescribed period, and at the same prescribed level -- never stop taking or giving antibiotics just because the symptoms appear to improve.
::edit:: Unless, of course, there is some negative/allergic reaction, for which you should seek medical advice immediately ::/edit::

 

[KayTee]

I'm very aware of the problems of developing resistance to antibiotics, so I definitely won't be stopping the medication too early. I think that the dose they actually got inside them for the first three or four days wasn't very much at all. Therefore I've decided to count the 5 day treatment period the vet advised from the first day that I started the concentrated dose in their food. That means I've got another 3 days to go. Not too much of a problem, except that it's killing me to throw away perfectly good eggs!

(And yes, it's a 10% powder - 10g of antibiotic in 100g of powder.)

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I'm very aware of the problems of developing resistance to antibiotics, so I definitely won't be stopping the medication too early. I think that the dose they actually got inside them for the first three or four days wasn't very much at all. Therefore I've decided to count the 5 day treatment period the vet advised from the first day that I started the concentrated dose in their food. That means I've got another 3 days to go. Not too much of a problem, except that it's killing me to throw away perfectly good eggs!

(And yes, it's a 10% powder - 10g of antibiotic in 100g of powder.)

Bingo .. that makes the dosage prescribed match perfectly w/ the findings of study provided ...

If not for my fear of residually providing the antibiotics, I'd consider feeding 'em to somethin' else. OoOr, do you have any enemies to visit a terrible revenge upon? <-- kidding, of course.

But, they'd be really handy for playing quite a few rounds of egg toss ~'-)

 

[RHP63]

Every one of my chickens sneeze daily. They have for as long as I have had them as chicks but don't have any other symptoms, I know that their bedding and feed are dusty and there is a lot of pollen, so I don't worry too much, no discharge when they sneeze other than dirt sometimes when they've been digging around and no congestion sounds. Mine also sneeze when they eat or drink quickly. I have parrots in the house away from them that I would say sneeze just a bit less often than my chickens but I usually have windows open and I do believe the pollen has an effect. I was worried about it for a long time but I've really gotten over it now. My BO seems to sneeze the most but she has the smallest nostrils as well and I know they get clogged up easily while she forages. Something else I have noticed is that it seems almost like a social behavior. My RIR is lead hen and if she sneezes every single one of them copy her. I know I don't have allergies but I sneeze often and especially when I stir their bedding or pour feed. I had thought it might be a respiratory illness they were carrying but even under stress they didn't gain any more symptoms or fall ill. Unless I see hard evidence something is wrong with them I'm not going to fret about them.

 

[KayTee]

Rusty went broody a couple of months ago, so I've now got two 5-week old chicks running around with my 3 girls.

The first week that I had the chicks they started to sneeze, but like RHP63 I've now got over worrying about them. As you said, none of my girls have blocked or runny nostrils - it's just an occasional dust sneeze (I use shredded paper for their nests). I know exactly what it's like to have allergies - I have to take antihistamines all year, and it's true that when my allergies are bad the girls seem to be a bit more sneezy! I would say that I hear two or three sneezes a day now, (but I just don't stress about them!)

What worried me first time round with Cinders was the fact that her eye was very swollen - so much so that she tended to miss things that she tried to eat - she couldn't see them properly.

Since the antibiotics she hasn't had the swelling again, so as long as her eye stays ok I'm not worrying. All 3 girls are laying at the moment, so I'm happy, and they seem to be as well!

 

[tyree family fa]

You Don't have to do anything unless they start coughing

 

[Tacswa3]

Four birds w/ one stone ... might be settin' a BYC record ~'-)

Give your birds an astringent solution at the rate of four teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar to each gallon of water (but never in galvanized metal containers). The tannin in ACV will reduce the viscosity of mucus, and 'cuts through' the coatings in the mouth, throat and intestines, improving the uptake of nutrients/vitamins, and is useful in the treatment of any respiratory disease, as it helps them to expel the mucus from their system. It also reduces the presence of botulism, and is the only effective treatment for the toxin it produces. The target pH is 5~6, or slightly acidic, which also creates a hostile environment for internal parasites ... all that goodness, and for quite literally pennies per gallon ~;-)

It can (and probably should) be given continuously, and truly can't harm a single feather on your birds ...

Question - My pullets are about 12 weeks old. Just got them. Can I give them ACV in their water now as a preventative maintenance type thing. They appear healthy but I don't know their history for the past 12 weeks.

 

[arcelayfamily]

Two of my chickens have the same signs…sneezing, breathing the sounds like they are congested and a little bit of what looks like clear mucus on one eye each…..i will try the ACV to see if this helps…… 1 is a cochin the other a barred rock

 

[CrossedSabers]

I first noticed yesterday that my Black Australorp is sneezing. She looks healthy - red comb, alert demeanor, bright eyes - and there are no other "symptoms." I cleaned the coop, so it's probably not an ammonia/bedding issue. No dust out here in Western WA - but cold, windy, and rainy. I was thinking it could probably be the rain getting in her nostrils. Thoughts?

Although this post is two years old, I thought I'd add some information based on my own very recent experience with similar symptoms. One hen in my flock of 18 started sneezing. By evening, more were doing it and by the next day, all of my birds were making a wet sneeze/cough sound. None of them had any nasal or eye discharge. Almost all of them had diarrhea and egg production was way low. But the flock was lively, still eating and drinking and otherwise acting normally. On the advice of a vet, I dosed them with antibiotics I bought at a local farm supply store.

I wrote about all of this on my blog if you'd like more information. Here's the link. It's part 2 in a series of three articles about using foster hens to raise farm store chicks.

http://crossedsabersranch.blogspot.com/2014/08/cheeper-by-dozen-part-2.html