My flock has several sicknesses.... Please help!

[drumstick diva]

Well, symptoms can sound the same and one person's birds die from a certain treatment and another's get well. That's because diseases may have similiar symptoms but the treatments could be very different. You really can't tell that so & so's birds had the same disease or infection, or virus unless a vet and or lab results tell you so. It may be cheaper to try stuff at home but, if it ends up wiping out your flock - you may have to spend plenty replacing them. This is just my viewpoint but, whenever I've tried to skimp on expenses (I'm on very fixed income) and nursed them myself and lost them - then got autopsies, I'd find out they could have been saved if they had the right medicine.

 

[casportpony]

That's great, I didn't know that you could use human antibiotics on chickens. I also have some Cephalexin but it is 500mg. Would that be too much. They're capsules. I wonder if that would have been better to use than the Tetracycline. I'm not sure but I was under the impression (don't know why) that Tetracycline was just a general antibiotic targeting infections in general. I also just found out today from a post that you could give your chickens herbal cures also. Makes since I guess, since they eat grass and herbs and such.:/

I will send you the dosing info for the Cephalexin after I look it up.

 

[casportpony]

Well,  symptoms can sound the same  and one person's birds die from a certain treatment and another's get well.   That's because diseases may have similiar symptoms but the treatments could be very different.   You really can't tell that so & so's birds had the same disease or infection, or virus unless a vet and or lab  results tell you so.   It may be cheaper to try stuff at home but, if it ends up wiping out your flock - you may have to spend plenty replacing them. This is just my viewpoint but, whenever I've tried to skimp on expenses (I'm on very fixed income) and nursed them myself  and lost them - then got autopsies, I'd find out they could have been saved if they had the right medicine.

X2!

 

[BantamWhisperer]

My Mother and Step Fathers are vets and work at the same place. They provide me with antibiotics and such, do y'all think they could test for anything? They would do it for free.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Cephalexin is used widely by vets, in cats , dogs and goats to to name a few. I live in the country and am miles from the nearest avian vet. The alternative was to sit tight and do nothing for 4 days, so I took matters in to my own hands. I used a 500 ml tablet, ground it down to powder with my Mortar & pestle. Then I drew up 10 ml of water mixed it in till it was dissolved and administered it by mouth at a dose of 1 ml morning and night. Within 24 hours the gurgling noises had all but ceased, and I didn't loose any of my 6 patients. Hope this is in some way helpful to you.

 

[casportpony]

My Mother and Step Fathers are vets and work at the same place. They provide me with antibiotics and such, do y'all think they could test for anything? They would do it for free.

I don't mean to sound rude, but if you have family members that are vets, why are you asking for information here?

 

[Harry Rooster]

I know what you mean. I live in a rural area also and not only are the vets far away, they don't know anything about chickens. That is crazy since this is in the heart of the blackbelt farmland, everyone has farms around here. This site was my only information. Vets just say "We don't treat chickens and don't know". I just wonder if I should discontinue the Tetracycline one the pullet that still has the raspy cough and try the Cephalexin 500 on her, and if so, should I wait for some withdrawl time from the Tetracycline before giving her the other antibiotic, because of drug interaction? However, I am expecting some Tylan 50 in the mail sometime but it still may be a few days before I get it. What do you think? She's doing good otherwise. Just the noisey breathing and raspy cough.

 

[casportpony]

I know what you mean. I live in a rural area also and not only are the vets far away, they don't know anything about chickens. That is crazy since this is in the heart of the blackbelt farmland, everyone has farms around here. This site was my only information. Vets just say "We don't treat chickens and don't know". I just wonder if I should discontinue the Tetracycline one the pullet that still has the raspy cough and try the Cephalexin 500 on her, and if so, should I wait for some withdrawl time from the Tetracycline before giving her the other antibiotic, because of drug interaction? However, I am expecting some Tylan 50 in the mail sometime but it still may be a few days before I get it. What do you think? She's doing good otherwise. Just the noisey breathing and raspy cough.

Look up each of the drugs that you mentioned and pick one that is effective against both gram negative and gram positive bacteria. I know that Tylan is more of a gram positive drug, but I don't know about the other two. Another thing to consider is the dosing... They probably aren't getting enough if they are just getting it in their drinking water. I never give drugs in water, I always give it by mouth, that way I know they are getting all of their mg/kg.

 

[casportpony]

Harry Rooster, weigh your bird!

 

[Harry Rooster]

Okay thanks, I will. I did give it to her at first in a syringe, but then she was drinking her water so good and eating well
so I thought that she was getting plenty, but you're right, it's probably best to give it to her. She just gets so upset
when I try to do that. She is definately not used to being handled. Was very neglected and malnourished when we
got them, and looked horrible too, and stunk.