New young hen = cough and runny nose treatment and flock

[sue3]

I just got a now young hen that seems to cough every so often and has a slight clear runny nose and her eyes look just a little watery. Otherwise she seems healthy. I did not notice this until she was here for a day. I just separated her from our other chickens, so that they don't hopefully catch it. Wish I would have confined her first now!!! I should have known better. Anyways, I am planning to get some antibiotic to treat her and see if this helps. If I can clear up what she has though, will she definitely be a carrier of whatever it is for life. That is what I am reading when trying to figure out what respiratory ailment she may have. I would want to put her back with our other hens that we will keep for their lifespans, but will they catch what she had, even if she is better then?

 

[mithious]

They probably already have,( since she was in with them for a whole day, and sneezing ) as there is an incubation period for all diseases, it could be a bit of time for others in your flock, to show symptoms. I would treat the whole lot, probably once they start showing symptoms, although someone that has more knowledge than me, would be a better judge of that, and if you are going to reintroduce her, might as well, as your other chickens have already been exposed. The best antibiotic for broad spectrum use is duramycin 10, and tylan, water soluable or injectable ( the injectable can cause necrotic spots at the site of injection so keep an eye on it) are what most people use. Tylan, I read is the best CRD med out there and the duramycin 10 is a tetracycline drug for treating broad spectrum issues when you don't know for sure which respiratory infection they have.

I would try the Dyramycin 10, if that doesn't work, go to the Tylan. The injectable gets in their systems faster, but the water soluble is easier if you have more than a few birds. I don't know the dosages for the meds though, sorry...maybe some of the other more knowledgeable OP's on here will pipe in?

Just so you know, if you keep this flock, any birds you bring in, will have to be isolated( 2-4 weeks is recommended, longer is better ) and vaccinated against whatever your flock has and no birds can leave your property.( called a closed flock ) You should start practicing some biosecurity also, so you are not infecting other flocks...so sorry this happened...but what's done is done, now to treat and get that bird and probably others in your flock, eventually, healthy, than make sure you aren't spreading it to others also...best of luck!!!

 

[cafarmgirl]

You won't know exactly what she has unless you have her tested. This can be pricey but it does make it easier to know how to treat and what to expect. But not everyone can or wants to do that. Otherwise, I would just treat her and go from there. Antibiotic's will not cure what she has since most poultry respiratory diseases are viral in nature. However antibiotic's are still in order to help prevent pneumonia and secondary bacterial infections. The birds often can survive the disease itself, it's these complications that usually kill them. As for the rest of your flock, yes they are already exposed. It may be around a week until/if you see any symptoms in any of the others and you may or may not have any others get sick. Just have to watch and see. I would not treat any of them with antibiotic's until you start seeing symptoms since you are only using the meds to control secondary infections.

 

[Kaybug137]

Maybe she has a cold or alergies? Try Vet RX I think its called or Poultry RX not sure what it was called other than it was for poultry which helped colds, roupe scaly legs and other things. hope this helps and hope she or and they get better!

 

[mithious]

Kaybug, Honey, chickens don't get colds, they get respiratory infections. As cafarmgirl said, they are usually viruses, and die from the secondary bacterial infections from the respiratory infections, which is why people use the antibiotics.

This is some kind of respiratory infection, which, is beyond be, and a necropsy is the only real way to know which one....as there are many.

Just thought you might want to know about the "chickens don't get colds, thing"

 

[Kaybug137]

I thought they did... I read on the vet rx stuff bottle it said colds, guess other poultry get them? I do have a question I have a Splash Cochin, she breathes loud, like nearly reminds me of a bulldog kind of like shes got gunk in her lungs, shes had this going on since I got her, not sure if its from when she got sick from the previous owners or not, shes now taking care of young chicks, evil little broody though lol acts healthy otherwise. any ideas?

 

[mithious]

I thought they did... I read on the vet rx stuff bottle it said colds, guess other poultry get them? I do have a question I have a Splash Cochin, she breathes loud, like nearly reminds me of a bulldog kind of like shes got gunk in her lungs, shes had this going on since I got her, not sure if its from when she got sick from the previous owners or not, shes now taking care of young chicks, evil little broody though lol acts healthy otherwise. any ideas?

Sorry no I don't, other than a respiratory infection, or possibly gapeworm. which do travel to the lungs, those would only be guesses...there are many respiratory infections, and as cafarmgirl said, they can get secondary infections, also, respiratory infections never go away and can reoccur, so if she had one before, she might be having a reoccurrence of it? That would be where I would go, if it where my hen, as you said she was sick at a farm you got her from...if you suspect it's a respiratory infection, I would treat her with an antibiotic, as she is raising young and you don't want to lose her and have to take care of the chicks...well, I wouldn't want to take care of the chicks

you might LOL. I'm just guessing though. The only way to know, again , is a necropsy, and that means they are dead to do one....so if it were my bird, I would treat it like a respiratory infection and treat with antibiotics....is she having any other symptoms? Like opening her mouth, watery eyes, ect? They can also get pneumonia from gapeworms too...as the worms go into their lungs to breed...yucckk!!! and attach to the throat and can fill the throat and make them sound gurggly too....gapeworm is kinda rare...although, here, we have had tons of rain this summer and parasites have been pretty bad. Best of luck to you and your momma hen and hope you can figure out what this is!!!

 

[Kaybug137]

Shes had this for months acting fine just sounding like a little bulldog can poultry have asthma? She acts like a normal hen going about her day, it only happens when she gets to panting in the hot days I think, I'm not outside all day so I wouldn't know of that lol.. The babies are feathered and the other group is very accepting. They accepted 4 ducks, and 2 rooster chicks without a fuss, they're all old birds except for quite a few which a brood hatched out, the ducks I raised up a few months ago few more have hatched and I've bought chicks and gave them to a broody all without no fussing! I hear no one else being a loud breather so It could be the way she is, I should've named her Bertha instead of betty white! Sorry to be a forum hog D: Just thought I could ask some questions.

 

[mithious]

Well best of luck with her!!!

 

[sue3]

Thank you for your help on my question. I picked up some tetracycline hydrochloride = Duramycin - 10 at our Farm store tonight and will start her on it tomorrow. How long may it take before it will help symptoms? I just have a few hens and can't afford a vet check so will do what I can. We keep them as pets and eggs, and will keep them for their whole life. I will eventually need to put her in with the other couple of hens I am thinking though. How long should I wait after her symptoms hopefully go away before doing so? I will wait to treat the others ones then if they develop symptoms then. So, if I ever get any more chickens ( say next year) would they come down with this for sure too? Are the respiratory diseases spread by air and water contamination only and not through droppings or other ways?.