Non-emergency: layer with history of liquidy urates, coating rear and underside feathers

[AlanOfTheBerg]

Hello all. Looking for some help with diagnosis, and if the answer might be a round of antibiotics, dosing.

The hen is Novogen, over 1, under 2 years old. For a long number of months now, she was clearly having some bowel issues, Her rear end feathers are usually coated in dried urates, and she's clearly lost feathers back there too, maybe from attempted cleanings.

• Behaviorally, she seems fine. Energetic
• Still lays regularly, which for her is about every other day. (Not ideal for a Novogen of her age, but ok for now. )
• Egg usually will have a dime-to-penny sized dollop of feces/urates.
• Her comb is a lovely red, and no signs of illness really, except the rear end.
• She is the only bird exhibiting these symptoms in the flock of 21 layers.

Watching her over the last few days, I can see her feathers are coated because when she excretes something, it is often either a little or a lot watery, both feces and urates. Quite often, just a little bit of watery urates come out, but is such a small amount, it just runs down her skin and to the feathers.

Does anyone have an idea of what could be the source of her ailment?

Now, on my current treatment dilemma:

Two days ago I decided, after some internet research (and not here yet though), to start her on Amoxy-tyl, and to segregate her from the flock, both so she gets her meds, and I can toss the eggs until advisable based on withdrawal period. Two days isn't a lot of time, but there is not yet much change in her symptoms.

What I could use some help in understanding, is calculation of proper dosage of an oral, water source-based antibiotic. The product is Amoxy-Tyl, and based on packaging is 10% Tylan/Tylosin and 15% amoxicillin. What I read about a lot is to give birds a certain mg per kg body weight per day. But the dosing on the packaging is just 1 tsp per gallon of water. The mg/kg and tsp/gallon just don't jive for me. I don't think a tsp weighs a whole lot, and it will probably take her a week or more to finish a gallon by herself.

So I feel like in a day, she's not getting the dosage she should be getting based on the mg/kg/day. If I need to change up how she's being medicated,

Is Amoxy-Tyl as good as anything else really as broad-spectrum antibiotic? Based on symptoms, should I continue?
If I decide to continue with antibiotic treatment with Amoxy-Tyl, how much should she be dosed, and using what method?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dawg53]

Stop the antibiotics. Give her plain boiled white rice mixed with buttermilk. You can mix it in her layer feed if you wish. Dont give her anything else to eat other than what I mentioned.
Do this for about 3 days and you should see improvement. Good luck.

 

[Dragonfly Farm]

I don't have any answers for you, treatment-wise. Can you call a vet and ask? I had a lovely Buff Orpington who always had a dribbley bottom. I tucked her under my arm, facing backwards, and washed her rear end every week or so. Doing this prevented feather loss. She quite enjoyed it. Good luck.