Oh Lordy No!!! Our flock is sick - with WHAT?!?

[jenniferp]

This is my first post...we are new to chickens. We have had them a couple of months. I think mine are all falling sick to something similar. Started with one bird who was just laying around and sleeping and then realized eyes were glued shut and she was sneezing. It's a long story but she was killed by the neighbor's dog....so never found out the end result of the illness. That was about 2 weeks ago. A couple of days ago I noticed another sneezing and maybe a little wheezy and sleepy sinus congestion. I put apple cider vinegar in their water and noticed several were sneezing and one had a swollen eye. I haven't seen bubbles but eyes swollen. I don't live in an area where many people have chickens although there are feed stores close to me. I'm outside Dallas. l really have no idea what to do at this point. Does a regular vet even see a chicken? I have 14 and I'm feeling very defeated. My 4 kids are going to be distraught if we have to watch them all die. We have lost several this summer...predators, sudden death, the heat....

I didn't think raising chickens would be so hard.

Jen

 

[Ksane]

I'm in my 50's and devastated when I lose one. So I know how you feel. You'll have to call around to locate a vet who will see chickens. We're in a farming community plus close to a major veterinary university so thankfully there's a couple around here. Tylan 50 can be bought at the feed store and mixed in their water although I don't know the dose. A lot of people use that for respiratory problems, which it sounds like yours have. Do a search here on BYC and you'll find literally thousands of posts about respiratory sicknesses in chickens. It's very common. But it's something you want to get and treat ASAP or they can die from it.

 

[Chickmagnet9]

Hi there,

What is MG? I came home tonight and found that one of my ladies has a runny nostril. My new ladies really stink...bad. I bought some Sevin-5 Denagardto dust all of them tomorrow because I read that mites can make them smell. All chickens eat well and are active. I have not seen any sickness in them until tonight. I am so sad. I have to get her better. They are all together and are all exposed to whatever it is. I read that I should get some Denagard right away so, I will. Do I get powder? Do I get stuff for the water? Can I get it at the feed store? Do I have to get it online? I am pretty much freaking out right now. I am very new to the chicken world but an old soul at loving and taking care of animals. Please help. I hope your ladies get well.

Take care,
Cm9

 

[Tracy the chick]

Hi chick magnet i hope this helps, my whole flock had what we thought was coryza but turned out to be MG (Mycoplasma) me and my vet who is great and keeps a lot of ducks have been working together on MG & Mycoplasma...

My MG symptoms from my flock :

* Sneezing
* Gaping mouth as if something is stuck
* Runny nose
* bubbles in the corner of there eyes ( usualy in the later stages)
* usually only 1 swollen eye thats sealed shut and hot (bath with warm salty water) i used conjunctavitis eye drops 1 drop three times day
* sometimes very high temp, ( baby asprin is good for this, or baby calpol)

Cotyza:
* the only symptom my flock didnt get was fowl smelling from the nose & mouth...

You can reduce the disease with ( erythromcyin, Tylosin, baytril, tylan 50 or 200.) but the bird will always be carriers for life. All birds with not show all the symptoms together...

Hope this helps and chances are your birds dont have it..
Dont hesitate to ask me anythink... Tracy.xx

 

[georgeandmildredgoose]

Quote:
hi there,

i have mycoplasma confirmed in my flock they are pets so we have decided to treat them, we used tylan at first. and have now moved onto denagard.
imo you need to find out what your birds have in order to treat properly.
i would put them on a broad spectrum antibiotic, get some tets done, then treat them (or not depending on your choice) with the correct medication for that particular disease.
denagard is very specific treatment for mycoplasma only.
Mg is mycoplasma gallisepticum, chickens can also get mycoplasma synoviae, which causes slightly different symptoms again (including lameness). it is possible to have both in the same flock.
make sure worming is been done recently ad check for lice / mites. as having parasites can leave them run down and more likely to get ill with things.
if you ever come across dawg 53 on here he has a wealth of knowledge about this subject.
good luck.