Poorly chicken with strange noises

[blank28]

Hey there I've got a young legbar here and she's gone off her food and is just standing in one spot with tail down and making a strange noise. I've attached a link to a video of the noises:

 

[biophiliac]

@rIrs roost , @casportpony ...who can help this birdie?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/swollen-eye-in-legbar.1176181/ I think this is same bird.

 

[biophiliac]

Hey there I've got a young legbar here and she's gone off her food and is just standing in one spot with tail down and making a strange noise. I've attached a link to a video of the noises:

Is this the same bird you posted about on Monday?

and

 

[blank28]

This is a different bird - we took the eye-chuck to the vets and got some drops. Happy to say the swelling is down now. I do wonder if it's somehow related though

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

It appears you have a respiratory infection in your flock. This bird is sneezing and wheezing badly and the other bird's swollen eye will have been caused by it too. I don't know enough about antibiotics to advise on what would be appropriate. Here in the UK it would mean a trip to the vets because we can't buy anti bs over the counter like you can in the states. If you do some searching via the "Search Forums" facility at the top of the page under the "Home Forums Articles Reviews" etc headings, you should find info on which antibiotic to use and what dosage. It may be that you have to buy injectable because the rules in the USA changed in Jan of this year regarding animal antibiotics to be added to food of water needing to be prescribed by a vet, so if you are not confident injecting a chicken you may need a vet anyway.

It may be that your vet will prescribe an antibiotic to put in the water without seeing this chicken, if they have recently seen the other chicken and you explain the circumstances. You could even perhaps email the video so that they can see the problem without stressing the chicken by taking it into the surgery and potentially infecting other birds....always worth stressing that it may be in the vets interests to prescribe without taking the bird in. Respiratory diseases in chickens are usually very infectious.

Vet RX is a product specifically formulated to ease respiratory symptoms in chickens and can be purchased over the counter but I think that legbar in the video may well need stronger medication in the form of antibiotics, although Vet RX may give her some relief until you can get something stronger. If you lay your hands on Vet RX today, I have used a little drop of eucalyptus oil rubbed on the beak to help open the airways.

Hopefully @casportpony or someone equally knowledgeable will be along soon to give you antibiotic info.

Good luck with her

Barbara

 

[blank28]

We are UK so will probably head to the vet this week. Thank you very much for the help guys

 

[biophiliac]

Hi

It appears you have a respiratory infection in your flock. This bird is sneezing and wheezing badly and the other bird's swollen eye will have been caused by it too. I don't know enough about antibiotics to advise on what would be appropriate. Here in the UK it would mean a trip to the vets because we can't buy anti bs over the counter like you can in the states. If you do some searching via the "Search Forums" facility at the top of the page under the "Home Forums Articles Reviews" etc headings, you should find info on which antibiotic to use and what dosage. It may be that you have to buy injectable because the rules in the USA changed in Jan of this year regarding animal antibiotics to be added to food of water needing to be prescribed by a vet, so if you are not confident injecting a chicken you may need a vet anyway.

It may be that your vet will prescribe an antibiotic to put in the water without seeing this chicken, if they have recently seen the other chicken and you explain the circumstances. You could even perhaps email the video so that they can see the problem without stressing the chicken by taking it into the surgery and potentially infecting other birds....always worth stressing that it may be in the vets interests to prescribe without taking the bird in. Respiratory diseases in chickens are usually very infectious.

Vet RX is a product specifically formulated to ease respiratory symptoms in chickens and can be purchased over the counter but I think that legbar in the video may well need stronger medication in the form of antibiotics, although Vet RX may give her some relief until you can get something stronger. If you lay your hands on Vet RX today, I have used a little drop of eucalyptus oil rubbed on the beak to help open the airways.

Hopefully @casportpony or someone equally knowledgeable will be along soon to give you antibiotic info.

Good luck with her

Barbara

OOPS, meant to say Thanks for the good info!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

s this the same bird you posted about on Monday?

This is a different bird - we took the eye-chuck to the vets and got some drops. Happy to say the swelling is down now. I do wonder if it's somehow related though

Agree that is looks like respiratory illness. Since you are in the UK, I believe you will need a vet to prescribe antibiotics.

The other one you posted about on Monday, yes, it's most likely related to this bird as well. Respiratory illnesses are contagious, so you would need to assume that all are exposed. Some may show symptoms, while others may not, but they are still considered exposed.

There's no way to know which illness you are dealing with without testing, so hopefully your vet can determine what you have. Mycoplasma, Infectious Bronchitis and Infectious Coryza are usually the most common. Since I see no mention of a terrible odor from the birds, most likely not Coryza.

Try to keep them hydrated, offer some poultry vitamins if you have them. As @rebrascora mentioned you can use Vet RX to see if that will give some relief until they can be seen. Also see that she has plenty of fresh air/ventilation - dust from bedding and feed can be irritating as well.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[rebrascora]

@blank28

If you can update your profile with your location details, nearest town/city and country, it can then be seen under your username at the side of your posts every time you post. Sometimes your location in the world is very relevant to the problem or advice sought, as in this case and my answer could have been less comprehensive if I had known from the start that you are in the UK. Most members of BYC are in the USA, so it is the logical assumption to make.
You will not be able to source Vet RX here in the UK other than mail order, so don't waste your time going out to shop for it today.
Personally I don't take my chickens to the vets as I can't afford it for the number of animals and birds I have. I've had respiratory infections from time to time and the only time I lost one to it was when she got an infected eye/ear and it swelled up so large I had to euthanize her. I've had them sneezing and wheezing and bubbly eyes but it has eventually settled down with a bit of TLC and close monitoring but my birds are not pets as such although I do have favourites. If you are not overly attached to your legbar, you could use olbas oil or eucalyptus oil or a bit of Vicks smeared on her comb and wattles and chest and monitor to see how she does. I have some Nutri-drops that you should be able to get from your feed store. They are about £10 for a small bottle with a dropper but you only need a couple of drops each day for a sick hen to give them a nutrient boost and help support their immune system, so I would recommend getting some of that for her and either dropping them on a little piece of soggy bread for her or mixing into some scrambled egg.

Good luck with her and I hope the vet's bill is not too steep if you go that route.

Regards

Barbara

 

[rIrs roost]

Im not familiar with the UK but it sounds like you can't get any antibiotics?