Pullet Breathing Heavy and Through Mouth

[schnebbles]

My bantam cochin has been sick (seems the cooler weather has contributed) - I've had them all on duramycin for a week, then off for a couple days then back on for 14-15 days.

Stopped for a week.

Noticed she just looked really bad this evening and picked her up and she's very thin.

I brought her in, she's breathing really heavy, one in a while thru her mouth, and sneezing (I think) some.

The duramycin isn't really cutting it. Is tylan my next option? I'm going to buy rooster booster wormer (read up on that and it looks like one I want to try, not sure if we have worms or not) to worm everyone. Worried about how thin she is and this breathing.

(ps - my other bantam cochin died from mareks, I'm sure, about 6-7 weeks ago - she went to the vet and no worms were found, no cocci either). I think I should worm just in case.

I have extra vitamin b in the water b/c I have another one with mareks. ughhhhh...I have them together, I hope this is ok, it almost seems to be doing the mareks silkie a little good to have company.

I'm really, really bummed with all of these problems I've had with my chickens. I'll put duramycin back in water until I know what to do.

 

[TNchickies]

Oh my goodness! That is absolutely terrible! I don't know enough to give you any advice, but I will wish you the best of luck! I don't know if a chicken with any sort of illness or injury should be kept with the others, as I have always heard otherwise, but I cannot be too sure. Hope all your little chickies feel better soon!

 

[Wyandottes7]

Yes, Tylan50 should be your next option. It is a stronger antibiotic than Duramycin, and should work if the respiratory disease is bacterial. However, some diseases are viral, and antibiotics can not treat viruses. I'd continue giving her vitamins, and give her some probiotics and electrolytes if you have them, too.

If you are keeping her with other birds, she can spread the respiratory disease to them. It is usually recommended that you isolate sick birds to prevent spreading the disease. In this case, though, all of your other birds probably have been exposed to the respiratory disease already. It won't make much of a difference probably if you isolate her now.

Worming is a good idea, as it can explain the thinness. You shouldn't usually worm sick birds, but if that's what one of the problems is, it can be the only thing that can save them.

 

[schnebbles]

ok, thanks. I really don't think they have worms so I might wait on that. I got the tylan so I'm going to give the bantam cochin a shot.

Do you think it's safe to give the mareks girl a shot as well? She has been sneezy on and off since I got her. She's congested now and sounding it pretty bad. I guess it should be ok, not like it's going to hurt anything to do with the mareks.

And, yes, I know I shouldn't have them together but they were all kind of sick and the duramycin didn't kick it in these 2 so I didn't think it would really hurt.

Now to find my tylan dose for a 1# or so chicken. And watch youtube on how to do it, I will be nervous as she is very thin.

 

[Wyandottes7]

ok, thanks. I really don't think they have worms so I might wait on that. I got the tylan so I'm going to give the bantam cochin a shot.

Do you think it's safe to give the mareks girl a shot as well? She has been sneezy on and off since I got her. She's congested now and sounding it pretty bad. I guess it should be ok, not like it's going to hurt anything to do with the mareks.

And, yes, I know I shouldn't have them together but they were all kind of sick and the duramycin didn't kick it in these 2 so I didn't think it would really hurt.

Now to find my tylan dose for a 1# or so chicken. And watch youtube on how to do it, I will be nervous as she is very thin.

The Tylan should be safe for your Marek's bird; I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be. A chicken that weighs about one pound should be given maybe around .25ccs (a five pound chicken should be given about 1cc, a 2.5 pound chicken (bantam) about .5ccs--a bird that only weighs about one pound should be given proportionally less).

 

[schnebbles]

thanks - I got the dose in the silkie (mareks) fine I think, I hope it went in the bantam cochin ok, she is soooo thin, the feathers hid it too long, darn it. First try, I went right into a feather so I had to do it again and I'm sure it went in her.

I kind of kept the needle flat, esp on her because I wasn't sure what I'd poke, so it probably just went under the skin, hopefully that's good enough. I actually did it the same on the silkie who isn't nearly as thin.

Am I supposed to push it more straight in? I know only about 1/4" but not sure if keeping it flat, like I'm having blood drawn is ok.

Also, could I draw blood myself? Reason would be to 100% test for mareks. I've read a lot on the mareks thread about it and people have trouble finding someone to draw the blood. I guess this would be different since you would have to get a vein.
I know it's mareks tho, I have no doubt in my mind.

And when I put Penelope on her back (cochin) her breathing sounded absolutely horrible. I put a little more vetRx on them both.

 

[TNchickies]

aww! poor babies! i hope it works out for you!

 

[Wyandottes7]

thanks - I got the dose in the silkie (mareks) fine I think, I hope it went in the bantam cochin ok, she is soooo thin, the feathers hid it too long, darn it. First try, I went right into a feather so I had to do it again and I'm sure it went in her.

I kind of kept the needle flat, esp on her because I wasn't sure what I'd poke, so it probably just went under the skin, hopefully that's good enough. I actually did it the same on the silkie who isn't nearly as thin.

Am I supposed to push it more straight in? I know only about 1/4" but not sure if keeping it flat, like I'm having blood drawn is ok.

Also, could I draw blood myself? Reason would be to 100% test for mareks. I've read a lot on the mareks thread about it and people have trouble finding someone to draw the blood. I guess this would be different since you would have to get a vein.
I know it's mareks tho, I have no doubt in my mind.

And when I put Penelope on her back (cochin) her breathing sounded absolutely horrible. I put a little more vetRx on them both.

Pushing the needle in at an angle is fine. Just make sure that it goes in far enough that it reaches muscle.

I don't know anything about drawing blood for testing birds for Marek's. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to draw it yourself, but I really don't know.

 

[schnebbles]

I doubt I'm reaching muscle, esp on the skinny bony cochin but either way it's getting in them I suppose.

tonight it bled on the silkie, I felt bad.

 

[deidreschultz]

My hen was doing the exact same thing. Took her to the vet who thought it was that ILG ( or something like that). I didn't agree because her only symptom was stretching her neck out and breathing through her mouth. No discharge of any kind, but the vet said she really thought it was and that she was suffering. So I had her put down. The vet sent a couple biopsies off. Turns out she had wet pox. This was on 09/26 & today I found a hen with one eye that looks like it may be gone & she can't open the other one. So it's just a mess here. Good luck with yours.