Sick chicken

[Mlgooden]

We adopted a crossbreed that used to look like Foghorn Leghorn about 2 months ago. Since then she’s really never been well. We are in a climate that reaches high highs in the day and in the 50’s during night. Coup is cleaned daily, and we have 4 other hens that are happy healthy and eat like 4 teenagers growing like crazy.

Fast forward to today, no matter where we put her, she gasps, coughs, and sneezes. We have her on Deangard water, VetRx, and electrotrites. My husband gives her a dropped of a watered down antiobiotic 3 times a day. She eats, drinks like crazy, but is literally feathersskin and bones. She’s lethargic, and yes confined. I’m at a complete loss.

 

[Mlgooden]

 

[ChickenLeg]

I'm sorry :/ I had a silkie trasported from florida to west tn. It never got use to the humidity here. It coughed and sneezed for a yearr, had a bad eye infection, eye was removed. After a year of fighting Sara passed away. Some chickens just cant handle a huge change of climates. Maybe someone will have advice to help. Best of luck.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your sick hen. If the respiratory disease is caused by a virus or a fungus, antibiotics will have no effect on it. Her symptoms do sound a lot like mycoplasma or MG, and that usually responds to Denagard. I have never used Denagard, but it supposedly tastes bad, and is usually added to the water. Does your husband know what dosage he is giving? There is a lot of information online about it, and I believe the dosage is 12 ml per gallon of water. Since she is doing so badly you may want to cull her and get a necropsy to find out what the disease was. Sometimes there is more than one disease present, and some diseases like Mareks and others may cause poor immunity to common diseases. Or you could try another antibiotic, such as Baytril. Here is some info on buying it and the dosage is in post 3:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/baytril-enrofloxacin-sources.959119/

 

[micstrachan]

Her eye looks swollen in the photo to me. Is it?

If she eats and drinks like crazy, but is still losing body condition, she could have parasites, either internal or external. Can you look her over for lice and/or mites and send in her droppings for a fecal float test?

 

[Helloworld]

I am sorry but she is suffering. She is too sick for wormers. I agree, let her go and see what happened. It could save your flock.

 

[micstrachan]

@Mlgooden, how is your hen doing today?

 

[Mlgooden]

Her eye looks swollen in the photo to me. Is it?

If she eats and drinks like crazy, but is still losing body condition, she could have parasites, either internal or external. Can you look her over for lice and/or mites and send in her droppings for a fecal float test?

As a heads up she passed about 2 hours ago....she did have feLeas and mites, as did the rest of the flock but I got ahead of all them and erraticed them. Poor thing never even had a chance. We tried it all. The Denagard, VetRx, you name it.

If it helps her poop was green and she ate and drank like crazy. Stinks but learned for the future...

 

[Mlgooden]

@Mlgooden, how is your hen doing today?

So sorry to say she didn’t make it...

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss.