Sick Chickens

[deputysassy]

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a flock of Americana and Buff Orpingtons. My chickens have been wheezing and sneezing for 2 weeks. I have called every vet in town none of which deal with chickens. Egg laying has stopped. They still go outside to free range and the eat and drink normally. Other than the wheezing and sneezing the the stopping of egg laying you would never know they are sick. So if anyone has any ideas as to what I can do I'd appreciate your input.

 

[Judy]

I'm afraid you have encountered a complex and often sad area of chicken keeping, respiratory diseases. One thing you can do is contact your state vet and perhaps find out for sure what is wrong with them. Occasionally this happens simply because of excessive dust and dander, although I fear this is not the case for you because of their not laying. These are just two of many discussions here on the problem.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ow-a-buggery-nose-on-my-roo/0_20#post_9778598

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...try-often-mistaken-for-crd-mycoplasmosis/0_20

There is also a lot of information here, which is a sticky at the top of the Emergencies forum:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/112920/helpful-references-links/0_20

 

[casportpony]

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a flock of Americana and Buff Orpingtons. My chickens have been wheezing and sneezing for 2 weeks. I have called every vet in town none of which deal with chickens. Egg laying has stopped. They still go outside to free range and the eat and drink normally. Other than the wheezing and sneezing the the stopping of egg laying you would never know they are sick. So if anyone has any ideas as to what I can do I'd appreciate your input.

Whenever mine get sick I dust them for bugs with poultry dust and deworm them with Safeguard (fenbendazole 10%). If symptoms persist, I might treat with an antibiotic.

 

[realsis]

tylan 50 injectable is GREAT for respiratory illness
dose is large bird 1/2 cc small bird 1\4 cc once daily for 5 to 7 days. you can get this at the feed store. many many poultry owners including myself use it. it packs a punch against respiratory problems. if they were mine I'd use this. you should see significant improvements in a few days with tylan.

 

[casportpony]

While I agree that Tylan is probably a good antibiotic choice, how big is a large bird and how small is a small bird? 1/2 a cc/ml is 25mg, 1/4 a cc/ml is 12.5mg.

I prefer to weigh my birds (see avatar) and dose by actual weight in mg/kg.

This is dosing info for Tylan 50/200 (Tylosin) from Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook - 7th Edition


This link also has dosing info:
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam/09_therapeutic_agents.pdf