Sick hen....do I have to treat the whole flock?

[justinemtp22]

I have 16 Red Sex Link hens that are 24wks old. I noticed one of them this afternoon had a congested sound when breathing. No nasal discharge, watery eyes, or any other symptoms. I isolated her and picked up some Oxytetracycline powder. My question is do I have to treat the entire flock since no one else has any symptoms? Can I just treat this one hen and if any others get any symptoms then treat the entire flock?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gritsar]

Hi and welcome to BYC!
I am bumping this for you since I don't have experience with such matters.
My instincts tell me that if you have to treat one, you should treat the whole flock; but I could be wrong.

 

[jenjscott]

I think I would keep the one isolated and medicate her. Keep a very close eye and ear on the rest of the flock. If one more bird developes even a trace of the symptoms, then medicate everyone. just one more opinion.