Sick hen. Please help.

[newchickgurl]

I have a hen that has a cough - she has had this for over a year - She has had 3 rounds of antibiotics. None of the hens in her flock are sick and never has been. I gave them all the antibiotics in their water. I have noticed in the last couple of days at times she has bubbles in her eyes. Yes her breathing is labored especially when she is sitting on the ground sun bathing. Yes she is eating, drinking, and for the most part she is just a normal chicken with a cough/sneeze. I'm wondering if we should try giving her injectable antibiotics and see if she recovers better with this treatment. Should we just let her be and live out her days. Or very lasts resort put her down. I just want what is going to be best for her as she is one of my favorite hens. Please any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated.

 

[theuglychick]

Hi and sorry about your hens trouble. She could be getting something different each time.

With the bubbles in the eye, I'd definitely quarantine her, as my immediate thought is that it's mycoplasma gallisepticum. But without having her tested , there's really no telling what you're dealing with.

However, if it IS MG, they are carriers for life and can be repeatedly infected, and can infect others. It also adversely affects fertility, laying and hatch rates as well as increases chick mortality. And mom can pass it to the chicks just by laying the eggs.

That being said, if you do decide to try and treat it, separate her, monitor the others closely, and injectable Tylan is the recommendation course of action.

Let us know how she does! Hoping for the best!

I have a hen that has a cough - she has had this for over a year - She has had 3 rounds of antibiotics. None of the hens in her flock are sick and never has been. I gave them all the antibiotics in their water. I have noticed in the last couple of days at times she has bubbles in her eyes. Yes her breathing is labored especially when she is sitting on the ground sun bathing. Yes she is eating, drinking, and for the most part she is just a normal chicken with a cough/sneeze. I'm wondering if we should try giving her injectable antibiotics and see if she recovers better with this treatment. Should we just let her be and live out her days. Or very lasts resort put her down. I just want what is going to be best for her as she is one of my favorite hens. Please any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated.

 

[newchickgurl]

Hi and sorry about your hens trouble. She could be getting something different each time.

With the bubbles in the eye, I'd definitely quarantine her, as my immediate thought is that it's mycoplasma gallisepticum. But without having her tested , there's really no telling what you're dealing with.

However, if it IS MG, they are carriers for life and can be repeatedly infected, and can infect others. It also adversely affects fertility, laying and hatch rates as well as increases chick mortality. And mom can pass it to the chicks just by laying the eggs.

That being said, if you do decide to try and treat it, separate her, monitor the others closely, and injectable Tylan is the recommendation course of action.

Let us know how she does! Hoping for the best!

She has always had the cough even when treated before she would just cough less for a short while and then right back to coughing more. Yes her laying is down to a couple a month if that. We do have a short video of her that we are trying to put on here so you can see her and hear her. I will definitely look more closely to the MG. I have only seen the bubbles twice and it comes and goes. And that is something new.

 

[chickens really]

Look up ILT it's common....My Hen finally needed to be culled...She contracted it as a Chick but really could not live with her condition....She also had many replapses so I decided it was time to put her down....

 

[newchickgurl]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10210069540803101

We are still having problems loading the video. I copied this from my boyfriends facebook page hopefully you all can see it. If not let me know and I will try something else.

 

[newchickgurl]

Look up ILT it's common....My Hen finally needed to be culled...She contracted it as a Chick but really could not live with her condition....She also had many replapses so I decided it was time to put her down....

I will and thank you. She seems to be dealing with it okay except with the cough/sneeze. I don't know if she is having relapses or not because she seems to do this everyday - either all day or off and on all day.

 

[newchickgurl]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10210069540803101

We are still having problems loading the video. I copied this from my boyfriends facebook page hopefully you all can see it. If not let me know and I will try something else.

Here is a small video but you can hear her cough/sneeze. Hope this will help to figure out what we should do for her next.

 

[chickens really]

Hmmm...Short but similar...

 

[newchickgurl]

Hmmm...Short but similar...

Did any of your other chickens get it from her? None of the other hens she is in with has never coughed or sneezed

 

[chickens really]

Not all but they are carriers for the disease.....chickens are a bit confusing that way...If one gets it, they might not show symptoms but can spread the disease...