Silkie not eating

[Ry123]

She needs to drink the medicated water as the sole source of water for 7 days.
If you see she's not drinking the medicated water very well, you can substitute 1/4 to 1/2 of the water with unsweetened juice to see if that make it more palatable.

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Okay, thank you so much!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Okay, thank you so much!

You're welcome.
Keep me posted on how she gets along.

 

[Ry123]

Hi everyone so today is day 4 of giving my easter egger Tylosin powder in her water. So far she has stopped open mouth breathing and I haven't seen any mucous around her nostrils. However, she is withdrawing a bit from her meal worms. her poop looks solid and she has withdrawn from food slightly. Is this normal because I have given her the Tylosin? She keeps crying out to join the other 2 hens I have and paces in desperation to get to them. Should I continue the Tylosin? Before Tylosin she was eating normally and had her same appetite it was the mouth breathing and mucous I was really concerned about but now that is gone she has drawn away a bit from food.

I checked her again and switched their coops and she started mouth breathing is there something in the coop that could be causing this? She doesn't have mucus still. And my other hands don't have this problem

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would try to finish the course of 7 days for the Tylosin. It's possible she's off her food a bit since the Tylosin is reportedly bitter tasting so that could be affecting her taste. Try to encourage her to eat her normal feed, wet or dry. Stir in a bit of plain quality yogurt into her feed or offer bits of egg to see if she will be more interested.

Chickens do often eat better when they are around each other, so if possible, bring in a buddy to eat next to her or let her join her friends for a while during the day, especially during eating times, just make sure she's getting her medicated water.

Explain a bit more about switching coops.
She improved when you brought her in or when you housed her where? BUT when you put her in this particular coop/housing, symptoms returned. What's the differences - number of birds, type of bedding different, ventilation, rooster(?), location - any mold/mildew or???? Interesting, could be something in the environment causing symptoms or she's stressed - was she picked at by the others or anything like that - just trying to figure out what may be contributing to symptoms.

 

[Ry123]

I would try to finish the course of 7 days for the Tylosin. It's possible she's off her food a bit since the Tylosin is reportedly bitter tasting so that could be affecting her taste. Try to encourage her to eat her normal feed, wet or dry. Stir in a bit of plain quality yogurt into her feed or offer bits of egg to see if she will be more interested.

Chickens do often eat better when they are around each other, so if possible, bring in a buddy to eat next to her or let her join her friends for a while during the day, especially during eating times, just make sure she's getting her medicated water.

Explain a bit more about switching coops.
She improved when you brought her in or when you housed her where? BUT when you put her in this particular coop/housing, symptoms returned. What's the differences - number of birds, type of bedding different, ventilation, rooster(?), location - any mold/mildew or???? Interesting, could be something in the environment causing symptoms or she's stressed - was she picked at by the others or anything like that - just trying to figure out what may be contributing to symptoms.

So I have 2 areas that I sometimes switch them in, both coops are outside. I have a coop that is completely open which is where I put her in to have her eat and drink on her own separately from the other 2 hens. The other 2 hens I have are in a coop that is half open and half closed (this is where she gets her symptoms).

In the coop where she has symptoms again there are only 2 hens and no rooster. The bedding is different. The coop that is completely open has peat moss as bedding. The second coop (half open and half closed) has sand for the bottom (open bottom) and woodchips at the top where they lay their eggs and sleep (enclosed). Both coops are in a different location. the open coop is more towards the house (no plants just wood and bricks by this coop) and the second coop is far in the backyard, this is surrounded by plants, grass, ect..(this is the coop where she gets her symptoms). I haven't checked for mold in this coop, but I will be tomorrow morning.

Initially she was getting pecked at but then they stopped picking at her and acted like normal. The only thing off was how my easter egg was open mouth breathing where the other 2 weren't which is weird. She was open mouth breathing both at the enclosed part of the coop (top) and the open part of the coop (bottom).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Watch her closely to see if the breathing is due to stress.

Another factor is she starts to breath heavier when put back with the other 2 if I'm reading correctly, but she's "fine" when she's by herself.

Does that make any sense?

 

[Ry123]

Watch her closely to see if the breathing is due to stress.

Another factor is she starts to breath heavier when put back with the other 2 if I'm reading correctly, but she's "fine" when she's by herself.

Does that make any sense?

Yes I transferred my other 2 hens into the open coop with her and she isn't open mouth breathing.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes I transferred my other 2 hens into the open coop with her and she isn't open mouth breathing.

The bedding is different. The coop that is completely open has peat moss as bedding.

The second coop (half open and half closed) has sand for the bottom (open bottom) and woodchips at the top where they lay their eggs and sleep (enclosed).

In the second coop, you mention wood chips - are they something like pine shavings or wood chips, sorry to ask so many questions.
Wood chips (not pine shavings) can sometimes have mold/fungus. Can't say that's the issue, but something to consider.

You also mention the second is enclosed - so perhaps the ventilation is not as good as the "open coop".

If she's doing really well in the "open coop", then that's where I would keep her, see how she does - if she has no further respiratory/breathing problems in the open coop, then the "second coop" I would say is the "problem". What is in there that's causing her issues may be a puzzle since the others don't seem bothered.