Snotty, raspy chickens

[gablab]

Thanks everyone. I'm new here, my name is Gabriele. I'm in Spring hill, FL. Thanks for all the info. on snotty, raspy chickens. I also foolishly bought chickens and did not quarantine then. They are raspy, but okay. Unfortunately passed it on to my chickens and I lost two chickens ( there was even bubbly mucous coming out the eyes). I have been giving everyone tetracycline in the water. It seems to have worked, as I gave it for 2 weeks and have lost no more birds, not even chicks. Thanks for all the info. I now know it probably was infectious bronchitis. Just to be clear, the hens that are carriers, do I still want to cull them? Other than being raspy, they have both eaten fine and seemed normal. But, will they keep infecting newly hatched chicks?

 

[BantamLover21]

Wednesday was the last day of the antibiotics. They have been under a lot of stress because they have been chased around the yard for the past five days and then given a shot in their breast. I need to treat for lice now. It is not a severe case but discovered when giving the injections. What is your advice on going forward with lice treatment now? I know how to treat the chickens but what about the coop? And how long is the treatment regimen for Sevin?

Distribute the Sevin dust in the coop (just sprinkle it, or using a special "puffer", puff it around), paying special attention to the cracks and crevices. Or you can use Sevin spray, which is easier to use on in-animate objects. Dust/spray the coop, and then put in fresh bedding. After dusting your birds, dust again 7-10 days later to kill any lice that hatched from eggs. If you still see lice, continue dusting every week or so until they are gone.

I don't have any experience with Sevin for treating lice. I used frontline for mine. I bought the small bottle with the dog & cat on it and just squirted a tiny tiny amount under their vent and under each wing on the skin. It worked. Fast. Even three months later I saw no sign of lice. So I just use that twice a year on them now. I dust my coop house with the food grade DE.

I use Frontline, too. But I only use it on my bantam show chickens, as I don't eat their eggs. I've heard that, because Frontline isn't licensed for use on poultry, you shouldn't eat the eggs of the birds you use it on. It does work really well, though!

 

[christie22701]

Thanks everybody on your advice on the live. I have started the Sevin treatment today. Ugh. I didn't know chickens were so complicated! I love them though!!

 

[christie22701]

I am glad to hear they are feeling somewhat better.  Hopefully they will make a full recovery.  After the antibiotics make sure you give them probiotics and a good vitamin and mineral supplement in their water or feed.  I find water easier.  I would do this on a regular schedule to keep their health up while carrying this disease.  Maybe once a week.  Also, try not to stress the chickens as that can cause relaspe.
As far as the eggs, every chicken is different, but keep in mind that the days are getting shorter and chickens naturally slow down on egg laying with the shorter days and usually come to a stop in the winter months. 
As far as eating the eggs, I wouldn't.  I'm surprised a vet said that.  It seems to me that ingesting a small amout of an antibiotic would cause bacteria(should you pick some up) to develop immunity to that antibiotic and thus it would become ineffective for treatment.  That is what is going on with the "superbugs" that are developing today.  Antibiotic resistance because of antibiotic misuse.  Of course, if Tylan is something that is not used in humans (I don't know), and never would be, I guess it wouldn't matter.

Thanks for the suggestions. What would be a good vitamin and/or mineral supplement to put in their water? I have gotten yogurt to give them but haven't figured out how to give it to them.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Distribute the Sevin dust in the coop (just sprinkle it, or using a special "puffer", puff it around), paying special attention to the cracks and crevices. Or you can use Sevin spray, which is easier to use on in-animate objects. Dust/spray the coop, and then put in fresh bedding. After dusting your birds, dust again 7-10 days later to kill any lice that hatched from eggs. If you still see lice, continue dusting every week or so until they are gone.

I use Frontline, too. But I only use it on my bantam show chickens, as I don't eat their eggs. I've heard that, because Frontline isn't licensed for use on poultry, you shouldn't eat the eggs of the birds you use it on. It does work really well, though!

Just like everything else, don't use on poultry producing eggs for consumption. Just about everything we use on our poultry says that. Even if it is for poultry. I think the frontline distributes on their skin, not internally, just like on dogs and cats, but I do toss my eggs anyway.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Well with yogurt, I usually make them a little mash(their crumbles wetted down with a little water) with their feed and spread some yogurt on top of the mixture for them. If the weather is hot, don't fix them too much as you don't want it sitting out all day. I just serve it to them in a shallow plate or old pie pan. Oh, make sure it is plain yogurt, not flavored, with the active live cultures in it.
Most feed stores or online stores carry vit/min supplements for poultry and livestock. Check out Jeffers online or if you have a local Tractor Supply they carry poultry supplements.

 

[christie22701]

So I guess the first time I treated my girls I was given wrong dosage information and only gave them .50cc for 5 days of the Tylan 50. So they did not receive the full benefit of the drug. Therefore the symptoms have returned, not in all the girls, just some (I have 12). So it's been 10 days and I have decided to retreat all of them with the proper dosage, a full 1cc for the 5 days. Other than a few with runny noses and smelly nares they are acting perfectly normal. Running around the yard, I'm getting eight eggs a day. I'm giving them vitamins/electrolytes in the water, yogurt mash, tomatoes, bananas, watermelon daily. (Not all that in one day). So they are happy, egg laying, talking birds right now. I'm trying to do a preemptive strike on it this time, before they get too sick, since I was misguided on the dosage last time. Kinda like in a human we didn't take our full dose of antibiotics so we felt better for a bit but it didn't completely kill the infection. If its Coryza I am aware that they will be carriers for life and I know many of you suggested culling them but I'm not ready to do that. I want to see if correctly dosing them will clear this up. They haven't developed the gurgling in their chests, or the lethargy, or the bubbles in their eyes. I don't see the need to wait for it to get to that point. Since I am smelling the sickness and seeing the runny roses it seems reasonable to retreat. Opinions? Comments?
I'm just basing my diagnosis on what the symptoms are. I know Coryza may not be what I'm dealing with and I know how the only way there is to find out. I'm just trying this one last time. I don't give up easily and I can't just give up on 12 chickens that are starting to show symptoms again but otherwise follow me around looking for treats, hop in my lap, free range all day, talk to me, lay eggs and generally look like very happy chickens.

 

[3Xgranny]

what does yogart do for chickens?

 

[Eggcessive]

As far as I know, there is no feed that contains the antibiotic tetracycline. Medicated feed (is that what you're thinking of?) contains Amprolium, which is a drug used in treating Coccidiosis. Amprolium is not at all effective in treating other diseases.

If you are worried that your birds aren't drinking enough of the Tetracycline water, either give them water with an eye dropper or by tube feeding them, or go to an injectable antibiotic. Tylan50 or Tylan200 is the best injectable antibiotic for treating respiratory diseases. The dosage for Tylan50 is 1cc for large-fowl, .5ccs for bantams, injected into one side of the breast once daily for 5 days. The Tylan200 dosage is .5ccs for large-fowl, .2-.3ccs for bantams, injected into one side of the breast once daily for 3-4 days. Alternate the side of the breast that you inject into, and use the smallest gauge needle possible because Tylan tends to make the injection area sore. Improvement should be seen within the first three days of Tylan treatment.

Here is the earlier post from 3 1/2 weeks ago about dosage of Tylan50 which was 1 ml. Tylan50 mostly has been given 1/2 ml to most chickens in the past on BYC. Some people have suggested giving more, since some of the drug books recommend giving it by weight of the chicken--usually 10-14 mg per Kg (2.2 lb.) depending on the reference used. So if you know the weight of your chicken it helps. Some just dose it as 1/4, 1/2 , 3/4, or 1 ml depending on the weight of their chicken.

 

[christie22701]

Here is the earlier post from 3 1/2 weeks ago about dosage of Tylan50 which was 1 ml.  Tylan50 mostly has been given 1/2 ml to most chickens in the past on BYC.  Some people have suggested giving more, since some of the drug books recommend giving it by weight of the chicken--usually 10-14 mg per Kg (2.2 lb.) depending on the reference used.   So if you know the weight of your chicken it helps.   Some just dose it as 1/4, 1/2 , 3/4, or 1 ml depending on the weight of their chicken.  

Thanks for your repost. Somehow I got referred to the "Ultimate Fowl Wikipedia" website and their directions are what I followed. I am on day four of the re treatment. Tomorrow being the last day. What should I expect if it is Coryza? Will the symptoms go away now that they have received the proper dosage? I understand all the stuff about being carriers and keeping a closed flock, I just want them to be well...