The EMERGENCY Thread!!!

[Wyorp Rock]

Tyllyn50, terramyicin, vet RX?
Isolate them for upper respiratory-? What if you cannot?

Treat all birds or just sick ones?

Hi @egghead@1265

Can you post photos?
What type of symptoms do your chickens have?

If your chickens are having symptoms of a respiratory illness like Infectecious Bronchitis, Mycoplasma, Coryza, etc., then antibiotic treatment may be needed to treat any secondary infections that may be associated with illness. Antibiotics will not cure any of these illnesses, but may help relieve some symptoms. Recovered birds and those that they are housed with are generally considered carriers of the illness.

If you have a large number of birds that are ill, then you may want to have some testing performed to understand what type of illness you are dealing with.

Ideally you would want to separate and treat only birds that are showing symptoms. Clear away any mucous from the nostril and remove any discharge/pus from the eyes. Provide supportive care with added poultry vitamins in the water and extra protein like egg or tuna.

VetRx can be used to help alleviate some respiratory symptoms- this is like a "vapor rub" for chickens. Terramycin eye ointment can be used on eyes that have been flushed and cleared of discharge/pus to help with any secondary infection. Tylan 50 is an antibiotic that is commonly used to treat any secondary infection/complication due to respiratory illness.

Let us know how they are doing.

 

[cxs918]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Silkie, 9 months old
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Not walking, eating or drinking. Doesnt seem to be able to use her legs, does flap wings when handled
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Since Sunday afternoon. Sunday morning I was with her and she was at her baseline. Writing this on Monday at 12pm
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Unknown
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. no eating - can take some water by syringe but barely interested
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. normal but only pooped 2x since yesterday
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Warm salt bath 2 times - yesterday and this morning; she is in my bathroom staying warm and seperate from others
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? treat myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use. Currently houses with 6 other silkies in a shed using Koop Clean and shavings


Edited to note no egg has passed and when I felt around - I could not feel one - they all lay in the same box so I do not know when she last laid.

 

[Eggcessive]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Silkie, 9 months old
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Not walking, eating or drinking. Doesnt seem to be able to use her legs, does flap wings when handled
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Since Sunday afternoon. Sunday morning I was with her and she was at her baseline. Writing this on Monday at 12pm
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Unknown
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. no eating - can take some water by syringe but barely interested
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. normal but only pooped 2x since yesterday
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Warm salt bath 2 times - yesterday and this morning; she is in my bathroom staying warm and seperate from others
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? treat myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use. Currently houses with 6 other silkies in a shed using Koop Clean and shavings


Edited to note no egg has passed and when I felt around - I could not feel one - they all lay in the same box so I do not know when she last laid.

How old are they? Were they vaccinated for Mareks disease? Could they be very dehydrated and weak from not eating? Are they passing droppings, and what do those look like? If their leg or wings seem paralyzed it could be Mareks, but anything causing dehydration can also look like Mareks. If they could have gotten into some dead animal remains or vegetation that was underground, botulism might be an issue. Vitamin deficiencies and coccidiosis, if left untreated, may cause lameness. I would try to get them drinking water with vitamins and electrolytes added, and offer bits of egg and wet feed, but tube feeding would be needed if they won't drink enough. Here is some reading about Mareks disease where you might see one or both legs or wings paralyzed and sometimes weakness or twisting of the neck:
https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

 

[cxs918]

How old are they? Were they vaccinated for Mareks disease? Could they be very dehydrated and weak from not eating? Are they passing droppings, and what do those look like? If their leg or wings seem paralyzed it could be Mareks, but anything causing dehydration can also look like Mareks. If they could have gotten into some dead animal remains or vegetation that was underground, botulism might be an issue. Vitamin deficiencies and coccidiosis, if left untreated, may cause lameness. I would try to get them drinking water with vitamins and electrolytes added, and offer bits of egg and wet feed, but tube feeding would be needed if they won't drink enough. Here is some reading about Mareks disease where you might see one or both legs or wings paralyzed and sometimes weakness or twisting of the neck:
https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

She is 9 months old approx. My roo is the same age as her and my other 5 hens vary in age - 2 years - 4 years old. Her droppings look normal. Her eyes are VERY dark and she wont open them. This was very sudden - she has had access to food and water 24/7. Our weather was warm this weekend 50-60* and this was VERY sudden. She was fine in the morning around 9 am we were watching her from our window and by 330pm we found her listless.

 

[Eggcessive]

She is 9 months old approx. My roo is the same age as her and my other 5 hens vary in age - 2 years - 4 years old. Her droppings look normal. Her eyes are VERY dark and she wont open them. This was very sudden - she has had access to food and water 24/7. Our weather was warm this weekend 50-60* and this was VERY sudden. She was fine in the morning around 9 am we were watching her from our window and by 330pm we found her listless. 

I would try to get as much into her as possible on the chance that she is dehydrated. If it is Mareks, there is nothing you can do other than supportive care--offer food and water close to her, keep her warm, etc. Could she have eaten something to make her sick? Can she move all of her extremeties?

 

[cxs918]

I would try to get as much into her as possible on the chance that she is dehydrated. If it is Mareks, there is nothing you can do other than supportive care--offer food and water close to her, keep her warm, etc. Could she have eaten something to make her sick? Can she move all of her extremeties?

I am trying to rehydrate every hour with electrolytes - she seems to be tolerating around 5cc every hour or so. I just made oatmeal and am trying that now, but she wont even look at her layer feed. This weekend I did not let her free range as we were not planning to be home in the afternoon so I dont think she could have eaten anything in her run. She is def moving her wings, her legs I am not sure - I try and stand her up and she goes limp - I am not sure if its from being weak or she actually cant move them.

 

[minihorse927]

I am trying to rehydrate every hour with electrolytes - she seems to be tolerating around 5cc every hour or so. I just made oatmeal and am trying that now,  but she wont even look at her layer feed. This weekend I did not let her free range as we were not planning to be home in the afternoon so I dont think she could have eaten anything in her run. She is def moving her wings, her legs I am not sure - I try and stand her up and she goes limp - I am not sure if its from being weak or she actually cant move them. 

I agree with everything you have been told but another possibility as I've seen it happen with silkies is a hard peck to the head or neck.

Merrick's does not usually come on so suddenly. Does she feel thin through the breastbone? If she will not tolerate eating you can tube feed her directly into her crop with oatmeal or preferably baby bird food.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am trying to rehydrate every hour with electrolytes - she seems to be tolerating around 5cc every hour or so. I just made oatmeal and am trying that now,  but she wont even look at her layer feed. This weekend I did not let her free range as we were not planning to be home in the afternoon so I dont think she could have eaten anything in her run. She is def moving her wings, her legs I am not sure - I try and stand her up and she goes limp - I am not sure if its from being weak or she actually cant move them. 

In my first post answering you post 603, I gave you a link for tube feeding instructions. You can get tube feeding equipment at your local vets, or you can purchase a 35 ml syringe at your feed store, and a length of aquarium air tubing which fits the end. Melt one end that goes into the mouth with a lighter to round off sharp ends. That would work for feeding fluids. Many use ground chicken feed and water or baby bird feed such as KayTee. The link in post 603 on tube feeding is long, but contains videos as well. If you should lose her, and I hope that doesn't happen, I would refrigerate her body, to get a necropsy looking for Mareks or what was foing on. Cocci can also cause extrem weakness, so it probably would not hurt to get her droppings checked, but I would keep trying to get her to take fluids. If a vet would help you, it might be best.

 

[egghead@1265]

Tyllyn50, terramyicin, vet RX?

Isolate them for upper respiratory-? What if you cannot?


Treat all birds or just sick ones?

Hi @egghead@1265
 

Can you post photos?
What type of symptoms do your chickens have?

If your chickens are having symptoms of a respiratory illness like Infectecious Bronchitis, Mycoplasma, Coryza, etc., then antibiotic treatment may be needed to treat any secondary infections that may be associated with illness.  Antibiotics will not cure any of these illnesses, but may help relieve some symptoms.  Recovered birds and those that they are housed with are generally considered carriers of the illness.

If you have a large number of birds that are ill, then you may want to have some testing performed to understand what type of illness you are dealing with.

Ideally you would want to separate and treat only birds that are showing symptoms.    Clear away any mucous from the nostril and remove any discharge/pus from the eyes.  Provide supportive care with added poultry vitamins in the water and extra protein like egg or tuna.

VetRx can be used to help alleviate some respiratory symptoms- this is like a "vapor rub" for chickens.  Terramycin eye ointment can be used on eyes that have been flushed and cleared of discharge/pus to help with any secondary infection.   Tylan 50 is an antibiotic that is commonly used to treat any secondary infection/complication due to respiratory illness.

Let us know how they are doing.

Two coops of birds and keeping the sick ones in the coop they went into the night before last. Giving a shot was difficult-for me-I only managed two! It was difficult to distinguish which bird is gurgling in the dark! On top of that a big rainstorm now and our power went out!

Anyhow, hoping for a sunny day and an assistant!

Also going to see about getting the Vet RX as well. Just got the tylan 50. Gave them electrolytes and pro bios in water tonight

Thank you

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Well I can only account for the last 30ish hours I have owned them but I am not currently adding anything to their water, they can escape the heat. I don't know exactly how hot the brooder is. I tried to buy a thermostat timer at tractor supply and they didn't have any. But I am monitoring their behavior in regards to the heat and I do have the heat lamp on a timer so it is cycling one and off at regular intervals. They are in my living room right now so I can keep a close eye on them. First time duck mom and all I could have them to far away. I am feeding purina non medicated starter grower feed. It is 18% protein but does not list the exact amount of vitamin b complex it contains.

Yeah I know ideally I would just leave their heat lamp on but they were getting to hot they have a daylight light as well so they are not just shifting from dark to light all the time. I will see if I can find something higher up to clamp their light too. I have read story's guild to fowl but not the one just for ducks. They were kept outside before I got them so I am sure it was a temp change going from a cold night to indoor heated brooder. Now that I know what it is I feel better about it. You can't treat what you don't know!

they were outside before you got them?
were they broody hatched or incubator?
you may be overheating them
you also need to add niacin/brewers yeast to their food/water