This is urgent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PaulaSB12]

I took the hen to the vet this morning, he asked me where I got them and if any where vaccinated, now the legbars and the silkies came with the claim they where vaccinated so I told him, the hybred not (yes not getting anything but hatching eggs or day old chicks again lession learned) it looks like if it is myraplasma defra (department of agriculture food and rural affairs will be informing them so they can do something about it. The rest of the hens seem healthy but are on antibiotics (tylan) I have changed the bedding to completly new and cleaned everything out at the moment they are snoozing in the sun (how come despite having quite a nice bit of garden there is only one good dustbathing place?) I have even got 2 eggs one yesterday one today.

 

[PaulaSB12]

The vet said no to mycroplasma, he thinks that the 3 hybreds had been forced and where unhealthy. He said it was unfortunate but I am doing more than many chicken owners he deals with and that I don't need to cull the rest.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:

Well, that's good news. It's sometimes really hard to diagnose disease with chickens without testing because symptoms can be so similar with different conditions. What you said rang true with a conversation we had with our state vet from GA last year.

We were discussing a 5 year old Buff Brahma who had beat a fungal lung infection and then, developed a secondary bacterial sinusitis which caused what looked like soap bubbles in one eye. We were ready to cull her upon seeing that development, had quarantined her immediately, but thankfully, decided to consult with him and he told us what was happening with her. He was 100% positive what happened and told us how to treat her.

He said something interesting: he rarely sees chickens of that age, first of all. That surprised me because I had a flock full of healthy hens 4-6 years old.

Secondly, the fact that she had never been ill by that age meant to him that she was very healthy and highly resistant to any contagious respiratory illness such as mycoplasmosis. We found that fascinating and had never heard that statement before, but coming from the state vet whose job is largely poultry, it certainly holds weight.

I've always told people that if you start with good stock, practice good management, including good biosecurity, build healthy immune systems in your birds with proper nutrition and environment, it pays off. You can only fight their genetics up to a point, it's true, but you can do your best for them.

Paula, thanks for being a concerned and conscientious owner. I hope things are better in the future for your flock.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I am looking to replace the one that died with some more cream legbar chicks, and as soon as one of flock goes broody (vet agreed with me that it would probably be the silkie) I am going to put some broiler hatching eggs under her to raise some meat birds for the table.

 

[PaulaSB12]

My little partridge silkie is looking down so I have her and the other one seperated and am feeding her a mix of yoghurt and growers mash anything else to temp that little appitite.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Well I fed her the mix of yoghurt and growers mash yesterday and today, she is out and about with the other girls today and when I picked her up to feed her I got a few pecks for my pains, if she is up to being that feisty she may be getting better.