Treating for salpingitis - ok to use probiotic?

[RedLionChooks]

Hello fellow flock keepers! A while back, I posted a thread with concerns with a hen who was laying rubber eggs and had diarrhea with some worms. Treated for worms. Turned out to be salpingitis (she layed a lash egg ) . Thankfully, there is an avian vet in the area, as well as an avian lab. My hen was seen today, and given antibiotics -- for 28 days! That is a long time, and 90 pills.

Any experienced advise for a tried and true probiotic supplement to help her through the next month?

I will confess, I feel a bit like I have failed as a chicken keeper, that I must dose this hen for 28 days. I really thought the rubber eggs were due to worms, so I wormed her.

Rubber eggs and diarrhea are symptoms of MANY issues, and I was not experienced enough to know what was what. The lash egg provided all the evidence needed to know she is very sick - though she acts like she feels like a million bucks since she passed it. Any hope that she will make it is in 2 bottles of chemicals that I will administer for the next month. Fingers are crossed. I have so much care in my heart, that I will do whatever I can to help her out. I did not see that coming when I started keeping chickens either -- just how much I care about each and every one.

 

[Eggcessive]

What antibiotic is being used? Salpingitis can be a common finding in hens, and sometimes they cannbe seen in the abdomen upon necropsy after death. Antibiotics may or may not be helpful. Many of todays commercial chicken feeds have probiotics listed on the labels. Plain yogurt usually contains live cultures. Some use Probios powder from feed stores, and there are other ones such as Grow2Max available online. Probiotics can be used during and after antibiotic treatment.

 

[Kiki]

Hopefully these meds will work.

Take another at what you feed your birds.
If you feed daily treats...stop.
Overweightness can cause these type reproductive issues.

 

[RedLionChooks]

Hopefully these meds will work.

Take another at what you feed your birds.
If you feed daily treats...stop.
Overweightness can cause these type reproductive issues.

Good morning - thanks for your response. I do feed daily scrambled eggs (3 for a flock of 11), with herbs and garlic. A scant handful of mealworms - more during molt. They free range a few hours every day. Stop the eggs and herbs? They do not appear overweight in anyway, and have plenty of room and roam. I am trim and fit and eat only whole foods, my dog (and husband ) same. I would be mortified if our chickens were deemed overweight - I don't think they are though. We are super health conscious, but I am no expert on chickens. Thanks for the advise.

My main question though is about probiotics during this time.

 

[RedLionChooks]

What antibiotic is being used? Salpingitis can be a common finding in hens, and sometimes they cannbe seen in the abdomen upon necropsy after death. Antibiotics may or may not be helpful. Many of todays commercial chicken feeds have probiotics listed on the labels. Plain yogurt usually contains live cultures. Some use Probios powder from feed stores, and there are other ones such as Grow2Max available online. Probiotics can be used during and after antibiotic treatment.

Good morning @Eggcessive - thanks for the helpful info. I will look into the powders and keep reading about probiotics in general for poultry.

There are 2 antibiotics: tms and doxy. We use a local fresh goat yogurt to consume our own probiotics - I can certainly offer that to the hen and to the flock. I hate that we have to upset her balance with antibiotics, but I was afraid we'd lose the hen if we didn't treat it from what I've read about salpingitis. I do realize the treatment may not work, and that she may not lay again. We will have to cross that bridge(s) when we come to it (them). She is (was) a prolific layer - really never missed a day for over a year. I have learned that breeding for 'overproduction' is cause for all sorts of reproductive issues in hens. I originally chose breeds known for their heavy egg production and non-broody traits - to meet our wants / needs. At the time, I did not have an understanding about the cost to the hens' reproductive systems. It has definitely given me pause, and forced to me to consider the cost of our desire for egg production. A dilemma I did NOT see myself facing before keeping a flock. Back when I consumed and did not really know where it was coming from. Finding a balance in the care and consideration of animals while providing for our own consumption is now something I think about in a completely different way.

 

[Eggcessive]

I feed my chickens a very small amount of scrambled eggs for an occasional treat, and they love them. They love when I mix some water into some of their leftover chicken feed that is a bit powdery. Occasionally I put a bit of plain yogurt into the wet feed. As long as your chickens eat mainly a balanced layer or all flock feed as 90% of their diets, they should be fine. The TMS and doxy are fairly broad spectrum, and hopefully will help. I don’t like using antibiotics either, but it might help in her case.

 

[RedLionChooks]

I feed my chickens a very small amount of scrambled eggs for an occasional treat, and they love them. They love when I mix some water into some of their leftover chicken feed that is a bit powdery. Occasionally I put a bit of plain yogurt into the wet feed. As long as your chickens eat mainly a balanced layer or all flock feed as 90% of their diets, they should be fine. The TMS and doxy are fairly broad spectrum, and hopefully will help. I don’t like using antibiotics either, but it might help in her case.

Thank you! Yes, that's my hope! I hear what you are saying - 'occasional'. I will reduce the daily to occasional. And add plain yogurt from time to time. They do seem to love the yogurt! Thanks again - enjoy your day!

 

[chickpainter]

I feed my chickens corn for treats, sometimes on the cob sometimes out of the can.
They are both big red hens. could an injury have caused this lash leg? Has it ever cleared up naturally?

 

[Kiki]

I feed my chickens corn for treats, sometimes on the cob sometimes out of the can.
They are both big red hens. could an injury have caused this lash leg? Has it ever cleared up naturally?

Lash egg is not caused by injury it is caused by an infection.
You should stop feeding a corn immediately. They get plenty of corn already in there commercially made feed.

 

[chickpainter]

Lash egg is not caused by injury it is caused by an infection.
You should stop feeding a corn immediately. They get plenty of corn already in there commercially made feed.

I will do that, these are my first chickens and I thought I was taking good care, clean the coop every day good food, clean water. I feel awful about this. So she is going to die?