Trying to Figure out to how to ask a question about chicken's health on your forum

[niccichick]

Hi Everyone;

This is niccichick and I'm new to this website. I am raising 6 Buff Orpingtons and 4 Black Austrolorps. They are 3 months old now and my family LOVES them all. Right now I have two of my Buffies with health problems. One, I think, has a sprained leg and we have isolated her in our garage in a large cage. Checked her for Bumblefoot and cannot see any signs of it. I've been soaking her leg for 15 minutes a day in warm Empsom Salts and then rubbing Vet Linament on her leg. I've also been giving her B Complex and Crushed Baby Aspirin in her water which seems to help. My second Buffie is the one really worrying us. I noticed her crying nonstop and sneezing nonstop when I went to put my chickens in their raised sleeping quarters 2 nights ago. I brought her inside and isolated her in a pet carrier and then spent 2 hours on your site with my Mom trying to figure out what to do for her. I could not figure out how to post a question and have anyone answer, so I'm trying here now. We took her to an Avian Vet yesterday and they wanted to charge us $800 to keep her 2 nights and treat her!!! Yikes! We finally, after hours of internet research, decided to let the vet do 1 view of an xray to see if she had swallowed something that could be blocking her airways. She showed clear, but was extremely congested both in her sinuses and in her lower respiratory tract. Well....long story short...the vet, after $200, let us bring her home with Doxycycline oral liquid, and did an oxygen treatment in the office. We picked up powdered Tetracycline to preventively treat the rest of the flock, along with electrolytes. She seemed a bit better this morning. She isn't crying in pain anymore and only seems to want to get out of that box! She sqeeks every now and then and is till congested and sneezes periodically. She eats well and drinks well which seems good. I have her in my bedroom in a large cardboard box with a 60 Watt lightbulb to warm her, food, and water, covered with screening. If ANYONE has any info. they can share with me on what to expect in her recovery, or anything I am not doing properly I would really appreciate the help!

Thanks So Much,
NicciChick

 

[Judy]

Respiratory illnesses in chickens are a complex subject. here are a few links for you:

http://www.welphatchery.com/poultry_health.asp

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-poultry-often-mistaken-for-crd-mycoplasmosis

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-diseases-information-on-ms-mg-ilt-ib-abc-and-123

 

[niccichick]

Thanks so much for the links. I've looked at them all. My girl seems to be doing a bit better. She's now had 3 days of the antibiotics and hardly sneezes at all and doesn't sound wheezy and congested when I put my ear up to her back to listen to her, although she still sounds hoarse and a bit squeeky when she sounds off that she's frustrated at being in the box I've got her in. Any ideas on how to easily get the liquid antibiotics in her? It is taking my Mom and I at least 20 minutes with her wrapped in a towel and both of us holding her head still to pry open her beak and drip the meds in her a drop at a time. She seems so stressed and just screams at us and fights us more each day, although as soon as we let her go when done she seems totally unruffled and happy.

Blessings,
NicciChick

 

[dawg53]

Thanks so much for the links. I've looked at them all. My girl seems to be doing a bit better. She's now had 3 days of the antibiotics and hardly sneezes at all and doesn't sound wheezy and congested when I put my ear up to her back to listen to her, although she still sounds hoarse and a bit squeeky when she sounds off that she's frustrated at being in the box I've got her in. Any ideas on how to easily get the liquid antibiotics in her? It is taking my Mom and I at least 20 minutes with her wrapped in a towel and both of us holding her head still to pry open her beak and drip the meds in her a drop at a time. She seems so stressed and just screams at us and fights us more each day, although as soon as we let her go when done she seems totally unruffled and happy.

Blessings,
NicciChick

Keeping her snuggly wrapped in a towel is best. Pull her wattles down firmly and her mouth will open. She may struggle, but hang onto her wattles then squirt the liquid in her mouth and quickly release the wattles so she'll swallow the liquid on her own. If you dont, she could aspirate.

 

[niccichick]

This is Niccichick again. My chicken is so much better. Pulling down on her wattles is hard because she has barely any yet! We've managed to get the meds down her, though, and she is ever so much better. We are on our last day of the doxycycline liquid, the vet only gave us 8 days worth. She seems totally fine now and raring to go, wanting to run all over our house and dying to eat anything I give her. She's plumped up well and her wattles are a healthy red color now again. Is is safe to put her out with the flock again yet or do I need to keep her away from them for a full 10 days? They are all still on the powdered Tetracycline in their water as a preventive measure and also have only 8 days in them so far. Can I stop all that? Can I put Big Mama back with her sisters? Or, do I finish the Tetra. for another 2 days on the flock and keep Big Mama inside for 2 more days?

Blessings to All,
NIccichick

 

[smolenskipd]

I have a Buff Orphington that had a tussle with a dog, I think. I found her soaking wet and cold in the snow with snow balls stuck to her feathers on the underside. I warmed her up and dried her off and have her inside. She will barely drink anything or eat. Could she be hurt? Broken something? She can stand but mostly just lays down. I am dripping water on her beak, she ate a little banana yesterday, taking her to a vet isn't an option for me.

 

[girlangie2003]

Not sure how to start a new subject. It may just be the device I am using. But, I have a question. I have 6 chickens about 2 months old. I am new to this! How old do my chickens need to be before I put in the pecking block that I bought?

 

[seminolewind]

I would wait til they're 4 months old. Until then, they need all the chick feed, and no treats.

 

[shyned421]

Need help!!! I have new young chicks and all seemed OK about 3 days ago and my only little roo started with a gooey eye then next day went to both eyes. All the other chicks seemed to be OK so just though it was a little tussel between birds now I have another bird starting with gooey eyes. Does anyone know what this could be and what antibiotic should I administer? Thanks for everyone's advice in advance!

 

[T-Rock]

Sorry guys but i'm really new to this too! And I really don't know how to start a new topic. Any idea's?