Very sick hen.

MG is a fairly common in backyard flocks. It may not be a problem until there is some stress, such as during cold winter weather or during a molt, and then symptoms occur. Your other chickens have probably already been exposed the same time this one did. Most people close their flocks to new birds when a respiratory disease occurs. If you did a necropsy on all birds in your flock, it is possible that they are carriers. I would just treat the sick bird and go from there. Hopefully, no other get sick. MG can pass through hatching eggs. If you would like to get a sick bird tested, this company will test for all respiratory diseases with swabs sent to you for anout $90:
http://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm
Here is a good article about MG:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf
 
That article is very useful, thanks!

We are continuing to keep this hen separately in a warm room for now, cleaning her eyes and applying polysporin nightly, and waiting for the Tylosin to arrive in the mail. She drinks water but will not eat, and it has been several days, so not sure if she will make it. I've tried wet feed mixed with scrambled egg, and some food scraps I thought she'd like. Any tips on getting her to eat?
 
That article is very useful, thanks!

We are continuing to keep this hen separately in a warm room for now, cleaning her eyes and applying polysporin nightly, and waiting for the Tylosin to arrive in the mail. She drinks water but will not eat, and it has been several days, so not sure if she will make it. I've tried wet feed mixed with scrambled egg, and some food scraps I thought she'd like. Any tips on getting her to eat?
I have a little pullet in the same condition. She wont eat, so I feed her water mixed with pure, non processed honey. It perks her up a little. Keeping her warm, really helps too.
 
That article is very useful, thanks!

We are continuing to keep this hen separately in a warm room for now, cleaning her eyes and applying polysporin nightly, and waiting for the Tylosin to arrive in the mail. She drinks water but will not eat, and it has been several days, so not sure if she will make it. I've tried wet feed mixed with scrambled egg, and some food scraps I thought she'd like. Any tips on getting her to eat?
Place her in a dog crate with food and water, back with her flock. Some will stop eating and get depressed when separated from the flock.
 
Our hen will take sugar water, and she ate some scrambled egg this morning, and her eyes are both mostly clear, although still very swollen. Honey is a good idea, and I hadn't considered she might be depressed but it makes sense.

We plan to give her a wash tonight (to help the vent gleet) and put her back with her flock as soon as the antibiotics arrive. Is it ok to put them in the main waterer, for the other chickens to drink too, since they all likely have MG? None of the other birds are symptomatic yet.
 
Our hen will take sugar water, and she ate some scrambled egg this morning, and her eyes are both mostly clear, although still very swollen. Honey is a good idea, and I hadn't considered she might be depressed but it makes sense.

We plan to give her a wash tonight (to help the vent gleet) and put her back with her flock as soon as the antibiotics arrive. Is it ok to put them in the main waterer, for the other chickens to drink too, since they all likely have MG? None of the other birds are symptomatic yet.
My New "sick" pullet has never met my regular flock. I keep new birds away from original flock, for 3 weeks, until I'm sure they are healthy. I don't want to have a whole flock sick. but that's just me.
 
My New "sick" pullet has never met my regular flock. I keep new birds away from original flock, for 3 weeks, until I'm sure they are healthy. I don't want to have a whole flock sick. but that's just me.

That is wise. We did too- we last introduced new pullets several months ago and kept them separate for weeks before integrating them. None showed signs of being sick. This hen is an original flock member, she is about 2.5yrs old. None of our birds have ever been sick before.
 
I usually recommend treating only the sick bird with the antibiotic water. If she can be in a dog crate during the day she would be the only one drinking it, then could roost with the flock. If you cannot separate her, you may have to treat everyone.
 
That is wise. We did too- we last introduced new pullets several months ago and kept them separate for weeks before integrating them. None showed signs of being sick. This hen is an original flock member, she is about 2.5yrs old. None of our birds have ever been sick before.
I learned all I know, from the beautiful peeps here on Backyard Chickens!:thumbsup
 

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