- May 24, 2011
- 138
- 6
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Hello-
I figured I would post this even though I think my issue is resolved. Maybe it can help someone frantically searching for info like I was last weekend! I have a 2 year old Barred Rock (in my grand flock of two birds). Saturday morning I went out to the coop and she (Gertie) was wheezing terribly. Her chest was heaving and she was making noise with every inhale - opening her beak to try to take in the breath. I was extremely concerned. If I had 10 ladies this might have been a different story, but with only two I couldn't just cull one. I read what I could and went to the farm store and purchased the only antibiotic they offered - Duramycin-10 which is Tetracycline Hydrochloride. I had read about gape worms and wasn't sure if I should be deworming instead. I concluded that the worm is a much less likely cause of this issue and went antibiotic. I've been treating for 5 days and Gertie has now completely stopped wheezing. The severity reduced after 3 days and is now gone. I mixed the medicine with drinking water and for the first two days made sure she was getting some by squirting it down her throat with a syringe. Once she stopped wheezing with an open beak I couldn't figure out how to get her to open up for it so I quit
I'm assuming it was a common respiratory infection. I live in Vermont. It is fall and we've recently had significant weather changes. I cleaned out the poop tray and replaced shavings in the coop. I let the girls free range as much as possible to get sun and fresh air. They seem to be in tip top shape now.
Eggs must be destroyed for 2 weeks after completion of antibiotics which I will finish up after a 7 day stint. The girls aren't laying much now between their age and the dark season coming so it won't be a terrible waste!
Good luck to anyone who is having this issue. They can get better!!
I figured I would post this even though I think my issue is resolved. Maybe it can help someone frantically searching for info like I was last weekend! I have a 2 year old Barred Rock (in my grand flock of two birds). Saturday morning I went out to the coop and she (Gertie) was wheezing terribly. Her chest was heaving and she was making noise with every inhale - opening her beak to try to take in the breath. I was extremely concerned. If I had 10 ladies this might have been a different story, but with only two I couldn't just cull one. I read what I could and went to the farm store and purchased the only antibiotic they offered - Duramycin-10 which is Tetracycline Hydrochloride. I had read about gape worms and wasn't sure if I should be deworming instead. I concluded that the worm is a much less likely cause of this issue and went antibiotic. I've been treating for 5 days and Gertie has now completely stopped wheezing. The severity reduced after 3 days and is now gone. I mixed the medicine with drinking water and for the first two days made sure she was getting some by squirting it down her throat with a syringe. Once she stopped wheezing with an open beak I couldn't figure out how to get her to open up for it so I quit
I'm assuming it was a common respiratory infection. I live in Vermont. It is fall and we've recently had significant weather changes. I cleaned out the poop tray and replaced shavings in the coop. I let the girls free range as much as possible to get sun and fresh air. They seem to be in tip top shape now.
Eggs must be destroyed for 2 weeks after completion of antibiotics which I will finish up after a 7 day stint. The girls aren't laying much now between their age and the dark season coming so it won't be a terrible waste!
Good luck to anyone who is having this issue. They can get better!!
