Coughing and laboured breathing

Hello again,

one of my six ex battery hens has a continual cough and now has very laboured breathing. Her comb is pink and limp. The other hen that I got at the same time also has a slight cough. The other four seem fine.

They eat a good diet of layer pellets, occasional corn and our fruit and veg waste. I have two feeding stations and one of the water feeders always has a measure of poultry tonic. Is a trp to the vet's needed for these two or is there a retail remedy I could try first?

Thanks,

Andrew

I think a trip to the vet in the morning is what is required.

I took the two girls to the vet this morning. He decided it would be a good idea to worm them. They wouldn't have been done at the sanctuary and I haven't done them. He administered Panacur oral paste by syringe and gave me some to give to the other girls.

He ordered some antibiotic powder to dissolve in their drinking water to combact any potential mycoplasma, which I am gong to collect tomorrow.

With a bit of luck that should do the trick and I have healthy chooks all 'round

Thanks for the suggestions by the way.

Andrew.

The vet gave me a bottle of Baytril to dilute in their drinking water. 6 hens x 2kg each = 1.2ml per day in their water for 10 days. That's the maths apparantly and hopefully it will see them right.

Worms can be another debilitating condition that can drag chickens down.  Sounds like your girls are feeling a lot better if they are laying so well 

It's difficult to give precise advice about egg withdrawal with Baytril. The advice seems to vary from 7 days to 28 days to forever. I suggest following your vet's advice.

Hi thre

There is a lot of conflicting information on eating eggs after they have been on Baytril. I left it about 10-14 days but have eaten eggs after that sort of period. Hope this helps

Thanks again for the friendly advice