[Chookster]

i'm not sure quite how this came about but one of my silkies has what seems like conjunctivitis poor love. i was worried my hen house wasn't clean enough or something and that she'd got the infection that way?? 

Anyway, i have to wash her eyes with water so she can see.  is there anything i can do to clear this up to avoid the large vets bills?

Also, another of my hens seems to have got a bit of a crackly chest if you know what i mean - she had a bit of a minor cold recently.  Is this apple cider stuff for use for things like this??

any advice greatly received.  would be good to avoid the vet bills but if that's what they need then they need to go bless em.

[woodside farm]

Hi,
Bathe their eyes with cold tea on cotton wool, yes apple cider vinegar is good for colds, not the supermarket one the one from the horsey shops.

Michelle xx

P.S Cold Tea also works wonders on conjunctivitis, and eye irritations in humans as well as other animals.

[Chookster]

oh cool! brill, i shall be up there to share a cuppa with her tomorrow morning! fingers crossed then

thanks M.xxx

[Foxy]

tbh, if you have more than one chook presenting with respiratory symptoms you have an infection which needs most likely a consultation and antibiotics from a vet, this needn't be an expense £20 ish should cover the cost! Good husbandry, plus adding a crushed garlic clove as well as apple cider vinegar will help though. Can you isolate the chooks with the symptoms?

[poppies]

Hi I have just covered this on another thread - (help my birds are dying ) I found 6 of mine like this the vet put them on antibiotics as conjuntivits is very contagious, it was £43 but that is for 200+birds so should'nt be that much for a smaller amount

the vet said that although this wont kill them sometimes they will catch a secondary infection  that will

[dizzylizzie]

Hi, ive used cold tea on sticky eyes for all kinds of animals....including humans and it works a treat, however if they were mine i would take them to the vets. i dont think a quick check over and antibiotics would incur a massive bill, cheaper than replacing your hens if they die i would think! good look, hope they are better soon

[Chookster]

thanks guys for all the advice... I'm going up the allotment to my lovely chickens armed with some cold tea, cotton wool balls... haven't got the apple cider vinegar yet but that's on the list for today....

Also - my friend recently gave me a recipe for chickens to boost their general health and mine love it!!...


mix together in a 'mash'

porridge oats
natural yoghurt
a grated apple
cooked boiled egg yolk
honey

 :happy:

[Aunt Sally]

A crackly chest indicates a respiratory infection.  Listen to Foxy and get some antibiotics

[Chookster]

will do. have to wait til tuesday (pay day).  i don't want her to get worse now the nights are becoming a bit chilly.  In fact she's one of the most lovely chickens i have ever had - apparently (she's one of three the same) they are called white stars?? they're the most tame and placid breed i have ever kept.

[GrannieAnnie]

When some of ours had a respiratory infection the consultation with the vet was just under £12 and a pot of aureomycin was £17 for 200gms I think it is but haven't got it with me to look.  But that would last you for ages, its just that I gave some to all mine for a week, so it didn't last long!!!

Best to be safe as like the others have said, its the secondary infections they get that can kill them.  It's not that your housekeeping is bad, there are just so many things floating around that they can get.  Especially with the wild birds around.

Good luck, I hope they are okay!!

[Chookster]

thanx Granny

taking some treats and TLC up there today then will pop to the vets with them both on tuesday 

have a nice weekend everyone.xxx

[GrannieAnnie]

If you think they've both got the same problem chookster, just take the one, then say you need the antibiotic for 2, it may be cheaper.  Don't know, but they may charge double consultation fee if you take 2 with you!!!!   

[chickenlady]

my white araucana Belle has started sneezing again and pootle who is in with her still had a rattly chest from the initial resp infection, so took pootle to the vet yesterday and the vet gave her a baytril injection and a couple of doses to give her till monday when they are getting some aureomycin in for me to treat all the girls, as now 1 of my dorking girls has started to sneeze every now and again! im probably over sensitive as i lost 2 pol back in march and now any sniffles i hear i panic  but i will treat them all as a precaution.
The vets bill for the consultation, baytril and the injection was £13! not sure how much the aureomycin will be as the last time i bought some i paid for consults and a hen to be put to sleep too!
Ask for aureomycin if you can as then you can still eat the eggs

Debbie

[CattinJ]

Hi,
Woodside Farm also advised me of the cold tea remedy recently and I have to say it worked really well. My hen had something wrong with her eye and couldnt open it. I bathed it in strong cold tea once a day over a weekend and by the end she was able to open it again, and now all is well.  I would definitely try this easy and safe method in future before paying for an over-the-counter remedy.

Cattin

[Chookster]

My girlies are better!

Thanks guys for all the advice.  I did try the cold tea but i think it had got past that point and antibiotics were required from the vet for both of them.

Not sure which one it was as she decanted some into a new bottle for me but it's on their records for next time if there's a problem which of course we hope not.

I had to wait 3 hours in the queue to be seen with them but we were well prepared with a box with mesh over the top to prevent them from overheating and I had a good supply of water for them.

Anyway - the vet believed that the silkie had an eye infection from the chest infection the other chicken had.  I couldn't believe the difference and improvement in them both just after the 2nd and 3rd days but i still carried on the medication for the whole week.  It's SO lovely to seem their eyes all sparkly and bright again and running around chasing bugs.