Runny nose...

[Eco-Chic]

Myrtle has a runny nose tonight and while eating her corn mix stretched her neck very long as if she has a sore throat and finding it hard to swallow. She opened her beak wide a couple of times gasping for air I think.

She's certainly feeding a cold to starve a fever and made a most peculiar strangulated squawk noise as she swore at Maude.

She looks well in herself tonight, eyes bright and clean but obviously I'll check over her carefully in the morning.

Water always has ACV added. I coated pellets with codliver oil and have added poultry spice and garlic powder to them (usually one or the other but I thought both wouldn't hurt).

The last couple of nights she doesn't want to roost on the perch and is sleeping in the nest box. This may be due to the fact that she has lost all her feathers underneath although is well feathered on top and wings and legs. (I noticed yesterday that Maude has lost a lot of her underneath feathers too.) Both chooks feel very warm underneath, although featherless, and their legs and feet are warm as normal.

I have seen Respite and Citricidal recommended for colds and will try and get some tomorrow.

Any other advice as to how to treat Myrtle please, and the others if they catch it?

Chooks are approx 27 weeks old and started laying four weeks ago. Yesterday and today are the first days I've had 3 eggs☺

[Suechooks]

I have used Respite and found it effective. Smells VERY strong in the bottle - based on garlic and ACV with other things added so you're on the right track anyway. Never tried citricidal but have heard excellent reports from its enthusiasts so may well get some when I pass Holland and Barret next! I think most colds pass on their own in a couple of days - I tend to panic if it's my ex-batts who sneeze as they're more precarious health-wise but the other girls just seem to get better.

[Eco-Chic]

Thanks Sue. I'm not panicing, just want to be sure I'm doing the best for them. They had a lovely long day outside with a beautiful blue sky.

I half wish they'd stop laying and grow back their feathers and not catch cold. I shall be creeping up on Madge tomorrow to check her undercarriage.

[Bramble-Poultry]

go for the respite standard for the course here, but if it still is a problem in a weeks time (possible as the chilly damp nights are settling in) then ask your vet for Ornicure, made by Genitrix Ltd. Its an antibiotic powder you make up in a 2 litre drinker.

There is egg and meat withdrawal periods, (meat 7 days and eggs 28 i think, but the vet will advise) where you can't eat any eggs or meat from those birds you treat but it clears everything up very very quickly. Its especially good on respiritory infections, such as running nose, blocked sinus and resulting eye inflamations.

comes in little sachets, east one does 2 lts of water

[Suechooks]

go for the respite standard for the course here, but if it still is a problem in a weeks time (possible as the chilly damp nights are settling in) then ask your vet for Ornicure, made by Genitrix Ltd. Its an antibiotic powder you make up in a 2 litre drinker.

There is egg and meat withdrawal periods, (meat 7 days and eggs 28 i think, but the vet will advise) .......

Difficult if your vet isn't stocked for chooks though! I needed Tylan soluble sometime ago and eventually got my own vet (having previously spoken to the one in the practice who supposedly knows about hens ) to give me a prescription which cost me £9 plus consultation fee as he had to see the bird and I sent for it off tinternet.
However I now have it "in stock" so all's well that ends well!

[Bramble-Poultry]

our vet doesnt have it in stock in fact he wasnt sure what to prescribe, so he rang another branch who prescribed over the phone. The branch didnt have any in stock so he sent off for it and we had it the next day.

He was a bit moody about prescribing without seeing the bird so asked him when he would like me to bring down the 40lb stag turkey (who will be moody at being removed from his wife and chick) for him to hold? He didnt!

[RichmondHens]

Well I don't do anything for colds. Some of my older layers had colds recently when it was very wet and windy but they were all over them in about 3 days and they are all back to normal now. Apart from giving a bit of Poultry Spice in their feed I just let them carry on as usual. Obviously if the cold progresses into a full blown respiratory infection then you need to get vet treatment but I would wait and see if she recovers without intervention. ACV and garlic are always good to give anyway - mine have ACV in their water all the time.

[Eco-Chic]

Her nose isn't running today but she isn't quite herself. She's been hogging the nest box and I've just turfed her out and she's gone straight to the feeder. I hope she isn't going broody She's resting very much on her breast with tail end up. It might just because she's cold (There aren't any eggs in there today).

I've telephoned a few pet shops and vets around here and none of them stock Respite so I shall order some on-line for future sniffles.

The good news is that my vet has several chicken clients, has kept chickens himself (that means he rescued them) and currently has a cockerel who he brings in at night because they have double glazing so he doesn't disturb the neighbours at 3am. No mention of Mrs. Vet and how she feels about the disturbance

Thanks for your input everyone. It is very reassuring

[Bramble-Poultry]

we had to go to the vet as colds turn to infections very quickly in turkeys and what with the D-Day coming up soon i cant afford to miss the deadline!

[Phattaff]

Sorry to sound abit stupid but what's ACV ??????

[RichmondHens]

Apple cider vinegar. Dose is 10 ml for every litre of water, but generally I (and I think most people) just glug it in. It creates an acidic environment in the digestive system to discourage bugs and parasites from taking hold.

[Suechooks]

Sorry to sound abit stupid but what's ACV ??????

Apple Cider Vinegar.
Available from horsey places and used in chooks water at rate of approx 10ml per litre.

[Bramble-Poultry]

sue - can you correct me if i am wrong, but ACV is actually different from culinary cider vinegar isnt it? i am sure somewhere i read that you shouldnt use cooking grade, but animal grade, hence the horsey shops??

or am i just going mad....... its a possibility y'know

M

[Suechooks]

sue - can you correct me if i am wrong, but ACV is actually different from culinary cider vinegar isnt it? i am sure somewhere i read that you shouldnt use cooking grade, but animal grade, hence the horsey shops??

or am i just going mad....... its a possibility y'know

M

Yes I think the horsey one is unpasteurised with all the attendant qualities! The culinary one is just cider vinegar probably with apples somewhere in its pedigree. I think the brown stringy bits are the "mother" like we used to make ginger beer in the olden days! (Of course you wouldn't remember Jen!) Whoops just re-read yours - sorry Mike! You wouldn't remember either!

[Eco-Chic]

I'm using the organic ACV I bought in Holland & Barratt for the dogs. Read somewhere that apart from it's other benefits (good for people digestion) it slows down build up of tartar on dog and cat's teeth. Shame I didn't start when they were lil pups and kitten