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Author Topic: Poorly Hen  (Read 2540 times)

Eeyore

  • Joined Mar 2011
Poorly Hen
« on: June 12, 2017, 01:20:02 pm »
I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what's wrong with my hen.  I bought her with 2 of her sisters about 6 weeks ago.  As soon as she walked out of the box I could see she wasn't right.  Her mouth was open, she shook her head, scratched her nostrils and I could hear her wheeze.  So I thought she had gape worms and treated them all with flubenvet for 7 days.  After this she still wasn't right so I took her to the vet who gave her an examination and said one of her lungs sounded like it had fluid.  She was given antibiotics for this for 7 days.  After the 7 days she's still no better so I spoke to the vet who prescribed metacam as she might have some inflamation.  This didn't help either.  My vet is waiting on a specialist vet getting back to her and in the mean time I am to take a poo sample into the vets to be sent away for analysis. 


The hen is eating and drinking fine but she is slow as even walking makes her wheeze.  I hate to see her wheezing.  None of the other hens have any problems so I presume it can't be infectious. 


Any ideas greatly welcome.

Eve

  • Joined Jul 2010
Re: Poorly Hen
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2017, 03:18:33 pm »
There's a type of aspergillosis that is permanent rather than acute, perhaps that could be it but I don't remember the details of it.


Good that your vet is getting advice from another, specialist, vet. Quite a few vets don't know much about birds, which are classified as 'exotics', and it can be difficult for them to figure out what the problem is (we had one pretending once she knew what she was doing whilst saying the bird's diarrhoea was "good pooh" ::) ) It'll be interesting to hear what the other vet comes back with. Like you say, it is probably not infectious, nor serious, since the others haven't caught it, that's good news. Good luck :fc:
« Last Edit: June 12, 2017, 11:06:52 pm by Eve »

Charlie1234

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Powys
Re: Poorly Hen
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2017, 10:11:51 pm »
Had something similar with a hen early last year,I was told to buy some doxycycline liquid or powder and put into the water for 5-7days it cleared her up nicely.

5 Dogs,5 cats,40 chickens,2badger faced sheep + a full freezer

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Poorly Hen
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2017, 11:43:00 am »
Sounds like a chronic respiratory irritation- we bought two Orpingtons suffering from that because they were reared in very dusty conditions and their immune system was depressed due to the stress of a new location. Took  one two months to get over it and the other has suffered to varying degrees for two years, but is laying.


First thing to do is a one-off 'shot' of cod liver oil- 1mL will do. The vitamins will boost the immune system. Then make sure there is no dust in the environment, be it in the coop bedding or even the feed. Fingers crossed!

farmers wife

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • SE Wales
Re: Poorly Hen
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2017, 01:36:08 pm »
def mycoplasma sorry.  Some hens cope with it some get infected badly.  You can treat but it stays in the system and is infectious.  Its the stress of moving that brings it out.

farmers wife

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • SE Wales
Re: Poorly Hen
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2017, 01:41:17 pm »
standard vets are useless and a waste of time and money.  Poultry isnt taught in vet school for some odd reason.  I was dealing with St Davids recently and they are all poultry.  Had some great advice.  All my flock have mysco unfortunately.  I have to live with it but I cant add to my flock now.  Its very expensive dealing with standard vets who want to pump endless ABs.  I was lucky the last vet at my practice did take bloods and confirmed the issues I have here.


Be careful how much this is costing you. If a hen isnt better after a couple of days then there is little hope.

Eeyore

  • Joined Mar 2011
Re: Poorly Hen
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2017, 02:31:35 pm »
Thanks everyone for your thoughts, suggestions and telling me your experiences.  When I first got them and gave them flubenvet for the 7 days I did see what I believe was gape worms in some of their poos.  At the time I read all I could on the condition and remember reading that in cases where birds have had gape worms for a prolonged period of time they can cause pneumonia.  After the 7 days of giving flubenvet, I never saw worms in their poos.  I wondered at the time and have since wondered and discussed this with my vet that possibly my hen had a very bad infestation of worms and the 7 days wasn't quite enough.  When my hen was on the flubenvet I did think she was improving.  I can't seem to catch my poorly hen having a poo, I hope I catch her soon.




I'm not sure whether I'm doing the right thing but I have put her and her sisters on flubenvet again and I did see one of her sisters having a poo, I examined it and there were gape worms.  I always clean up all the poos every day anyway but since giving them flubenvet again I have started seeing gape worms in the odd poo in the garden.  My poorly hen's wheeze seems to be slightly better since being on the flubenvet for the past 3 days.  I'm waiting to speak to my vet again to ask how long I should continue with the flubenvet this time.


Thanks again for taking the time to help. x


farmers wife

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • SE Wales
Re: Poorly Hen
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2017, 03:51:20 pm »
https://poultrykeeper.com/respiratory-problems/gapeworm/


The best and only way to confirm any infestation unless you are experienced in spotting worms is by FECs these are cheap and actually cheaper than messing with Flubenvet.  You can either contact company to send all the stuff in the post and you return or do it via your farm vet.  By the domestic vet has farted around you could of had the results back by now - not your fault but get annoyed that vets have to resort to phoning around and in my experience of running a farm it would be quicker to action it yourself. Also the vet is going to charge you mega £££ for samples while these kinds of people are super cheap.  Let us know how you get on.


http://www.happychicks.co.uk/eggsamine---worm-egg-count-204-p.asp

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
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Re: Poorly HenI was going to ask what teh value of that hen was
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2017, 03:55:40 pm »
I was going to ask what the value of that hen is now but perhaps that is insensitive  :innocent:
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

farmers wife

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • SE Wales
Re: Poorly Hen
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2017, 03:58:21 pm »
I am somewhat taken aback that a vets would give metacam to a hen.  Out of interest how much have you paid for all this advice?  I know Metacam is very expensive.  Also all the experience I have and spoken to poultry vets Tylan 200 should work after 3 days and question 7 days of injections.  7 days ABs and 2 shots of wormer I would be expecting wonders.

 

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