[Kitchen Cottage]

One of them is now rattling and having difficulty breathing.  I think it is Maisie the one who was sick though PrincessNym thinks not.  She has had penicillin and seems better if you pat her chest.  We're going to leave her for an hour, see how she is and then probably bring her in for the night to have an evening of chest patting.  It human penicillin she's had so very approximate dosage but it should kick in in a few hours if its pneumonia.

On top of that.... Luca my older blind Bulgarian rescue dog killed a chicken.  He is the ULTIMATE food machine, he was on the streets in Bulgaria.  He can find eggs etc when none of the others can.... All I can think of is to muzzle him outside in future.

 

[HesterF]

Oh blimey, you are having a tough time of it. How many healthy chickens have you got now?

[Kitchen Cottage]

37. I used only to get  bats once every two years and have about 10 hens.  Both my new sets of tenants have got chickens from far and wide, and, whilst I've isolated them from the flock for 14 days, I worry they could bring something in.

The google interweb god led to infectious bronchitis, which seems to fit the symptoms and explain why two birds would have it.

They are in good clean dry conditions and free fed.  I can understand the botulism.... that's a risk of living in the country but other than that she should be healthy.

To cap it all, Luca ate one yesterday which means he has to be muzzled now

[chrismahon]

Infectious Bronchitis is pretty rare now Kitchen Cottage. I spoke to a breeder at the National who thought it may no longer exist at all. But it could easily be the immunisation strain of IB shed by a newcomer to a bird not immunised. It is the mildest virus of the group but will still seriously upset an older bird for a week or so. The virus can be shed for about a year, so normal quarantine won't help.

[Kitchen Cottage]

She responded well to antibiotics.  There are two wheezy hens that are both isolated.  They are new ex-bats.

It may be pnemonia (which seems to have the same symptoms.

I am going to get some live yoghurt and will add turmeric to their food.

Stupid question, do they eat the yoghurt themselves or do you have to syringe it?  I was thinking of mixing it in some corn or with some dried fruit.

Chrismahon, thank you, you have been so helpful.  This is the first year I've had more than a few birds of my own and the problems seem to increase expodentially!

[in the hills]

Mine eat yoghurt themselves and seem to enjoy it.

[chrismahon]

We used to feed ours yoghurt on a plate with bread squares dipped in. What a mess! They loved it, but the ensuing scramble to get more than their fair share saw it plastered all over them. We syringe ours slowly giving them time to swallow. After the first beak full they stop struggling. Try it with corn -won't do any harm to experiment to see what their preference is. Thing is when one eats it they all assume it's great.


It could still be an IB flare up due to the stress of the move?


More birds more problems and the more you know the more problems you see Kitchen Cottage. But you are improving their general health all the time and healthy birds breed healthy chicks of course.

[Eve]

"...the ensuing scramble to get more than their fair share saw it plastered all over them..."
Lucky you, mine manage to plaster it all over me!   
I just put a few dishes out with the stuff (and stand well back  )and they gobble it all up. You can mix it with layers crumb and poultry spice, or with medication.

"...the more you know the more problems you see..."
Very true. Experience is what makes us better livestock keepers - though there have been times, having spent  many hours trying to find out what was wrong with a bird and getting nowhere, that I wished that experience would be easier to come by