Sticky eyes and very hangy

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One of my Orpingtons started to get a sticky eye a couple of days ago, I bathed it and kept an eye on her, today she became very hangy so decided to take her to my vet, he gave her 2 jabs and gave me 4 more to give her, 1 per day, I asked if the problem could be in my flock he thought not.

To be fair everything seemed grand, tonight another has gone from looking fine to very hangy very quickly. I have separated both off and studied the rest, at least 50% are shaking there heads.

Have spoken to a friend who is a long term poultry hand who has told me to dose all with Denagard, I have obtained this but am told it's difficult to get them to drink as it tastes fowl (no pun intended)

Can anyone give any advice or otherwise to help?

I'm feeling time is not on my side.
 
I'm afraid I have nothing useful to say about the general problem, not enough experience myself. I do know (from a thread way back on the forum) that one way to get chickens to drink is to put something like ribena in their water as they love anything red. Not being the brightest of creatures, and knowing how mine go frantic for treats, they might not notice the taste at least for long enough to get some of the treated water in.
 
Hi, normally if the treated water is the only water available they will drink it. I have never had problems with the tylan which also tastes rather horrible in their water. I have have heard someone adding sugar to help sweeten it. If I was you I would give them the treated water on it's own to start with and observe to see if they drink it okay and if not try adding the sugar or ribeana. Hope this helps
 
Thanks for your input, I have them on the Denagard now and they actualy started drinking it with no problem, three of the birds I was worried about I started by giving them a syringe full of the liquid.

I have lost 2 buff hens to this "whatever it is" and no one will supprised to learn they where my 2 best, last couple of days have been very vexing, we have cleaned, disinfected and gone over everything, the rooks, crows and jackdaws, have been seen at our outside drinkers, we've laughed as our cockerels have chased them off, the swallows and house martins are back, have they brought something with them, etc etc. I have locked them all inside separated cockerels and hens and don't intend letting them out until they have had 3 days on their medication.....

I'm hoping this will do the trick, I just can't understand them going from really healthy at 4.o'clock looking poorly at 6.o'clock then not making it through the night.
 
Hi, I think it depends what they have... I have had mycoplasma and some chooks get sick quite quickly. Do yours have any nasal discharge, sneezing at all? With the sticky eyes is it discharge bubbling? If it is then it is probably a respitory infection. I have heard real positive things about denegard but haven't tried it yet. If it is a respitory infection it is quite possible that the wild birds passed it on although I have read that it is unlikely, but still possible. They should be okay in a few days if it is respitory. Hope it all goes well for you, I know it's a stressful time especially when you see others in the flock gettig ill too.
 
No symptoms other than one eye looking odd, starting to close, but happening so quickly, everyone I have spoken to goes down the road, when you have a respiratory problem it "generally" starts you see it and medicate.

I'm used to watching livestock for problems, we have horses, ponies, pigeons, guinea pigs, and hens and dogs but this sudden ailment has surprised us. My hopes are pinned on the Denagrard, I just hope it does the trick.
 
All are bouncing, Danegard showed an almost immediate effect, it's not cheap, but it's very effective, just looking at the birds tonight very pleased with the way they are looking, thanks for asking, Lindsey.
 
Eyes tend to be affected by respiritory disease in the upper respiritory tract - this offen happens as a secondary infection when a hen goes down with something else. The sinuses are quite large in chickens and can get infected together with the eyes - early signs of a respiritory problem are swelling of the sinuses and small bubbles in the corners of the eyes...

LindseyO said:
... I just can't understand them going from really healthy at 4.o'clock looking poorly at 6.o'clock then not making it through the night.
Click to expand...

Chickens have a very different respiritory system to us. They have 8 air sacs attached to their lungs these are very close to major organs so any infection in the lungs spreads very quickly to their body and they will go down hill very quickly. Respiritory problems are often secondary infection (just like we get weak when ill and can pick up a cold, or worse still pneumonia)

It is much harder to treat them once they are showing severe respiritory problems so the sooner you can spot a problem, the better.
 
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