For the last week I have noticed Freckles sneezing from time to time. She also hasn’t laid for just over a week which is very unusual for her and the tips of her comb are dark. I have been keeping a close eye on the girls and have now heard nearly all of the girls give an occasional sneeze. The only two girls I haven’t heard sneeze are Emerald and Cinnamon but Freckles sneezes the most.
I wasn’t sure if I was being paranoid but yesterday when I gave the girls their spinach on the patio I heard the slight “Darth Vader” like sound to Freckles breathing. I decided to give it one more day before deciding to take action. I have enough Tylan to give two more treatments. I don’t want to waste it unnecessarily but on the other hand I don’t want to risk leaving treatment too late.
Before bedtime all the girls were together at the ladder but Freckles was the only one dozing. She has been doing this a lot lately and I feel that all is not quite right with her. Before she dozed she was opening and closing her beak almost as if there was something sticky on it. I know that once mycoplasma has been in your flock it will always be in your flock and I decided it was best to take action. Better safe than sorry.
I dissolved a teaspoon of tylan powder in a litre of water and divided it into the two water dishes. I put it out at bedtime so that the girls will have it from first thing in the morning. It needs to be renewed at the same time each day, with any remaining thrown away and needs to be given for five days. It not only treats mycoplasma but gives all the flock protection from it. Mycoplasma will not get better without treatment.
The girls are all together before bedtime
Freckles is dozing
Notice the dark tips to Freckles comb compared to how red Cinnamon’s comb is. Cinnamon laid an egg today.
I am disappointed that this keeps recurring but I am so glad that I have the tylan to hand. I feel it’s best to act sooner rather than later and not take any chances. This may have to be a regular treatment for my flock.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
You’ve absolutely done the right thing Carol – that was exactly Jasmine’s symptoms a while back but the Tylan bucked her up in no time. I’ve got half a tub left but if/when it runs out I will ask the vet for some more because I know the signs now as do you.
xx
I have enough for one more treatment after this and then I will ask my vet for more. As she knows my history and gave it to me last time I think she will be okay about giving me more. I hope that after Freckles has some today she will bounce back. xx
It is so good that you recognise the signs and are able to give treatment so quickly. I do hope that it is effective, and soon.
I start to worry that I am being paranoid but I have to trust that I recognise the signs and act on it because the sooner the treatment the more effective it is.
So sorry to hear this has come back, But good that you have reconised it
and acted quickley. Hope all will be ok.
I think that I will have to accept that this will keep returning and I will need to treat again. Sophie has experienced the same. I was pleased to see the girls drinking the water before I left to do my deliveries.
Thanks for posting this, it’s something I’d not heard of before so now I know what to look out for! Learning more about hens little by little!
Tx
Unfortunately I bought this into my flock (I realised in hindsight) when I got Caramel and Pebbles just over a year ago. I had the last two seramas from a breeder that was giving up breeding them. I hadn’t come across this before and didn’t recognise the symptoms (nor did my vet) until it was advanced and it was too late to save them. They had to be put to sleep. Once it has been in your flock it is always there and can recur. Luckily I now know the symptoms and can treat straight away. Rusty showed symptoms in the summer and I treated all the girls but unfortunately lost Rusty to a repeated prolapse. I did several posts on this last year but they are so far back now. You can google for more information. In six years of chicken keeping this was the first time I had come across it so it is unlucky if you get it in your flock. Because I have had it in the flock I am always on the look out for it and take action quickly. x
I have now managed to add a link to my post on mycoplasma on my next post. I am not too technical so wasn’t sure if I could do this from a distant post but have managed to.