As Dandelion is still wheezing I have decided to continue with tylan in the water. Dandelion has been wheezing for seven days and I had given tylan for seven days but have now decided to continue until Dandelion improves.
In the comments Sophie said that her vet recommended three weeks as she hadn’t shifted myco symptoms from one of her girls. I also did some more research on mycoplasma as I seem to be compelled to do each time I have this problem.
I find sometimes by putting a different question in the search you can throw up new information. I put in the information that after using tylan in the water for seven days I still had a chicken wheezing. This lead me to some threads on forums which have the advantage of being conversations between people that have chickens or have had chickens with myco rather than just medical facts.
Some of the threads had chickens that had symptoms for many weeks despite using tylan. The answering chicken keepers said that it can be difficult to shift and can need three weeks of tylan to clear it.
The good news was that chicken keepers said that despite being difficult to shift in some cases they hadn’t lost any chickens that they had treated once symptoms had been seen. This is reassuring and I haven’t lost a girl to it since I have been able to identify and treat.
It is said to be stress that makes it reoccur and my research stated that the stress of moulting or cold spells can be the trigger so for Dandelion moulting combined with a frosty spell will have been the trigger.
The other thing that I am aware of is that chickens drink less in the winter as their days are shorter. To encourage them to have a bit more tylan I make a dish of mash from the tylan water. As Dandelion and Cinnamon are top girls I don’t have to worry that they will be kept away from the mash and it’s a good way to get a bit extra to Dandelion as she will be first to the mash.
Dandelion and Cinnamon are first to the mash
Dandelion has some mash
The conversation on one of the threads said that myco is much more prevalent in back yard chickens than most people think. It is very contagious and gets passed from hens through their eggs and on to their chicks so breeders may have it and be unaware. It can be passed from a chicken keepers clothing or footwear.
The general feeling was that we should be less scared of myco because once we are aware we can be vigilant and treat when symptoms show. Some flocks may have carriers and never know as it doesn’t present itself. Some flocks will experience stress and it will appear. Chickens become carriers for life.
Chicken keepers, rightly, have a dread of myco but back yard chicken keepers can live with it in their flock as long as they are ready to treat it. For me it means that I no longer need to worry about it coming into my flock because that ship has sailed.
The problem for me is that Dandelion is vulnerable to it. I already have to accept that Dandelion is unlikely to be a long lived chicken but I felt that about Amber and I had her for four years. I just hope to keep Dandelion as long as I can.
There is a chance that if I lost Dandelion the myco may not reoccur but only time will tell. For now all that I can do is continue as I am doing. I write posts like this because I hope it may be of help to others.
I am just hoping that continuing with the tylan will shake Dandelion’s wheezing in time. I will keep updating on her progress.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
That’s very interesting Carol. I find with my girl who has been left with residual symptoms all the time (and whom I’m treating at the moment) is that although she sounds terrible, she is eating like a horse and very lively whereas the one I recently lost was very lethargic and not interested in food. I suppose it hits them differently.xx
I forgot to add that on the thread I was reading chicken owners said that some girls with symptoms were eating and drinking well, were lively and were laying eggs. Some girls look as if there is nothing at all wrong with them and it’s just sneezing and wheezing which is what I am experiencing now. Others said there may be lethargy and lack of appetite which I have also seen in the past, particularly with Freckles. There are so many different symptoms that we have to be able to act on any of them. Caramel also had a wobble in her walk and her head when I first had her and the next symptom was a swollen eye. That is why I didn’t recognise it back then. That’s why I can’t help keep researching because the more we know the better. xx
You really do have to keep on your toes, with all this going on.
You are so right. I have to stay vigilant and treat and keep tylan in stock. I also find the more knowledge I can gather the better. Dandelion’s wheeze was quieter tonight. The problem is I know that any cold spell will exasperate it.
Do hope she manages to cope with the worst of the winter weather. You have as comfortable a set-up for them as could be possible and prompt treatment clearly helps.
Her wheeze is almost undetectable now so she seems on the mend once more but I know bad weather will probably set her back again. I am so glad that we put the shelters in as she has the sense to spend most of her time in there on the coldest and windy days. I have toyed with the idea of bringing her inside but I know that she would hate that and the small shelter is probably the best place for her.