If caught early enough an antibiotic can usually treat the infection with great success, the most common treatment is Tylan, you will need to contact a vet to get a prescription for this antibiotic.
The most common symptoms are swollen eyelids and sinuses, rattly breathing, sneezing, wheezing and coughing, you can usually hear gasping wheezes at night this is when the birds’ systems are relaxed and the respiratory issues are easier to hear.
You might also see bubbly clear fluid/foamy discharge from the eyes (Mycoplasma Gallisepticum).
Thick yellow pus in the eye sockets and sinuses (Mycoplasma Synoviae).
Swollen joints and thin shells at the round end of the eggs (Mycoplasma Synoviae).
Mycoplasma is a bacteria not a virus mainly attacking the respiratory system but can also affect the kidneys, Infected birds become carriers, remaining infectious for life, although some birds may become immune.
Do not over treat, chickens will free feed much like cows, they graze on their feed throughout the day, ensure your chicken’s feeder always has feed in but keep this feed as per the recommended pellet feed for the age of hen you have. You can supplement this with treats but treats should only make up 10-20% maxim of their diet. Do not feed your hens purely on scraps and corn as this will cause them to hold onto too much fat.
It can be difficult to tell if your hen is overweight due to the way they store fat inside their body, there are a few things to look out for and a few guides to follow to ensure they do not get fat. You may also notice they are heavier when you pick them up or that you can no longer feel their breast bone or keel as it is also known.
Things to look out for:
Stop in egg production
Lethargy
Problems walking or moving around
Yes, absolutely, but the way the retain fat is different to us, fat in chickens will deposit in their system rather than on top of their organs, this means too much fat in a hen’s system can cause them to have lots of internal issues with their organs, including reproductive problems, liver failure and can often be fatal.
Yes, even chickens can suffer from depression, there are many causes which can be environmental, after a sudden shock or fright or even after the loss of their favourite flock mate. Signs of depression tend to include lethargy, loss of appetite and a drop or stop in egg production. Snapping a chicken out of a depression can be tricky, finding the root of the problem is often the first step to treating them, this is where some good old fashioned
Chicken Whispering can come into play, if you think your hen is depressed then please get in touch (insert email) to talk it through with our team, we can often pinpoint the issue after having had a chat and offer some guidance on how best to help.
Chickens can be hard to diagnose, they tend to hide their illness until they are at the point where they no longer can, chickens are flock animals but will pick on and even kill weak members of the flock to ensure flock survival, as such a poorly chicken will try and hide their illness from her flock mates.
If you are worried about your chicken please go to our Health Care Page where there are lots of helpful resources including an interactive health checker.
- There are some signs you can look out for:
- Lethargy, usually a sick chicken will be low on energy and this will show in hunching, staying in one spot and nor moving around.
- Lack of appetite, your hen might have suddenly stopped eating and shows no interest in her normal favourite treats.
- Sneezing, coughing, wheezing, runny eyes or nose, these are all clear signs that something is wrong, it can range from a viral infection like a respiratory issue to mycoplasma, some worm infestations such as Gape Worm can also cause these types of symptoms.
- Sudden change in egg production or even a complete halt in production, if this occurs outside of their normal winter laying break then it can be a sign of something more sinister.
Yes, absolutely, we recommend offering your hens a good quality multi vitamin all through the winter, and then bi weekly during the warmer months. Pipinchick have their own brand, specifically created to ensure they maintain good amounts of B12 in their diet and it is water soluble, vitamin B12 is essential for good brain cognitive function and can prevent conditions such as Wry Neck or Star Gazing.
Your chickens will have different nutritional needs during different times in their lives:
Feather Moulting.
During their moult they will be very deficient in minerals and proteins, we recommend offering Agrivite Poultry Drink during this time as it is full of additional minerals such as iron, and also offer seeds, live grubs and larvae as a treat to help keep them topped up on protein, new feathers are made up of 100% protein so whilst re growing they will use all their natural protein stores.
Calcium and Vitamin D.
This is so important if your hens are having periods where they are struggling to lay, have just come into lay or are a little older in their lives and need the extra help to lay. Hens will use a lot of calcium to create eggs, if they do not have enough in their system they will take calcium form their own bones, this can cause long term difficulties laying, egg binding and even brittle bones. We recommend as a basic every day tonic Agrivite Feather, Shell and Bone which is water soluble, and for times of egg binding or sever deficiency we recommend Zolcal D. Vitamin D is essential as without vitamin D your hens cannot absorb calcium so always makes sure when offering a calcium supplement it also has vitamin D. You can also supplement their vitamin D by offering dried chopped mushrooms (human safe).
Broody hens.
If you have bantams or pure breeds then you will probably have had broody hens, broody hens will sit on an empty nest this can last for anything up to 3 months, they will get up to eat and drink once or twice a day but as you can imagine during this time they will become quite deficient in many essential nutrients including, fat, vitamins and minerals. We recommend offering broodies a high calorie treat if they have been broody for a prolonged
period, we have our own Forager Broody Boost, which is packed full of essential vitamins, minerals and has lots of extra fat, we also recommend having a good quality multi vitamin in the water for all your hens but especially during times of broodiness.
Mite rescue.
If your hens have had a mite infestation you may notice they have pale combes and wattles and seem lethargic, this is due to them being deficient in minerals in particular iron, mites will eat your chickens blood and for sever infestations your hens will be lacking in iron and other minerals which can lead to anaemia.
For more information on common health problems please go to our chicken health care page.
If you're worried in minus temperatures, you can insulate their coops, we recommend using a thick layer of cardboard to line the floor, then cover with a thick packed layer of either wood shavings or treated straw bedding such as Dengi, a nice layer about 5 inches thick should be sufficient. Some keepers will also put an insulated picnic blanket over the coop roof, and some even pop in a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel at bedtime.
Offering high calorie treats in the afternoon can also help keep their metabolisms burning through the night which keeps them warm, things such as warm porridge made with water, sweet corn or lovely dried oat and corn mixes are all good to offer.