So I have a few chickens with mild respiratory symptoms - wheezing and some nasal discharge. I would like to isolate them and administer antibiotics. I don't usually use antibiotics but when they are sick, I make exceptions.
I have terramycin soluble and LA200 injectable. I'm trying to figure out whether I can use the terramycin soluble first and see how they do. Previously I had a chicken with this problem and I took it to the vet and he gave me streptomycin liquid for oral dosing and the chicken was well in a few days.
So, I guess I have 3 questions:
1. Does anyone know if soluble terramycin is appropriate for respiratory illness in chickens?
2. What is the dosage?
3. Everything I read says don't give it to chickens who lay eggs for human consumption. All my chickens lay eggs for human consumption. Is there a time period, such as 3 weeks, or a month, after which the antibiotic is gone from the system, or is it saying if I use the antibiotic I can never eat eggs from that hen ever again? I am sure it's not saying that, but nowhere can I find a "safe" period after which one can eat eggs again.
Thanks for any help,
Claire
Chicken antibiotic dosages and timing
I think there was something in either "Storey's Guide to Poultry" or "Storey's Guide to Chickens" about the time after antibiotics--but maybe it was ivermectin?
Soluble terramycin is recommended for mild respiratory infections in chickens. There are a few abstracts about how rapidly it enters the eggs--apparently because it is water soluble it is present in the albumen (largely water) by the first egg subsequent to dosage. This site discusses "withdrawl periods" for different medications. Does that mean the time by which it is no longer present?
http://fowlfacts.proboards40.com/index.cgi?board=ffmedications&action=display&thread=1697
What about VetRX? Has a lot of natural stuff in it... ?? Just a thought.
I have exactly the same problem; a little sneezing and wheezing, gurgling, but everyone is still in good spirts, eating and drinking. I used Tylan in the water for 3 days. 10 grams in 5 gallons of water. This was the cheapest place I found it, I split it with a friend of mine.
http://www.jefferspet.com/product/tylan-soluble-powder-100-gm-pkt-3000.cfm
Excellent Catscan! Thank you! I managed to find another site recommending a 4 day withdrawal, so I think I'll stick with something like 2 weeks, just to be extra safe.
ZZ - I have been using VetRX but no real improvement to be honest. Their eyes are gumming shut and that is what bothers me most because they bump into things and can't find the water sometimes.
Fla_Chick - how is it working for you? Improvement? I'll probably try the terramycin first since I already have it, but now I know I can go to Tylan if I don't see any improvement.
So far Im very happy with the Tylan. The sniffling and gurgling started on Thanksgiving (wouldnt you know) with my herd sire Mr. B. Fortunately I was able to get a dosage of Tylan from a friend, and start it on Thanksgiving day. Before I was able to get the water to them, I heard a couple more start sneezing, and I also have some very very young blue rocks in that coop, which did concern me. However, as of yesterday evening, everyone seems just fine, and I havent heard the sneezing spreading very much. This with a coop of about 40 chickens. So I am pleased with the results. I added 2 young chickens last week from a swap that I thought would be just fine; apparently not, as the incubation period would be just right for it to have come from those birds. Lesson learned...no more new birds, unless quarantined first.
(I hope I spelled everything correctly).
Good to know - I will probably start mine on the terramycin when I get home from the poultry show today. I will isolate them to ensure I don't get their eggs. Not sure which of the affected ones are currently laying, if any.
Excellent spelling! Carry on! (but really, I'm only Commander Moxon on the hatching threads)
Have a great time at the poultry show!! I went to one down here recently, and was just a bit disappointed at the lack of large fowl poultry. It seems the bantams are by far the most popular.
I will be careful of my spelling for sure. That Moxon word worries me, with the X and the R so close together on the keyboard....shudder....
Oh I caught that one. Usually they just zing right over my head. But I caught that one. Very good!!!!! LOL
Yes, my signature sometimes suffers from this problem. My "X" is like an "r" with a line through it. Sometimes, especially on those electronic touch pad type signature thingies, the cross part on the x ends up in the wrong place, like closer to the O. I sometimes do get mail addressed inappropriately. Fortunately, nobody has ever said "Thank you Ms. Moron" as I leave the checkout...
hahahahahha......almost spewed on that one....hahahahaha.
Perhaps that is the origin of your peculiar spelling sensitivity, Chief Petty Officer Moxon?
Hey Mox : I have a pkg of terramycin in my hand and it says the dosage is one ounce per gal of water, it also says to destroy all eggs laid for two-weeks after last dosage, it also says for long term dosage destroy eggs from last day dosage was administered. Not sure what long term means. but it also said you see see signs of recovery within forty-eight hours after first dosage. I would think long term dosage would mean anything over maybe one week, but not sure. Good luck Haystack.
Sorry for the confusion Mox: it says destroy eggs for thirty days when long term dosage is administered. Haystack
I had the same problem start the first of the week. I used Sulmet and they are all fine now. only had to dose them one time. I think it's the cold weather change.
Thank you Catscan, that is entirely possible, and also entirely understandable!!
Thanks for that info Haystack. I was at a chicken show today and I picked up water soluble aureomycin and oxytetracycline also, in case I ever end up with an antibiotic resistant bug in any of the hens. I think I'll wait 30 days in any case. Sounds reasonable.
I have one question. How come the dosing directions don't give volume like teas. or Tablespoon? I have no idea how much 1 oz is so I just dump some in. It just seems so much easier to give an amount that is easy to measure. My coffeee grinder has already been converted to a equine pill grinder I really don't want to drag my kitchen scale to the barn too.
I take a calculater and break it down to the correct amount for a gallon. There are sites that will tell you the equivalent of mg to oz. I wouldn't just dump it in as if you over dose it could be very hard on thier system especially their bowels.
One oz is one tablespoon. this site is for food but workers for other measurements
http://www.cooks.com/rec/convert/
Thanks Wren {{{HUG}}}
You are welcome and that site also has a LOT of recipes. I am drooling.
Wow, 1oz=1tablespoon thats great to know. I still don't understand why the directions don't just say that. Thanks!
Most animal Medications are calibrated for industry like chicken houses and hog farms etc.
I really hope everybodys chickens are doing better. It makes me nervous because I have gone through this a number of times but the first few times I didn't know what to do and felt so helpless. Now I give antibiotics right away and have never had any more casulties. Do any of your chickens go out? Mine do during the day but I have to lock them up at night or the raccons get them. Good Luck and please keep me posted. What is this spelling thing, if you don't mind me asking, my back ground is all science so my spelling and grammer could always use some help.
A fun way to drive Cmoxon up the wall! LOL
Sorry for butting in again but as this has not been mentioned I think the measurement of 1oz is different if a fluid as opposed to a dry substance. I believe it is 2 tablespoons liquid = 1oz. 1 tablespoon for dry weights. I have no idea if all chicken antibiotics come in powder form.
However, I think someone should check my information as I am known to be wrong about a lot of things.
You are right I did not notice that there was both oz and fluid oz on the conversion site.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/convert/
I was wondering about that too. Also, an oz of feathers takes up more space then an oz of brick. Another words the conversion between weight and space isn't universal. Some substances weigh more then others. I realize this is WAY off the subject but this chicken med has always driven me nuts. I was always taught not to mix standard and metric measurements either like mg per gal. Way to much thinking for me.
I have a small kitchen scale that can measure an ounce so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. That is a handy way to do it...
Don't worry 1lisac--it is just that Moxon has a little trouble tolerating our creative and liberated spelling. I think it is because she is Canadian--and also, if you misspell her name by one letter ,she becomes a moron. So she is a little sensitive. But it can be useful...if you want to know if she is paying attention, just misspell sumthing:0)
HEY! That's enough of that missy Catscan! I see your misspelling and I know you're just out to irritate me. Grumble grumble....
1Lisac, I am the spelling police, and it's because I like things to be done (and written) properly, and if I catch you with too many misspelled words, I shall subject you to lashings with a chicken feather. My background is mostly science too, so you can't use that as an excuse! And by the way, it's grammar with an A, not grammer with an E.
That's your first offense so I'll be easy on you! ROTFL!!!
This is crazy. I definately feel like big brother is watching. Maybe I have met my match I definately will not be offended by any and all corrections and punishments but I WILL be amused! Actually, where I went to college English was the second language for nearly all my Prof. I studied vales ans veals for along time before I realized he was saying Whales and Seals.
ROTFL....vales and veals.....too funny! I remember one of my calculus profs talking about wectas for a long time and I could never find wectas in the book and I was having trouble until I realized wectas were vectors. Argh...I had all these notes written with wecta all over them! LOL!!
I had a teacher from Texas and we had problems with her nare meaning are and nor meaning or.
Sandy
Hey, leave us Texans out of this confusion. I'm just kidding I'm not originally from Texas anyway.
I moved to Texas when I was 13 and nearly flunked out of school, because I couldn't understand a word the teachers said.
That is my story and I am sticking to it.
My grandmother came from west Florida. When I would take her back over there for a visit I would come home talking in a strange language, plus talking way to loud-DGM and Great aunt where both hard of hearing.
Gasp!! Catscan....how did you escape?!
Ha! the story about my GGM is that she was VERY hard of hearing and VERY picky about manners -If you didn't speak clearly enough so that she could understand you you were very rude and VERY in trouble.