Mycoplasma and the use of tylan

[ChickenCarol]

Unfortunately since last year I have had mycoplasma in my flock. I bought it in unknowingly with two new girls which I lost but since then treated the whole flock with tylan in the water and have kept it at bay.

It resurfaced in the summer and I treated again successfully but it has now come back again. I treated again with tylan in the water for five days. This time two of my girls are still sneezing and one is dozing which is not a good sign.

It was seven days ago since I finished treating them. My instinct is to treat them for a further five days but I can't find any information about how soon you can treat them again. I wondered if anyone here knows if it is okay to give them another five days of tylan?

If anyone wants more information you can take a look at my blog. I have written everything I have researched, but just can't find anything on how soon to treat again.

[Gwenoakes]

I am sorry to hear that it has resurfaced yet again, but unfortunately know nothing about it.
My own personal thoughts are, if you do not treat again then they will surely succumb to the disease, so what if anything have you got to lose?

[KarenE]

I'm sure I've had Tylan prescribed for a 10 day course, or I've read that it can be given for 10-12 days. I'd definitely treat for longer, respiratory infections can be stubborn. If you've got it bad, maybe you need something a bit stronger - I think denaguard can be prescribed for myco as well.

Good luck, and I hope your sick girls perk up. Have you disinfected everywhere as well? Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs!

[ChickenCarol]

Thank you Gwenoaks and Karen. That was my conclusion really. I will start again with tylan today and this time keep on going for ten days and disinfect the chicken shed. I think that I have to just keep going until there is improvement. I think I just wanted someone to back up my thoughts really.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi ,vets have had my sick girls on tylan for ages at a time. They also give an injection as well when really poorly . it is only when it is not fixable they give up.
Check with the vets (phone call ) see if you can get a stronger med. If under the vet they can give it without seeing her (cheaper ) . I often think change a ring on the leg and disguise a new girl as one that has been before. could get a 10 yearold chicken on the books...
Best of luck with it all .
Bob
Got a large bottle if you need some more Tylan.

[kitla]

I was going to say that as myco is a virus it may not respond to tylan unless the hens have developed secondry issues - however I just read this really excellent info
http://www.yourchickens.co.uk/care-and- ... -1-3867068" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and now I know better! I did have to treat a couple of hens with bayril once when they developed resporatory infection from myco. I would try another course of tylan first.

[ChickenCarol]

Hi Bob and Kitia

It is reassuring that I can keep going with tylan. I gave five days then seven days break and am now three days in with enough to complete ten days.

I have read everything I can find including the information on Kitia's link. I also put into the search "can chickens get colds?". It says not like ours, they get a respiratory disease (mycoplasma being most common) and if sneezing they must be treated as it won't get better on it's own.

In the summer I treated and they quickly got better but weren't sneezing. This time I have all four seramas sneezing (the two bantams don't seem to be effected) and three of the seramas have a slight whisper sound to their breathing.

One girl (Freckles) is also moulting which doesn't help. My vet treated the first two who I lost so knowing my history she has given me more tylan before without seeing the girls. She trusts me to know the signs. I called yesterday but she was away and will be back today. The receptionist left her a note to call me today. I want some more so that I don't run out.

I am updating my blog every day and I will pop back here from time to time with a progress report. They are still sneezing but I think it is less. I think it's going to be a slow slog to get them better but I will keep going with the tylan now that I know I can.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Simple Stock pile the Tylan so you have some when needed. Cheap by a large bottle though mine was about 40 pounds.
bob

[ChickenCarol]

I meant to say yesterday, Bob, thank you for your kind offer of tylan. My vet rang yesterday and said she is happy to give me some stock. Last time she gave me £10 worth and this time she said she will give me £20 worth so that I have plenty. She measures it out for me into a plastic bottle. I am so lucky that she is happy to trust me to know when my girls need treating.

[ChickenCarol]

Bob, can ask how long your girls have taken to recover from this? (at longest) to give me some sort of time frame. My girls have been sneezing for three weeks and I treated with tylan for five days then stopped for seven days (in hind sight I wish I hadn't stopped but didn't know if it was safe to continue at the time), then have given tylan for a further five days so far. I plan to keep going with the tylan but I am worried that they are not showing signs of improvement although not getting worse either. They are sneezing, slight whisper to their breathing and sometimes dozing.

[KarenE]

Hi

It can take a while to shift and yours sounds a stubborn case. Keep going with the tylan and I'd say around 10-12 days. I've treated that long for respiratory infections, but if I'm honest not always been successful. That said, I would be tempted to give your vet a ring and see if there's something stronger that can be prescribed, like baytril, or maybe a tylan injection, as I'd be worried about the infection getting into the air sacs (which i think it did in my case but I wasn't sharp about catching it straight away). Also are you dosing at the right strength? Tylan can be fiddly to get the right dosage I've found.

Some people also swear by garlic - not sure I'd rely on it entirely but it might be worth adding some minced garlic and maybe acv to their feed and see if that gives them an immune boost as well. Myco is known to be brought on by stress - did anything out of the ordinary happen for this to flare up 3 weeks ago?

[ChickenCarol]

I am day six of the second lot of tylan so will keep going with that. I got another bottle from my vet yesterday so I will mix it a bit stronger. It says one gram per litre of water which is too small to measure so by searching the internet I found that's one teaspoon per litre of water. As I was running short of tylan I went to half a teaspoon for half a litre. This morning I have gone for a heaped teaspoon in a litre of water. I have also made a dish of mash with the tylan water to encourage them to take more of it.

Freckles started a heavy moult which may have been the trigger. She was losing handfuls of feathers but has now slowed down to just a few, thank goodness. Seramas useually moult gradually and a heavy moult just when we had a really cold (frosty) spell may have stressed her.

If there is no improvement over the next few days I may go back to my vet and ask for denaguard which I have read is stronger but bitter and needs sweetening.

[Cheshire Chick]

Good luck with it all Carol - It sounds like you are having a real problem at the moment with this respiratory infection. You sound like you are right on it though and I am sure you will get your flock back to normal soon. Hope all goes well and your chicks recover quickly.

[ChickenCarol]

Thank you Cheshire Chick. After a bigger dose of tylan today I am actually feeling a bit more hopeful. For the first time in days I can't hear the wheeze in their breathing and the sneezing has lessened and no dozing today. I am quietly hopeful. I will give a bigger dose again tomorrow I will keep updating.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi been off work few days.
Just a thought , feel under the carriage , see if any swelling at the back end . I have had a lot die recently from water belly which gets into the lungs . I would say this is more often in older girls though.
Bob