will a hen cured of canker always carry the disease?

[2greenboyz]

@CMV - in reading your other post on all the nasties, yes it does look like somebody dumped. But on the other hand, I see no reason to cull if he wants to try and cure them or at least get them stabilized. I have read many times on here where people thought it best to cull for whatever reason. But an effort was made and the bird pulled through just fine. Chickens can be very resilient and totally amazing at their ability to recover. Not everyone can cull easily, some don't have the heart or stomach for it, or the money if they have to pay for it.

Canker may be for life, but there are different strains of canker. If the bird can survive this episode, then it gains immunity and is resistant to more virulent strains. But you are right, it will become a carrier. The way you control that in the flock is currently with copper sulfate. I think if someone is willing to treat a bird for a difficult disease that's how we can all learn and improve the lot of chickens in general. Just like the Berimax, I hope someone gives it a shot b/c the zoles are most assuredly losing ground as far as effectiveness, and not everyone wants to use chemicals in their flock, such as copper sulfate. I believe there are cures out there - we just have to find them.

You say a sick flock takes all the joy out of poultry keeping - I think that is for the owner to decide. Yes, there is temporary stress during the illness period, but how else do we learn? We can't just put a bird down every time it gets sick - Every flock will eventually see some kind of illness of one sort or another. I feel I am the birds caretaker and will do whatever is necessary until conditions dictate I can do no more. As someone said, you win some and you lose some. But that is me. Each person has their own level of tolerance of the effort required, but the reward of seeing a sick bird recover back to full health as a result of your caring just cannot be described.

 

[dawg53]

@CMV - in reading your other post on all the nasties, yes it does look like somebody dumped. But on the other hand, I see no reason to cull if he wants to try and cure them or at least get them stabilized. I have read many times on here where people thought it best to cull for whatever reason. But an effort was made and the bird pulled through just fine. Chickens can be very resilient and totally amazing at their ability to recover. Not everyone can cull easily, some don't have the heart or stomach for it, or the money if they have to pay for it.

Canker may be for life, but there are different strains of canker. If the bird can survive this episode, then it gains immunity and is resistant to more virulent strains. But you are right, it will become a carrier. The way you control that in the flock is currently with copper sulfate. I think if someone is willing to treat a bird for a difficult disease that's how we can all learn and improve the lot of chickens in general. Just like the Berimax, I hope someone gives it a shot b/c the zoles are most assuredly losing ground as far as effectiveness, and not everyone wants to use chemicals in their flock, such as copper sulfate. I believe there are cures out there - we just have to find them.

You say a sick flock takes all the joy out of poultry keeping - I think that is for the owner to decide. Yes, there is temporary stress during the illness period, but how else do we learn? We can't just put a bird down every time it gets sick - Every flock will eventually see some kind of illness of one sort or another. I feel I am the birds caretaker and will do whatever is necessary until conditions dictate I can do no more. As someone said, you win some and you lose some. But that is me. Each person has their own level of tolerance of the effort required, but the reward of seeing a sick bird recover back to full health as a result of your caring just cannot be described.

I know what you're saying, however it becomes a quality of life issue on the birds behalf. Do you really want to let sick birds suffer, taking meds all the time, withdrawals all the time, possible effects on organs etc...no eggs for consumption? Where do you draw the line?
Personally I would cull in heartbeat to relieve the suffering and mainly protection for other birds as needed. Also, I wouldnt want my time spent playing nursemaid to a bunch of sick birds not knowing they will survive or not.
Human compassion takes over, we try to save these animals... it's ingrained in us...I say yes if it's treatable and curable, but not carriers. You've heard this one before,"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

 

[2greenboyz]

I have to agree with you - if it is a matter of the bird suffering needlessly, then I'd say cull it. It is definitely a case-by-case basis, but I'm always hesitant to cull until there's no other recourse, b/c I've seen too many birds recover and you just never know. You're right.

Add edit: (Example) Remember Jet? Her tail had been up even through several treatments, I could tell she didn't feel tops, but she was still trying to eat and very interested in the treats and running around with energy right up to the day before I put her down. At that time, her tail went down, she began to seem depressed, lost interest in food and water and her crop didn't seem like it was moving. At that time, I knew any further action I would take would only prolong her suffering so I decided on the next move - which was the euthanasia. Still awaiting the report, should be this week they told me. But she put in a good effort.

 

[merrylegs]

Apple cider vinegar, is very good, give morning and before bed, I dip a little bread into a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar. That way, it delivers the neat acv to the infection, it takes a little while, but works!

 

[merrylegs]

Sorry I mean't the ACV for fungal infection!

 

[dawg53]

Apple cider vinegar, is very good, give morning and before bed, I dip a little bread into a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar. That way, it delivers the neat acv to the infection, it takes a little while, but works!

ACV wont treat nor cure canker.

 

[merrylegs]

Sorry, I think I landed on the wrong thread!

 

[Cooley gypsum]

Hi.

I have a three year old plymouth rock hen About 5 weeks ago she developed canker.
We took her to the vet & he put her on flagyll (liquid not tablets). She doesnt seem to be making much improvement however. She seems happy & is behaving normally, but we have to pick the horrible crusty growths out of her mouth every couple of days, & shes findibg it impossible to eat & drink without help from us (the initial sore warped her beak). We were looking at supplementing the flagyll with thrush tablets that weve heard can cure canker, but I read today that even if she recovers fully, shell always be a carrier for the disease. Is that true & does it mean we'll never be able to reintegrate her into the flock? If thats the case we'll have to have her put down as theres no way we can isolate her long term (plus she wont like that).

We really dont want to kill her & we've managed to keep her going for this long. Is there anything we can do? Thanks.


- Jack

HEy Jack, just curious as to what you ended up doing regarding your canker chicken? I'm dealing with one that I think has Canker and need it decide what to do... I put the flock on copper sulfide today but am reading too much and so am getting confused as to what to do. The fact that they are likely all carriers now scares me. My hens are my pets and definitely am not ready to cull and start over, but am concerned particularly about the one who is showing the worst symptoms. Let me know if you have any thoughts and what you ended up doing and if your hen made it! I hope so! Thanks!

Anne

 

[lisacardone]

Yes, she will be a carrier, but chances are your other birds have already been exposed anyway. There is hope however. Most put their birds on a regimen of acidified copper sulfate for 3 days every month or 2. By now you must have learned that it comes from pigeons - 80% of them carry it. This tx will prevent the protozoa from taking hold. Also, when she recovers from this, she will not get it again. She will develop resistance to the disease.

I hope you have done a search on here, there are quite a few posts on here regarding canker, including mine. You said you took your bird to the vet - the vet should know that Flagyl would destroy all the good bacteria in the system, so normally they give another antibiotic to prevent secondary infection. Did your vet prescribe anything for that? Also, you say you are picking at the sores - did the vet say you should be doing that? My thinking is, the protozoa has established itself firmly into a blood supply. When you kill the bug, the sores will disappear on their own. I have read case histories where this has occurred as the disease was overcome. When you pick at the sores you open them up for either a possible bleeding episode or infection from another organism. I would leave them alone unless your vet instructed you otherwise. What you are seeing on those sores is simply the body's reaction to the protozoa, not the actual protozoa.

The flagyl has been used many many times and the protozoa has become resistant. Therefore if your vet has positively I.D.'d the trichonomas, and if flagyl is not working, I'd ask to be switched to another med. There are four of them to switch between. They all have some degree of resistance.

Please do not cull your bird as long as she seems to be eating and drinking well. It takes patience, but you can overcome this. Feel free to pm me if you have questions.

Hello. How long did it take you to eradicate the protozoa from your chicken? I lost two hens from this. They suffered terrible, in spite of my efforts and that of my vets. I eventually found Ronidazole foe pigeons which has been working for hen that I have suffering from it now. Her beak is crossed a bit from a sore she has had for about a week. She hadn't eaten in a while, but I tried cat food and she os eating a decent amount of it. I am hoping she puts on weight. She is only about 2 lbs right now. I am just wondering if she is past the point of actually recovery.

 

[dawg53]

Hello. How long did it take you to eradicate the protozoa from your chicken? I lost two hens from this. They suffered terrible, in spite of my efforts and that of my vets. I eventually found Ronidazole foe pigeons which has been working for hen that I have suffering from it now. Her beak is crossed a bit from a sore she has had for about a week. She hadn't eaten in a while, but I tried cat food and she os eating a decent amount of it. I am hoping she puts on weight. She is only about 2 lbs right now. I am just wondering if she is past the point of actually recovery.

This thread is almost 10 years old. I dont think those folks are around anymore.
Birds are carriers of canker once they get it. It would be best to cull canker infected birds. Make sure waterers are sanitized.