Mycoplasma Home Remedies

[krissyweso]

Hi. I think my year and a half old silkie hen has mycoplasma, but no very can see her for 48 hours.

Any advice for how to help her from home until I can get her antibiotics?

She was broody for the last few days, then, yesterday (Friday) morning, when I picked her up so that she would get food and water before inevitably going back into the coop to brood, I noticed she was making a rattling, gurgling noise, like she was stuffed up. She also had snot caked on her nose and was sneezing. Classic respiratory issue signs.

We moved her inside and she's been in, being kept warm since. I was up all night with her last night, keeping her nose clean and applying vetRX to her nose and beak and making sure she was drinking water. I also have her walnuts and eggs. The rattling in her chest has gotten a lot better, but her pops don't look great to me, now (see video).

I was thinking about doing a nasal flush. Not sure how much this will help since I can hear the bubbling when I listen to her back, so I think it's originating in her chest. What do you think about doing a nasal flush? Any recommendations on solutions to use that I can make at home?

I've attached a video of her so you can see for yourself. (Also, jsyk, she's always scraggly looking... Definitely never been a show chicken... But I love her none the less). She's definitely sounding a lot better (not gurgling so much. You can't even hear it in the video, and it was loud last night.

I'm just afraid she won't make it until Monday morning to see the doctor. I love her so much. Any advice is appreciated.

Here are some pics of her poops this morning. Not solid like they were yesterday. Some all water. She has did in her crop still.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Do you think it is Mycoplasma synoviae or Mycoplasma gallisepticum?
Both are bacterial but not necessarily curable.

 

[007Sean]

Is the viscid exudate yellow or grayish in color? If you have Tylan or erythromycin on hand you can try dosing her until you can see a vet.
If she does have MG or MS, it can be transmitted vertically to the egg/embryos. So I would toss the eggs out, too!
She will also be a carrier for life, even after recovering from the initial infection.

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she have a bad odor from her face? If you see eye bubbles or foam in her eye, that along with the sneezing, can be a sign of mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG.) MG can be common in some backyard flocks, and adding new chickens who carry it, or wild birds can bring it in. Keeping her warm and getting her to drink are the best things to do now. If you can get Tylan injectable from a feedstore, you can give that orally. Your vet can prescribe Tylosin or another antibiotic. You can get Tylosin powder to treat the water for 5 days here:
https://jedds.com/products/tylosin-powder?_pos=1&_sid=ad6fe5f47&_ss=r
There are many different respiratory diseases in chickens, such as MG, coryza, infectious bronchitis, ILT, aspergillosis and others. Testing or a necropsy if you lose one is the best way to know exactly what you are seeing. Close your flock to birds going out or coming in to your flock if you deal with a respiratory disease. This link has symptoms of the diseases above to learn more:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

 

[krissyweso]

Does she have a bad odor from her face? If you see eye bubbles or foam in her eye, that along with the sneezing, can be a sign of mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG.) MG can be common in some backyard flocks, and adding new chickens who carry it, or wild birds can bring it in. Keeping her warm and getting her to drink are the best things to do now. If you can get Tylan injectable from a feedstore, you can give that orally. Your vet can prescribe Tylosin or another antibiotic. You can get Tylosin powder to treat the water for 5 days here:
https://jedds.com/products/tylosin-powder?_pos=1&_sid=ad6fe5f47&_ss=r
There are many different respiratory diseases in chickens, such as MG, coryza, infectious bronchitis, ILT, aspergillosis and others. Testing or a necropsy if you lose one is the best way to know exactly what you are seeing. Close your flock to birds going out or coming in to your flock if you deal with a respiratory disease. This link has symptoms of the diseases above to learn more:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

This was so helpful.

She doesn't have a bad odor coming from her face or bubbles or discharge in her eyes. I'd read about that, though, so I've been keeping an eye.

Any idea about her not pooping, though? She has food in her crop, but she hasn't pooped at all since early this morning, and it was just a small amount and runny.

 

[krissyweso]

Is the viscid exudate yellow or grayish in color? If you have Tylan or erythromycin on hand you can try dosing her until you can see a vet.
If she does have MG or MS, it can be transmitted vertically to the egg/embryos. So I would toss the eggs out, too!
She will also be a carrier for life, even after recovering from the initial infection.

I guess I would say it's yellowish. I'm sending my husband to tractor supply now for the tylan. Thank you for your help.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She was broody for the last few days, then, yesterday (Friday) morning, when I picked her up so that she would get food and water before inevitably going back into the coop to brood, I noticed she was making a rattling, gurgling noise, like she was stuffed up. She also had snot caked on her nose and was sneezing. Classic respiratory issue signs.

She has food in her crop, but she hasn't pooped at all since early this morning, and it was just a small amount and runny.

Is her crop emptying overnight?

Clean out her nostrils with saline and swabs.
Try the Tylan and see if that helps, but make sure her crop is emptying.

 

[007Sean]

I guess I would say it's yellowish. I'm sending my husband to tractor supply now for the tylan. Thank you for your help.

If it's a yellowish or grayish color, it's most likely mycoplasma synoviae. Treatment would be the same if it were MG but erythromycin is better for treatment than Tylan.
It would be best to have a vet take a look, as it needs to be confirmed, could be a staphylococcus or other bacterial infection.