VetRX how often to spray flock?

[AlisonGreen2015]

So currently one of our hens is suffering a bad respiratory infection we have her isolated and taking care of her. To help our other flock members we have started using VetRx now it says to spray your flock down if you wish but how often should I do this? I know it doesn't hurt to do it every night but can I do it every other night or once week? Any advice appreciated!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have used VetRx but never sprayed it on them. I imagine that would be super painful if it gets in their eyes. I always did it before bed and rubbed it under their wings. Its not a preventative though-think of it more like vaporub for chickens. It would be easy to spray if you mixed a few drops in warm water and put it in a spray bottle. I would just spray it under their wings but be careful not to get it in their eyes

 

[nuthatched]

It's really a placebo treatment, it's not going to do much.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So currently one of our hens is suffering a bad respiratory infection we have her isolated and taking care of her. To help our other flock members we have started using VetRx now it says to spray your flock down if you wish but how often should I do this? I know it doesn't hurt to do it every night but can I do it every other night or once week? Any advice appreciated!

Can you post some photos of your hen?
What are her symptoms?

Respiratory infection can be caused by a number of things but most commonly disease like Mycoplasma, Infectious Bronchitis, Infectious Coryza and ILT.
With an infection, it would be best to treat symptoms with an antibiotic.
Tylan/Tylosin can be used to treat symptoms of MG.
Sulfa antibiotics are best suited for Infectious Coryza.

You can try VetRx, it's a Remedy, not cure. It may help relieve some symptoms or atleast give a bit of relief like using Vapor Rub does with humans. Once nightly for a few nights. Do make sure your coop have very good ventilation. Not having enough ventilation and ammonia buildup is a another reason for birds having respiratory issues.
https://www.drugs.com/vet/vetrx-poultry-remedy.html

Do keep in mind that respiratory illnesses usually make birds carriers for life. Have you brought in new birds that may have infected your current flock?

 

[kurby22]

I usually drop two drops at the base of their neck, and the I put some on my fingers and rub it on their beaks. I do it once or twice a day. Just to help them breathe a bit easier.

 

[AlisonGreen2015]

Can you post some photos of your hen?
What are her symptoms?

Respiratory infection can be caused by a number of things but most commonly disease like Mycoplasma, Infectious Bronchitis, Infectious Coryza and ILT.
With an infection, it would be best to treat symptoms with an antibiotic.
Tylan/Tylosin can be used to treat symptoms of MG.
Sulfa antibiotics are best suited for Infectious Coryza.

You can try VetRx, it's a Remedy, not cure. It may help relieve some symptoms or atleast give a bit of relief like using Vapor Rub does with humans. Once nightly for a few nights. Do make sure your coop have very good ventilation. Not having enough ventilation and ammonia buildup is a another reason for birds having respiratory issues.
https://www.drugs.com/vet/vetrx-poultry-remedy.html

Do keep in mind that respiratory illnesses usually make birds carriers for life. Have you brought in new birds that may have infected your current flock?

We did just bring in some new hens from TSC but they have been inside for the past three four weeks and have not exhibited any symptoms, in fact my Australorp that got it bad first who passed was the worse of them, how do I help her prevent from getting sick? Do I need to cull her? I hope not, she is a great little bird. It is a respiratory thing I am pretty sure it's ILT which we are using Tylan to treat, one of my Isa Brown's has/had it as well with her, so she is getting the antibiotic as well. We were just using the vet Rx as a preventative for symptoms mainly.

 

[AlisonGreen2015]

After from what I am reading onine it looks like my flock will be considered exposed so I will not be able to bring in any new chickens to this current flock which is fine after this I am not sure I want more chickens at this point, I also read somewhere that most hatcheries the chickens are exposed to this and either A) immunity to it, B) mild symptoms, C) die D) they are carriers for life. So at this point I think I a mgoign to look into ways to not 'encourage' the illness to arise again by doing some herbal remedies and keeping my flock safe from other birds.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We did just bring in some new hens from TSC but they have been inside for the past three four weeks and have not exhibited any symptoms, in fact my Australorp that got it bad first who passed was the worse of them, how do I help her prevent from getting sick? Do I need to cull her? I hope not, she is a great little bird. It is a respiratory thing I am pretty sure it's ILT which we are using Tylan to treat, one of my Isa Brown's has/had it as well with her, so she is getting the antibiotic as well. We were just using the vet Rx as a preventative for symptoms mainly.

After from what I am reading onine it looks like my flock will be considered exposed so I will not be able to bring in any new chickens to this current flock which is fine after this I am not sure I want more chickens at this point, I also read somewhere that most hatcheries the chickens are exposed to this and either A) immunity to it, B) mild symptoms, C) die D) they are carriers for life. So at this point I think I a mgoign to look into ways to not 'encourage' the illness to arise again by doing some herbal remedies and keeping my flock safe from other birds.

Baby chicks from TSC? If so, then likely not the source of respiratory infection, especially if you've had them inside.
While it's not unheard of for chicks from a large hatchery to have illnesses, generally they are probably the "safest" source of birds you can get, unless you hatch your own.

ILT (Infectious laryngotracheitis) is a virus. Antibiotics like Tylosin may help with secondary bacterial infection, but it generally won't help with the symptoms produced by the virus. It's also pretty contagious, so you likely would see the whole flock become symptomatic quickly. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

You are right, you would want to keep a closed flock. No selling, giving away, trading or swapping hatching eggs, chicks, adults and no showing of birds either. All birds in the flock would be considered carriers even if asymptomatic.

Culling is up to you. Some do. If you are able to get some testing to find out the disease that is causing the symptoms, that would be the best thing, then you would have information about how you want to proceed.
If you are in the US, then call your state lab to see if they can do testing for you or if you wish, cull the sickest and send the body for diagnostics. https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Independent testing is another option. They will send you a swab kit which you send back. Last I heard it was around $99. Depending on what state you live in, testing may be cheap/reasonable/free or more expensive. That's something you will have to investigate. https://www.zoologix.com/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We did just bring in some new hens from TSC but they have been inside for the past three four weeks and have not exhibited any symptoms, in fact my Australorp that got it bad first who passed was the worse of them, how do I help her prevent from getting sick? Do I need to cull her? I hope not, she is a great little bird. It is a respiratory thing I am pretty sure it's ILT which we are using Tylan to treat, one of my Isa Brown's has/had it as well with her, so she is getting the antibiotic as well. We were just using the vet Rx as a preventative for symptoms mainly.

After from what I am reading onine it looks like my flock will be considered exposed so I will not be able to bring in any new chickens to this current flock which is fine after this I am not sure I want more chickens at this point, I also read somewhere that most hatcheries the chickens are exposed to this and either A) immunity to it, B) mild symptoms, C) die D) they are carriers for life. So at this point I think I a mgoign to look into ways to not 'encourage' the illness to arise again by doing some herbal remedies and keeping my flock safe from other birds.

Baby chicks from TSC? If so, then likely not the source of respiratory infection, especially if you've had them inside.
While it's not unheard of for chicks from a large hatchery to have illnesses, generally they are probably the "safest" source of birds you can get, unless you hatch your own.

ILT (Infectious laryngotracheitis) is a virus. Antibiotics like Tylosin may help with secondary bacterial infection, but it generally won't help with the symptoms produced by the virus. It's also pretty contagious, so you likely would see the whole flock become symptomatic quickly. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

You are right, you would want to keep a closed flock. No selling, giving away, trading or swapping hatching eggs, chicks, adults and no showing of birds either. All birds in the flock would be considered carriers even if asymptomatic.

Culling is up to you. Some do. If you are able to get some testing to find out the disease that is causing the symptoms, that would be the best thing, then you would have information about how you want to proceed.
If you are in the US, then call your state lab to see if they can do testing for you or if you wish, cull the sickest and send the body for diagnostics. https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Independent testing is another option. They will send you a swab kit which you send back. Last I heard it was around $99. Depending on what state you live in, testing may be cheap/reasonable/free or more expensive. That's something you will have to investigate. https://www.zoologix.com/

 

[Eggcessive]

Vet rx is a mixture of herbal oils and camphor. It does not treat anything, but people still buy Vicks. It doesn’t hurt them, but nothing in it will cure a virus or bacterial respiratory disease. You also cannot prevent chickens from getting a disease before they show symptoms. Finding out which disease you have in your flock is the best way to know how to deal with it. What exactly are all of the symptoms you have seen? Your state vet can do a necropsy if you lose or cull a sick bird, and that is the best way to know what disease. They may also offer testing. Why do you think they have ILT? Have you seen bloody mucus from beaks or slung around your coop. Are any gaping? Any bubbles or foam from eyes? Sneezing, coughing, crackles or rales, or wheezing?