Vet or not?

[VivaLeBeaver]

Friday evening one of my chickens was doing horrible, loud sneezes - she sounded liek she was barking and there was snot flying everywhere.

We've isolated her but I'm aware that its probably too late and the others will have been exposed. She sounded quite rattley when she breathed but was eating/drinking fine and was a struggle to catch so still very fiesty.

She seemed fine over the weekend and today - no more sneezing. If I pick her up and listen real closely she is maybe slightly wheezy/rattley - but nothing like on Friday.

So do I take her for an expensive course of antibiotics and follow up check ups?

do you have a vet that is anygood with chickens near by, my nearest one is a long way. if you do you could always phone them. I have had a sneezy chook before who just recoveres, has she got any discharge. how does her comb look, is it the right colour, standing up right, that sort of thing. by no means an expert but just info that will help to work out if it is major or not.

No discharge, her eyes are fine/clear. Her comb looks good. She's standing up and running about OK. Our vets are OK with chickens but will go the full hog with loads of check ups, etc.

personally I tend to er on the side of wait and see, but as I say I am no expert.

Thanks, am going to leave it. If she starts sneezing or looking snotty again I'll take her straight there.

hi viva, how is the hen? sorry only just noticed your post. why dont you ring the poultry vets you gave me the details of? they helped enormously with my poorly hen

Sorry, but there isn't a lot that vets can do to help chickens - they have very simple systems. I find that they are fine one day and stiff the next. It's very sad, but then I realise what a good life they have in my back garden compared to the vast majority of chickens, so you move on.

If she needs treatment for mycoplasma, which this might be, then ask for some oxytetracycline tablets. They cost under £2 and you just pop one in a piece of sweetcorn each day and feed it to her.