We have 2-3 month old chickens and two of them died today. No symptoms in any of the flock other than a little diarhea. I was told to give them a general antibiotic (terramycin) which I purchased. I do not know how to measure the dosage on the package. It says 400-800 mg/gal. Can anyone tell me how to accomplish this?

I had one chicken come down with Infectious Synovitis and the vet recommended
Terramycin after giving Tetracycline/cortisone injections.

I had the same problem determining dosage. I bought two different brands in
the hopes that one of the packages would have dosage directions that I could
make sense of. I was able to do some calculating because one of the packages
stated how much water to mix the entire package with to obtain the proper
dosage. Then I dumped the package and counted how many tablespoons it
contained, then calculated back from there. I came up with two teaspoons per
gallon or 1/2 teasoon per quart in a small waterer.

If I'm wrong, someone slap me, but it worked for me for the past couple of
months and my chickens are healthy again.

(added later): I just found a site that has listings for medication dosages for pigeons which should be the same for chickens and they agree with my dosage above:

http://www.globalpigeon.com/main.html

then scroll down to the bottom of the list and click on Medication Dosage.

Pete & Justine Theer
Kempner, Texas

TWO TABLESPOONS PER GALLON FOR ACUTE SYMPTOMS...LESS FOR MILD AROUND ONE.

For Chronic Respiratory Disease in poultry-the Pfizer website recommends 1 1/2 - 2 level TEAspoons per gallon of water, make fresh solution daily. Use this for no more than 14 days-the chickens should start to show improvement within 24-36 hours-if not-contact a vet or Poultry lab for definite diagnosis and treatment. The website address is http://www.pfizer.com/ah/level3/tref/merch/prgd24.

The reason I was there is because I have a Plymouth Barred Rock rooster (14 months old) that is wheezing slightly, no nasal discharge, no facial swelling, seems fine otherwise, no hens (7) are showing any symptoms. We have been advised to use Terramycin but wanted to check the effects on eggs. If we are using these eggs for our own consumption, is there a problem with the antibiotic being present? Thanks!

To David Comer (Bobbup) Sorry to be so late in answering your question regarding the consumption of eggs while you are giving your chickens antibiotics - I just came across this website; our veterinarian has advised us that we shouldn't give away or sell our eggs while our chix are on an antibiotic regimen because some people are allergic to the antibiotics. Particularly penicillin - some people have a severe reation to it. So, it's okay for you and your family to eat the eggs as long as you don't have any allergies to the medication yourself, but I wouldn't advise giving them away or selling them.

Attention with Tetracyclin treatment (Terramycin and other tetracyclin ). Attention also with suggested pigeon dosage, 2 things may happen : recommended dosage for pigeon was taken from chicken instruction and the pigeons will be in trouble or the recommended dosage for pigeon is OK and you will have trouble with chicken... Chicken drink more water per pound than a pigeon does, so we normally have to dissolve about 10 teaspoon of medication for pigeon in each gallon of water if the recommended dosage for chicken is only one teaspoon per gallon. Other warning : calcium product react with tetracyclin, so if you give oester shell or grit to your chicken you have to remove it during the treatment.

Hope this will help.

Do not give Terramycin to chickens who are laying eggs for human consumption- that is the warning on the Phzier label- because egg studies have not been done- and since it has not been done- there is no safe rule to follow when you may begin to use the eggs again. Orymicin is the recommended one- and tells you when you can begin to use the eggs again. I talked with a chemist of Phizer and he told me this is the scoop.

I have just bought day old chicks, and now they are
5 days old and all but one is thriving. Today I not-
iced the only little red one, has one eye shut, and
seems to be getting weaker. I have the right heat
and feed, did the sugar water, what now? I do have
the Terramycin Powder..Should I treat them or what
else should I do?


Thanks for any help!

Make sure he is drinking. Did you dip beaks? Make him drink if you don't think he has been drinking, even if you have to dropper some down his throat. Make his beak peck in the feed after he drinks to make sure he has the idea of eating. Do this ever few hours. Could he have filled up on bedding or something he wasn't supposed to? If you isolate him, check the temperature very carefully right where he is. Lay a thermometer on the floor directly under the heat and check the temperature. Could he be in a draft? Give him a rolled-up towel or stuffed animal to snuggle up to. Rather than an antibiotic, add vitamins and electrolytes to his water asap. Hope this helps.