When a chicken starts showing signs of respiratory illness, knowing what steps to take can make all the difference. In episode 48, Dr. Blayne makes a house call to Dan and Kat to examine their hen Olive. With intermittent labored breathing and unpredictable symptoms it can be hard for backyard keepers to troubleshoot what’s wrong. Dr. Blayne recommends an underrated, yet valuable diagnostic tools many backyard chicken keepers have at home: a rectal thermometer. You will learn what a normal chicken temperature looks like, when to be concerned, and how bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity testing helps make sure the right treatment gets used.
Dr. Blayne also breaks down the realities of treating laying hens with antibiotics, including why there are no formally approved options, what extra-label use actually means, how withdrawal times are determined, and why purchasing antibiotics online can put your birds and your neighbors at risk. Whether your chicken is acting sick or just a little off, this episode gives you a clearer picture of what a thorough poultry workup looks like and why getting veterinary guidance matters.
Check out our Copper Feather membership for tools to track your flock’s health.
For more reading on diagnostic testing check out this article.
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:09 What’s Wrong with my Chicken?
00:01:34 Ruling things out
00:02:18 A Helpful Tool You Have at Home
00:02:54 What’s a Normal Chicken Temperature
00:03:37 Taking Olive’s Temp
00:05:07 Bacterial Culture and Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing
00:06:30 The Poultry Doc Flock Dashboard
00:07:06 How to Collect a Tracheal Swab Sample
00:10:43 Starting Treatment Before Results
00:11:02 Antibiotics in Laying Hens: Extra-label Use & Withdrawal Times
00:13:37 The Risks of Buying Antibiotics Online
00:15:25 Recap and Closing
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