Sick Chicks. Respiratory Illness?

I am so disheartened right now. I have a lot of sick chicks.

These are their symptoms:

Sneezing
Coughing
Gurgly sounding breathing
Puffy eyes (not in all, but with some. Some have it in one eye and some have it in both.)
Nasal discharge
Loss of appetite
Undersized for age

Some searching on the internet showed that they shared many symptoms with Infectious Bronchitis. But I see that there are also other illness with similar symptoms. I don't know what exactly they have or how to treat it.

The chicks are a mix of birds that are 6 weeks, 4 1/2 weeks, and 3 weeks old.

So far I have had 10 deaths with the 6 week olds. and a few deaths with the other ages. The chicks were all in the same brooder box. The 6 week olds were added last to the brooder box, and were first to show symptoms. Some of these were under size (I think). After that some of my other birds started symptoms, and now most are showing them. It seems that every or so there is a dead chick. This morning I had 3 dead. My meat birds are sounding very bad now.

Part of the reason I am unsure of how to treat is because I also have a bunch of meat birds (3 weeks old) and I don't want to give them antibiotics because we had planed on eating them. Some of the meat birds were supposed to be for my SIL that I was raising for the first 5 weeks.

Should I start some on Antibiotics? I don't want to use it on the meat birds, but maybe the other ones since we aren't eating them any time soon. But from what I've read if it is Infectious Bronchitis then Antibiotics doesn't treat it. I'm so confused! I hear so much about using antibiotic necessarily.

I have been giving them all Electrolytes and vitamins and they are all still under heat lights. The 6 week and 4 1/2 old are still in the large brooder box in my basement under a heat light. The meat birds, since they are growing so fast and poop lots are out in a section of the chicken house under heat lights staying warm.

I've been crying every time I think of it. I have a 150 chicks.

I've cancelled any hatching or selling chicks to those that wanted them from me.

It is most likely Mycoplasma, antibiotics will treat some of the symptoms, but will never rid them of it. The meat birds will be hit the hardest since their immunity is probably the worst of all of them.
I would try Polytonne A superbooster with the penicillin in it, I think withdrawl on meat is only 7 days so you will have lots of time to get it out of their systems before you butcher them.

If it is Infectious bronchitis then I dont think there is much you can do except let it work it's way through them.

If I were you I would send a few to be tested so you know what you are dealing with. Not sure on the cost involved but nice to know for peace of mind.

Oh I feel for you right now, that is very hard to take...I agree w/HR try the superbooster in their water right away if you can...it is really hard to just let them die if you can help them out a bit.

Sometimes the best you can do is all you can do, it just happens that way sometimes. Hugs.

Oh silkie, how stressful and heart wrenching. I feel for you so much. I don't have any advice but just encourage you to persevere and wish you luck.

Thanks Everyone.

I'm going to start them on some Oxy Tetra-a right away. I see my Superbooster has expired.

The turkey poults are also getting a dose because I noticed sneezing in their brooder box last night too.

I would think it would be quite expensive to send away the dead chicks. As far as I know there isn't a close by place that does it, and our vets are pretty much useless when it comes to any farming stuff. The second you say chicken (or other farm animal) they just say they don't deal with that, and will not even hear you out.

Hubby isn't much help in this area, because he doesn't really have much to do with the birds He's just glad that we haven't lost much yet as far as the Turkeys and Meat birds go. That's his main concern. I'm heart broken over my special birds that would have been around for more then just a few months. I get rather attached to them.

So, How long should I give the Antibiotics for?

What I usually do, is give it to them until the symptoms clear up, and then continue for a few days.

I was just wondering what everyone else does.

Generally what the package says, so if it says 3-5 days then do 5 days. I know in dogs and cats they usually do 7-10 days depending on the severity of the symptoms, you want to make sure you are not just getting them half over it then stopping, because then the bacteria will build up even more defenses.

I have never treated my birds with antibiotics, but think if I was in your shoes, I would.

Antibiotic over use is what people talk about. There is no virtue in withholding antibiotics from birds that are sick and dying. If one round of treatment can get them on the road to being well, why wouldn't you do it? It's when you have to treat constantly that you have a problem. Once -in- a- while treatment for a special problem does not, in my mind, constitute OVER use, but responsible husbandry.

At what age do you plan to butcher your birds? I would not worry (my opinion) about treating a bird that I was going to eat weeks (or months) from time of treatment. It might be a concern to treat them a week before butcher, but I doubt that is the case here.

Also, I would be more reluctant to treat adult birds, figuring that their longer life should have given them some immunity and ability to battle through the odd illness. But chicks are a little less world wise when it comes to germs and viruses and might need a hand. If it was just a few, I'd say leave them be, but it sounds like you might have large losses if you don't take action. So use some antibiotics, cross your fingers and don't feel guilty or fret. Hope you get this sorted out.

Sigh, oh my dear girl, this is so disheartening to hear. You have a serious outbreak here and you need to bring out the big guns for surely. If you don't, you are probably going to lose all of the youngsters. I do not want to sound negative, but you need to react quickly. You need to get all water out of there once you have began the medication, so they only have access to medicated water. I think that you need to put them on antibiotics for surely, there is no choice here. Without help, those that don't have it, will get it, the outbreak is severe. With antibiotics, yes, no one likes to treat, but there are times that we absolutely must. I wonder why the immune systems are so low? Don't get that, but it is what it is. You must treat. I have to re-read your post about what you have....superbooster is not going to do anything and if it is expired, it really is...period. Right you have oxytec, get them on it, immediately. I think that you will read on the package the length of time. Sometimes we must resort to the use of antibiotic. Those drugs will be out of the birds' systems in short time. I think on the package it will also tell you the length of time before any bird slaughter can occur....that indicates that this is the time it takes for the antibiotics to be out of the system after discontinuation of the drugs. I feel awful for you,these things will hit us hard. I want you to keep posting and tell us how things are improving. Your birds are sick. You are sick inside with crying and this is just so sad to hear. Get on it girl. I think that you will notice improvement within a day or so. Again, Silkie, lean on us, we can be your emotional support, you will need this, we think of you, we worry about your situation too. I did not see this post as I closed down the forum inadvertently and lost all the new posts, so had to view things differently in seeing what has been going on since yesterday, sigh...keep that chin up, and still try to find something to make you day a little happier, CynthiaM.

OK, I just looked at a package I have, it is tetracycline, pretty much the same as oxceytectracycline, (spelling), it indicates 3-5 days. If yours indicates a range, I would certainly go for the longest, like in this case 5 days, not 3.... It is really important for us all to realize that antibiotics have a shelf life. I remember once I had to use tylan for something and it did nothing. I noticed on the package that it had expired about a year prior, put the birds on the tetracycline and wham...gone within a day...sometimes we need to do this, like it or not, there is a place for antibiotics when necessary. I had talked to a vet about the expiration of the tylan, and he absolutely told me to always watch expiration dates, as things do expire. Good luck, Silkie, wishing you all the best that best could wish, CynthiaM.

IF it is Myco, there are only two effective for the long term meds that I know of. With other meds the Myco tends to keep returning. Both have ZERO meat and egg withdrawal and both are expensive, but worth it. One is Tylan and the other is Denagard. With both ten days to two weeks treatment is recommended for poultry. It is important to treat for several days after all symptoms are gone. They are off label for poultry in Canada.

Apparently with Denegard there is a chance that the Myco will be perminamtly wiped out of the bird's system. I will look for the information I have on this. Bboth can be ordered from a vet.

Thanks guys!

They are all on Oxytera now. (Except the old birds, who for now seem fine.)

I went to the feed store yesterday to pick up some more Electrovite, But all they had was the superbooster. I couldn't believe how much it was went up in price, from about $9 to almost $25 for a pack.

I'm curious about he Tylan and Denagard. What sort of price would it be, and where would person find it? Our feed store hardly carries anything. The only Antibiotic they had was the Superbooster yesterday.

Turkeys were all looking full of energy but still sneezing this morning.

All other water then the medicated water is removed, so they have no choice but to drink the meds.

When I first noticed the swollen eyes, I thought that it was the turkeys pecking at them, so I removed the turkeys to their own brooder, and tried using eye drops. But afterwards I noticed more swollen eyes so realized that it wasn't the turkeys after all. With the sneezing I thought that maybe they got a bit of a chill, and that it would clear up on it's own.

I just noticed that you said Tylan and Denagard could be ordered from a vet. I'll call the vet and see if they will tell me anything, but I doubt it. I've phoned them about wormers before and as soon as I said I wanted to use it on my chickens, I was told that they didn't treat farm animals and they hung up on me.

could you try poultry health consultants in Abbotsford?
I will try to find a link for you.
They have been good about getting vaccine out to us hobby people.

Try this:
http://www.canadianpoultry.ca/
or phone 604 854-6600 or email admin@canadianpoultry.ca

Hope they can help you out...it wont be cheap w/shipping but I am afraid the alternative is losing a lot of chicks.

Here is a link for Tylan. I pay about $65 for 100 g?, a small bottle but it goes a long way. In Canada it is not recommended for chickens since it has not been approved here but they have approved it in the UK and this is where the info comes from. I was in error...1 day withdrawal for meat.

http://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-medication/poultry-medication/tylan-used-to-treat-respiratory-problems.html

Now Denegard.

Here is a link...

http://www.octagon-services.co.uk/articles/poultry/gallisepticum.htm

Sue

A wonderful thing today.

Westcoastmama brought me some Tylan! I can't thank her enough! It was so wonderful.

So all the chickies and turkeys are on that now. Hopefully I'll soon see results!

Well that is most wonderful! A friend in need is a friend indeed. Here's hoping for healthy chicks and happier days for you, silkiebantam.

Tylan is one of the big guns for surely. Tell Westcoastmamma to keep an eye on the expiration date, it does expire, I know that for sure. So nice that she came to your rescue. Our vet has to order tylan in and it is like $100 a bottle, so expensive it makes ya wanna shake your head, blah....and the small amount that one needs to use, the bottle would last like 10 years, but the expiration is much shorter than that...this should help with your birds, Silkie. Please keep us posted, you should notice a difference in just a couple of days. Good luck, have a great day, CynthiaM.

CynthiaM wrote:Tylan is one of the big guns for surely. Tell Westcoastmamma to keep an eye on the expiration date, it does expire, I know that for sure. So nice that she came to your rescue. Our vet has to order tylan in and it is like $100 a bottle, so expensive it makes ya wanna shake your head, blah....and the small amount that one needs to use, the bottle would last like 10 years, but the expiration is much shorter than that...this should help with your birds, Silkie. Please keep us posted, you should notice a difference in just a couple of days. Good luck, have a great day, CynthiaM.

My vet sold me a portion of the larger container that he already had in, bless his heart. Saved me some big bucks. Don't hesitate to ask your vet to do the same.

ChicoryFarm wrote:
My vet sold me a portion of the larger container that he already had in, bless his heart. Saved me some big bucks. Don't hesitate to ask your vet to do the same.

Oh how nice. I asked about tylan and the vet said that he would have to order it in, it is a prescription, smiling that big smile.

I have come across a Pharmasave (Nolan's) in Vernon that must be very closely related to the Pharmasave in Cloverdale. When we lived back on the coast, there was a few times I went to this pharmacy. They deal with people and livestock, and poultry too. This is where I got my eprinex from and the original bottle of tylan. They are the closest thing to a veterinary clinic as far as getting medications. I was very impressed. Farmchiq told me about the Pharmasave in Vernon.

This is a little off subject, but I need to put some information in here for people. We are the type of people that do not have any problems giving injections to animals, be they large or small. Our two puppies were due for their booster shots. It is about $150 for both of them, this is because it is an office visit. I know that my Sister, back on the coast, was a dog breeder and she gave all her own puppies the necessary vaccinations, which are so important I believe. She got the vaccines and administered the injections herself. Saved herself thousands of dollars, not requiring the assistance of a vet, smiling. Anyways, we went to Nolan's and got the puppy booster vaccine, for about $25 per pup. The woman was good, and we have administered the boosters ourselves. We know how to do this and it is not a difficult undertaking. We saved close to $100 because we did not require to go to the veterinarian for the office "visit". I do not like to pay extra fees when it is totally unnecessary and another office visit is unnecessary. Period. I would think that Nolan's would have all the necessary medication anyone would need for their birds as well, being they are related to the Pharmasave in Cloverdale. Just a few thoughts here, off topic as usual, my pardon please. Have a most awesome day, CynthiaM.

Aside, check out Pharmasave. Many of them are geared for the animal populations too....

Cindi, they told me I would have to order it in along with the price of it originally and I think it was an afterthought to offer me a portion of what they had. I didn't think to ask for a portion of their supply first. My suggestion is to ask if they would consider that cause they may not have thought of it themselves.

ChicoryFarm wrote:Cindi, they told me I would have to order it in along with the price of it originally and I think it was an afterthought to offer me a portion of what they had. I didn't think to ask for a portion of their supply first. My suggestion is to ask if they would consider that cause they may not have thought of it themselves.

Ta da!! Ya, might be a good idea!! Have those beautiful days, CynthiaM.

CynthiaM wrote:Anyways, we went to Nolan's and got the puppy booster vaccine, for about $25 per pup.

Wow! And even that is expensive. I give all my own shots except rabies and buy them for under $10.

(sorry, still off topic!)

Schipperkesue wrote:
Now Denegard.
Here is a link...
http://www.octagon-services.co.uk/articles/poultry/gallisepticum.htm
Sue

Oh my gracious!! Have you tried to read that information in that link? Wow!! I was thunderstruck and barely got to the end of it...there was no mention of denagard that I could see, does it go by a different name? I did read though, that whatever the medication that was used for mycoplasma, if the symptoms were caught early enough it eradicated the thing.....I was overwhelmed, but then that is not hard to do these days, smiling that big smile. Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.
This quote below was taken from nearly the last information on that page, so is TIAMULIN what you call Denegard??? I thought the pictures in that link scared me half to death!!

Overall, tiamulin is a highly effective antimycoplasmal antibiotic and can cause complete bacteriological cure or elimination, similar to bactericidal antimicrobials, when plasma levels in excess of the MBC are reached, especially in the early stages of infection.

Silkie, are you seeing an improvement or at least things not getting worse since giving them the Tylan or is it too soon to tell?