Runny nose and sneezing please help!!!!

[Lisa2013]

I have 15 RIR layers and few of them are sneezing, and one is wheezing and runny nose. this is the first time is has happened what should I do, I have tetracycline the powder should I use that and how long till we can eat the eggs again? Thank you for your help!!

 

[Eggcessive]

It does sound like a respiratory disease. Have you added any new birds of any species to your flock lately? If it is Duramycin 10, you can treat with 1 tablespoonful per gallpon of water for 7-14 days. Just cknsixder that your flock may be carriers of a chronic respiratory disease. Do not sell or give away birds.

 

[Lisa2013]

I have not added any new chickens to my flock since Oct, and they were In a different pen for 3 weeks for this reason everyone was healthy! So I shouldn't use the tetracycline ?

 

[Lisa2013]

If I cull the sick chickens can I get new one or do I have to get rid of all of them? I sell chicken and eggs so I want clean healthy chicken! Should I just start over with a new flock? Since if I medicate them they r still carriers and could flare up any time? Please help me I need to know if I should start over..

 

[Dead Rabbit]

Don't be to hasty. Just because they have a little cold doesn't mean it's " chronic"

Before a bird needs to be culled you need to be certain it's truly sick. IMO a truly sick bird can not be treated or it is continually needing treatment. Which means culling

If it was I,...I'd make sure they were not In drafty living conditions. There's also nothing wrong with using VETRX which is really nothing more than a type of Vicks vapor rub. You can accomplish same thing with heating till liquidy any vapor rub. 5 drops orally. Drop in each nostril. And then a dab of paste vapor rub under each wing

Repeat nightly till better.

If the fowl are truly valuable and they aren't getting better, than you may choose to add some type of antibiotic powder to their water. Follow directions on package. You may have to do math to get directions down to small flock size. I have on rare occasion used aeromicin.

Separate the sick ones from healthy and you won't have any type of withdrawal time in consuming the eggs. If that's an issue with you

Truly valuable fowl to me will get a three day treatment of Tylan 50 1/2 cc in breast muscle
If this treatment doesn't work they get culled. But I've rarely ever treated or had to treat fowl to this point

 

[dawg53]

It IS chronic since the symptoms are passing from one bird to another. I recommend that you suspend selling birds/eggs and have a necropsy performed on your sickest bird to find out exactly what they have. Contact your local extension office or your state department of agriculture and ask how to get a bird tested. If you decide to dose your birds with an antibiotic, you'll have to inform your customers. Additionally if you're dealing with a viral disease or a fungal issue, antibiotics will be ineffective.

 

[Dead Rabbit]

I repeat let's not be hasty...as of yet

A quick google search turns this info up.

http://birdhealth.com.au/flockbirds/poultry/diseases/crd.html

First stages of CRD ain't the Black Plague. And it's not for certain it's even CRD. I've had hands on experience with severe cases of CRD back in the late 90's when working on another mans yard. Even at its worse it's not the plague. Yes a few will be culled but if caught early enough it's Very easy to treat . No drastic measures are necessary . Key word is necessary, it's up to you what you do with your birds

 

[dawg53]

I repeat let's not be hasty...as of yet

A quick google search turns this info up.

http://birdhealth.com.au/flockbirds/poultry/diseases/crd.html

First stages of CRD ain't the Black Plague. And it's not for certain it's even CRD. I've had hands on experience with severe cases of CRD back in the late 90's when working on another mans yard. Even at its worse it's not the plague. Yes a few will be culled but if caught early enough it's Very easy to treat . No drastic measures are necessary . Key word is necessary, it's up to you what you do with your birds

CRD aka MG does not go away after treatment. There are different strains of MG, mild to severe. No matter what the strain, surviving birds are carriers for life and will spread the disease throughout a flock. In times of stress the symptoms will reappear requiring more antibiotic treatments. MG eventually builds resistance to the antibiotic requiring a more powerful antibiotic to treat the birds. If a flock owner wants to keep their sick flock, they will have to maintain a closed flock to prevent the spread of the disease; no birds in, no birds out, no selling or giving away eggs to be hatched. MG is passed through eggs. MG can be passed on clothing, hands, shoes etc...strict biosecurity must be practiced if there's a closed flock.
The OP needs to have her sickest bird necropsied to find out what's going around in her flock.

 

[Dead Rabbit]

Sorry I will have to disagree. From personal experience I've found it not to be the death Nell you paint it to be. Esp. When caught at an early stage as the described symptoms obviously show. I've also found that it doesn't spread as easily as you described. Worse case scenarios are what they are but they are not always reality either.

Personally I wouldn't ever breed these hens. But from the original post it seems only eggs are sold for consumption. No mention of a brood cock. Only layers

But what the op does is up to them. I just know that complete flock disposal is not a total necessity and the sickness can be treated with amazing results.

 

[dawg53]

Culling a MG infected flock is the only way to eradicate the disease. Then repopulating about a month later after sanitizing everything with oxine; coops, feeders, waterers, equipment etc... fortunately MG can only survive in the environment without host birds for 3 days.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps034
Keeping sick birds perpetuates the disease and costs time and money to nursemaid sick birds, not to mention egg loss. (See the link you provided regarding waste of time and money treating sick birds.)
Selling or giving away eggs from a flock of diseased birds without the knowledge given to the consumer is morally and ethically wrong, with or without medical treatments.
I have culled birds for less reasons and will continue to do so...it's called biosecurity.