Our 3 Red Star chicks (4 weeks old today) have been on Sulmet for 4 days because of bloody poo.
This morning 2 of the 3 are sneezing. Is this a secondary infection? Do I need another medication?
They are drinking/eating not as much as they did before getting sick, but they are still doing it. Every couple of hours, I go in and clean up poop droppings, refresh water, and encourage them to eat their chick start/grow. Yesterday, one of them was overheating itself under heat lamp, I think. It was laying directly under it, panting, with wing sprawled out. It seemed to do that every 15 minutes or so. Go lay down for 5 minutes. Today, it is not doing that so far, but it is sneezing.
Thank you for any help. These are our first chicks and they are part of our family.
Please don't scare yourself though with the above articles if you just have brand new hatchery birds. You usually see these diseases coming in when people get their chickens off Craigslist or some other source. I have not once seen on BYC someone getting chicks from a hatchery and getting these diseases right off the bat.
The panting under the heat lamp might kill your chicks though. If I see panting I really get worried, as that usually means they are overheating- I would check your temps carefully right under the lamp.
4 week old babies should need about 75 degrees RIGHT under the light. You can accomplish this with a 100 watt bulb or less, depending on the temperature of the air around the brooder. I routinely use 100 watt bulbs - as many as are needed, then decrease to 60 depending on the weather.
They need to be able to get away from the heat.
Sulmet can be hard on them, I have read. I would just wait and finish that out, give them time.
If your chickens are sneezing, I need to find out if you have other chicken exposures and where you got your chickens-.
They are from an organic farm supply store.
The panting under the heat lamp might kill your chicks though. If I see panting I really get worried, as that usually means they are overheating- I would check your temps carefully right under the lamp.
I have a 250 watt bulb. I have them in a 8x10 room though, so there should be plenty of room to get away from the heat? The chick was actively seeking out the lamp. She would be over on the other side and then all of a sudden, come back over to lay under the light. And stay there until she was panting and then leave. ???
I thought that what I was seeing was really blood. I did see some intestinal lining poops too but then I saw a few that seemed more like clumps of blood. They are also doing some of the behaviors that I think are associated with cocci, but maybe it is all related to the sneezing thing? The one that is the sickest has one wing that sometimes droops, they all puff up.
I put yogurt out a couple of times per day, but they are afraid of it, I think? None will eat it.
If your chickens are sneezing, I need to find out if you have other chicken exposures and where you got your chickens-.
They are from an organic farm supply store.
The panting under the heat lamp might kill your chicks though. If I see panting I really get worried, as that usually means they are overheating- I would check your temps carefully right under the lamp.
I have a 250 watt bulb. I have them in a 8x10 room though, so there should be plenty of room to get away from the heat? The chick was actively seeking out the lamp. She would be over on the other side and then all of a sudden, come back over to lay under the light. And stay there until she was panting and then leave. ???
I thought that what I was seeing was really blood. I did see some intestinal lining poops too but then I saw a few that seemed more like clumps of blood. They are also doing some of the behaviors that I think are associated with cocci, but maybe it is all related to the sneezing thing? The one that is the sickest has one wing that sometimes droops, they all puff up.
I put yogurt out a couple of times per day, but they are afraid of it, I think? None will eat it.
You know, I have no experience with respiratory disease in chickens. But I would think it highly unlikely that they would have a resp. disease coming from an organic feed store.
Here is a website with diagnosis charts at the bottom for your future reference (but I don't think they are helpful now): http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
If your room is hot, and you have a 250 watt bulb running it might be too warm in there. The key is to check the temps. You might be able to switch to a simple 100 watt bulb now if it is too hot.
If you think it was blood and with other symptoms of cocci, I would definitely finish the Sulmet.
I have never seen a chick purposefully overheat itself. So I am no help there.
I hope all goes well for them and they recover fine!!!
Quote:
You may want to do more research Respiratory Disease before you spread that load of
!
Chronic Respiratory Disease ( CRD ) is one of the most common respiratory diseases of poultry and and like other Respiratory Disease has nothing to do with a farm or backyard poultry owner being Organic or not.
Cause Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The severity of infection is modified by such agents as respiratory viruses, secondary bacteria, E. coli, vaccinations and management factors. Transmission
CRD is the most prevalent of the so called 'stress diseases'. Mycoplasma gallisepticum may be present in tissues of healthy birds (carrier birds). Outbreaks occur most frequently when the flock's vitality is lowered at times of stress (for example, moving, chilling, vaccinating, beak trimming, worming, poor ventilation, damp litter and ammonia build up) or in the presence of other diseases.
Transmission may occur even in flocks that appear to be perfectly healthy.
Egg Transmission - of major importance and the means by which the disease perpetuates itself.
Airborne (aerosol) - generally rapid, but does not travel distances.
Indirect or mechanical - the major means of entry of CRD is by the introduction of infected carrier birds or transport by persons such as service personnel, vaccinators and blood testers. The risk is great when people handle CRD-free birds on the same day after handling CRD-infected birds. Transfer can also occur on equipment (crates, vehicles, and vaccinating equipment).
Hi,
I would say go buy cheap thermometers $2each and put them in each corner of the room to get an idea of what its like under AND away from the lighting source, since its a bigger room. Its an easy way to not have to wonder if the temp is right away from the light source.
Also I was thinking if its a bigger room and the light wattage is higher, and the room is enclosed, it might raise the humidity a little too much-BUT I'm completely speculating. I'm in Southern California so its warmer and sometimes humid outside right now since it rains one day and warmer the next. Good Luck
Quote:
You may want to do more research Respiratory Disease before you spread that load of
!
Chronic Respiratory Disease ( CRD ) is one of the most common respiratory diseases of poultry and and like other Respiratory Disease has nothing to do with a farm or backyard poultry owner being Organic or not.
Cause Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The severity of infection is modified by such agents as respiratory viruses, secondary bacteria, E. coli, vaccinations and management factors. Transmission
CRD is the most prevalent of the so called 'stress diseases'. Mycoplasma gallisepticum may be present in tissues of healthy birds (carrier birds). Outbreaks occur most frequently when the flock's vitality is lowered at times of stress (for example, moving, chilling, vaccinating, beak trimming, worming, poor ventilation, damp litter and ammonia build up) or in the presence of other diseases.
Transmission may occur even in flocks that appear to be perfectly healthy.
Egg Transmission - of major importance and the means by which the disease perpetuates itself.
Airborne (aerosol) - generally rapid, but does not travel distances.
Indirect or mechanical - the major means of entry of CRD is by the introduction of infected carrier birds or transport by persons such as service personnel, vaccinators and blood testers. The risk is great when people handle CRD-free birds on the same day after handling CRD-infected birds. Transfer can also occur on equipment (crates, vehicles, and vaccinating equipment).
Chris
I agree with you that I don't know much there.
I had thought that by buying chicks from hatcheries and feed stores that we were somewhat protected from CRD. So I guess this isn't the case. Might as well get 'em off Craigslist then.
Thanks for the info! I need to bookmark the thread.
Quote:
You may want to do more research Respiratory Disease before you spread that load of
!
Chronic Respiratory Disease ( CRD ) is one of the most common respiratory diseases of poultry and and like other Respiratory Disease has nothing to do with a farm or backyard poultry owner being Organic or not.
Cause Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The severity of infection is modified by such agents as respiratory viruses, secondary bacteria, E. coli, vaccinations and management factors. Transmission
CRD is the most prevalent of the so called 'stress diseases'. Mycoplasma gallisepticum may be present in tissues of healthy birds (carrier birds). Outbreaks occur most frequently when the flock's vitality is lowered at times of stress (for example, moving, chilling, vaccinating, beak trimming, worming, poor ventilation, damp litter and ammonia build up) or in the presence of other diseases.
Transmission may occur even in flocks that appear to be perfectly healthy.
Egg Transmission - of major importance and the means by which the disease perpetuates itself.
Airborne (aerosol) - generally rapid, but does not travel distances.
Indirect or mechanical - the major means of entry of CRD is by the introduction of infected carrier birds or transport by persons such as service personnel, vaccinators and blood testers. The risk is great when people handle CRD-free birds on the same day after handling CRD-infected birds. Transfer can also occur on equipment (crates, vehicles, and vaccinating equipment).
Chris
I agree with you that I don't know much there.
I had thought that by buying chicks from hatcheries and feed stores that we were somewhat protected from CRD. So I guess this isn't the case. Might as well get 'em off Craigslist then.
Thanks for the info! I need to bookmark the thread.
I had thought that by buying chicks from hatcheries and feed stores that we were somewhat protected from CRD.
Sad thing is that most birds that you get from hatcheries/feed stores are carries. Your best bet is to find a good breeder most are honest and will let you know if they have/had a problem with CRD or not.
Some medications that can be used are;
Tylan - Tylan is a broad spectrum antibiotic that treats diseases in the respiratory tract of bacterial or mycoplasmal origin in chickens and turkeys.
Gallimycin - Gallimycin is a respiratory antibiotic used for the treatment of CRD, Infectious Coryza and other respiratory problems in fowl.
Baytril - Baytrill is another medication used for the treatment of respiratory problems in your fowl.
LS-50 - LS-50 Contains Lincomycin hydrochloride, and Spectinomycin sulfate tetrahydrate. For use in chickens up to 7 days of age as an aid in the control of Airsacculitis caused by either Mycoplasma synoviae or Mycoplasma gallisepticum susceptible to lincomycin-spectinomycin. Complicated Chronic Respiratory Disease (Air Sac Infection) caused by Escherichia coli and M. gallisepticum susceptible to lincomycin-spectinomycin.
Just a final question, if the birds are always carriers, once they are treated and survive, can you have other chickens? or is it best to just cull and clean and start over?
