Amtyl dosage help with 2 week old chicks

[Kairo]

First time poster, long time lurker. I knew it would be a matter of time before I needed to sign up . Such a great and much needed online community here.


I'm the new father of 10 baby chicks. 4 SL polish chicks, 3 OEGB and 1 each of Light Brahma, SL Wyandotte, and black Australorp. They are right at 2 weeks old tomorrow and all but 1 are growing fast and healthy.

We have a runt in with the Old English Game Bantams. Up until the past 2 days, he hasn't grown much, if any at all. 3 nights ago my wife discovered the dreaded impacted crop. Honestly, I'm not even100% sure it's impacted, or sour, or a problem at all. Sometimes it seems hard, other times it's squishy. They have only had access to chick crumbles. No treats, grass, etc. At all. Ive put hours and hours into research and so far have done most recommendations; Olive oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, though it's not "Mother's" (does this really matter?) Yogurt, probiotics, hydrated with dropper, pulled food and lots of special treatment and lots of massaging. And even added chick grit just to be safe. And yes, they have been on probiotics.

I know the crop should be full at bedtime and empty in the morning, but with the hours these chicks keep, I'm not sure how accurate this is right now. None of the others ever have a bulge and always feel empty. This one is full all day. Now I'm not sure if its a combination of the "treatments" and massaging, but 2 days it felt empty the next morning. Or was it because it didn't get to eat all night? Lol I dunno. I noticed while massaging, it makes kind of a pop sound, but this sound is present when open mouth breathing too. Which I'm not sure if it's sour crop, or respiratory related. Maybe both.

Now to my main concern. While hand feeding with dropper I noticed it started sneezing and shaking its head. I thought maybe it went down wrong pipe, or it didn't like the vinegar taste. Then it started lifting its neck and panting. Immediately I thought respiratory problems.

So the research and home remedies continue as our vet don't do chickens. It, which I say it because we're not sure if it's going to be a Hen, or a Rooster. I'm actually calling it Kairo because it means Victorious one. And I'm hopeful it makes it through. Kairo was really tired and weak and panting that night. So I scrambled some eggs and mixed in a low dose of left over Amoxicillin. The next day he showed tremendous turn around. I have continued this for 3 days, but the symptoms continue.

This is tricky because I don't know what I'm treating, if it's treatable and if it will spread.
I ordered some Amtyl, which I'm sure most of you are somewhat familiar with. If not, it's a broad spectrum antibiotic with Amoxicillin and Tylosin. I have hopes of knocking this out and maybe as a precaution treating the rest of the flock.

The order won't be here until Wednesday probably, but I'm curious about the dosage. According to the directions online:
Directions:
25g has a small spoon holds 1g
100g has a small spoon 1g and a large spoon holds 3g

Mix 1g into: 8 oz. of water or 1 cup
Mix 4g into : 32 oz. of water or 4 cups
Give for 5 days.
Crop Dose: Mix 3g into 2 teaspoons of water and give 1ml of solution per 100grams of body weight.

Notes:
After giving any medications we recommend giving a probiotic to replace the good bacteria in the gut flora.
See below for gram weights on birds.

Active Ingredients:
Amoxicillian Trihydrate (150mg/g)
Tylosin Tartrate (100mg/g)

I figured the water treatment would allow me to treat all 10, but they ain't going to drink a cup of water. I'm not sure what the crop dose means and If I did thre water, would it be enough to treat all 10 each day?

The bottle is only 25 grams and the math wouldn't work out for 10. And I'm not sure of the weight of the chicks, but I think we have some digital scales somewhere.

Sorry for the long post, but hopefully it gives all the needed details.

There is no puffy eyes, or discharge. Poop is mostly normal, but sometimes watery. I tried inducing vomiting, but nothing ever happened.

Thanks in advance

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you get a photo of her and her poop?
How are you brooding the chicks? Photos?

If the chicks have a lamp/light all night long it's going to be harder to gauge crop function - you mention the hours they keep(?) so...if they have light, they will eat/drink all night long too.

Panting. Was that when you syringed fluids into her? Massaging the crop could also cause food/water to come back up and enter the windpipe - chickens have no gag reflex and the crop is just really a pouch that holds food/water to be processed anything in there could be "squished" up and she could choke. The head shaking/sitting back and panting after syringing makes me thing she aspirated a bit of fluids. I would not try to vomit a chick.

How warm is your brooder?

I'm still a bit unclear of what you are trying to treat. A crop issue? A respiratory disease?

For crop issues - if the crop is hard in the morning (after the chick has slept all night) then I would start by giving a little coconut oil that has been hardened in the refrigerator. Give about 1/4 tsp to a 2wk old. Lightly massage the crop in a downward manner, manipulating the crop to see if it's boggy or doughy. Make sure the chick is drinking well and hydrated. It won't kill her to not have food for several hours to see if the crop goes down and that she's pooping.

For the antibiotics. Hard to know what you're treating. Amoxicillin may be helpful is you suspect infection due to aspiration. The AmTyl would work - use the dosing that is on your label. I would not treat the rest of the birds since the show no symptoms.

If you are trying to treat respiratory disease like MG (Mycoplasma) then Tylosin would be a better choice since MG has no cell wall. Amoxicillin is not an effective treatment for respiratory disease.

 

[Kairo]

Can you get a photo of her and her poop?
How are you brooding the chicks? Photos?

If the chicks have a lamp/light all night long it's going to be harder to gauge crop function - you mention the hours they keep(?) so...if they have light, they will eat/drink all night long too.

Panting. Was that when you syringed fluids into her? Massaging the crop could also cause food/water to come back up and enter the windpipe - chickens have no gag reflex and the crop is just really a pouch that holds food/water to be processed anything in there could be "squished" up and she could choke. The head shaking/sitting back and panting after syringing makes me thing she aspirated a bit of fluids. I would not try to vomit a chick.

How warm is your brooder?

I'm still a bit unclear of what you are trying to treat. A crop issue? A respiratory disease?

For crop issues - if the crop is hard in the morning (after the chick has slept all night) then I would start by giving a little coconut oil that has been hardened in the refrigerator. Give about 1/4 tsp to a 2wk old. Lightly massage the crop in a downward manner, manipulating the crop to see if it's boggy or doughy. Make sure the chick is drinking well and hydrated. It won't kill her to not have food for several hours to see if the crop goes down and that she's pooping.

For the antibiotics. Hard to know what you're treating. Amoxicillin may be helpful is you suspect infection due to aspiration. The AmTyl would work - use the dosing that is on your label. I would not treat the rest of the birds since the show no symptoms.

If you are trying to treat respiratory disease like MG (Mycoplasma) then Tylosin would be a better choice since MG has no cell wall. Amoxicillin is not an effective treatment for respiratory disease.

It's a 4x2x2 brooder with pine chips I built to keep inside. Half the top is hardware cloth, the other half is a hinged lid. The brooder is at about 92° in that corner. I'm not sure what I'm treating either, but I'm treating what I believe to be a respiratory infection. And trying to figure out if Kairo has impacted/sour crop. The panting is random. I didn't notice it until I was holding the chick and hydrating with a dropper. Maybe it's due to a full crop, or the respiratory problem? And it's possible it's from aspiration too. I don't know if it's coincidental that It started at that moment, or if that's just first time noticing it. While using the dropper, I only dripped a drop on the beak at a time allowing it to swallow before continuing. Although it's possible it went in windpipe that way.

I'll try to get poop pic, but here is some of the others you asked for. You can tell from 3rd pic with the sibling how much behind this chick is.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

brooder is at about 92° in that corner

I'm treating what I believe to be a respiratory infection. And trying to figure out if Kairo has impacted/sour crop. The panting is random....Maybe it's due to a full crop, or the respiratory problem?

2 weeks old.....3 OEGB.......You can tell from 3rd pic with the sibling how much behind this chick is

The little one is an OEGB, the one you are comparing it to, I don't believe is a bantam.

Panting is random, so the chick may be overheating - 92F is fairly warm for 2wk old chicks. I would reduce heat to around 85 and see if that helps. The rest of the brooder should be cool. Can you get a video of the chick panting? For video, upload to youtube and provide a link.

You have light on all the time so it's hard to gauge crop function. Watch her eat/drink, feel the crop. Take the food out for a few hours and see if the crop has gone down. Chicks with light all the time will eat/drink all the time so often the crop feels full.

What is the round thing in the middle of the brooder? Where is the feed station?

 

[Kairo]

The other pic is with the Polish chic. The other is OEGB. The round thing is a decorative garden stone that I use to have the water sitting on. Now it's just used to give the runt a little boost to reach the food tray. I had the food tray out when I took the pic. It's what sits on those wooden blocks. Just checked crop, it is empty, which is why I was removing food tray. The panting isn't a fast paced pant. It's more like it's opening its mouth when it inhale a few times and stops. So panting was a poor description on my part. But this is only sometimes and for a few breaths. I don't think they are overheating, they move about comfortably and prefer to stay under the light most of the time and the runt shivers a lot. It's basically the same size it was as a 2 day old, but I am gradually reducing the heat each week

I'll try and get a video up later if I can, but here's a similar video. Start watching from the 0:40 second mark. Mine hardly stretches the neck though. Maybe Aspergillosis

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The chick is a bantam so will be tiny. To me she's feathering in normally for a 2 week old. Your comparing large fowl and different breeds to a bantam.

I think if anything, I would give her 2-3 drops of poultry vitamins like Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell twice a day for 3-4 days.

Is she active, running around and eating/drinking like the others?



This is Aspergillosis or Brooder Pneumonia

 

[Kairo]

The chick is a bantam so will be tiny. To me she's feathering in normally for a 2 week old. Your comparing large fowl and different breeds to a bantam.

I think if anything, I would give her 2-3 drops of poultry vitamins like Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell twice a day for 3-4 days.

Is she active, running around and eating/drinking like the others?



This is Aspergillosis or Brooder Pneumonia

I have 3 bantams. She/ he is half the size of her siblings. She is getting more active by the day. I'll see if my local TSC has some in stock. Overall I think it is going to be fine. Thanks for all the feedback

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have a photo of all 3 bantams?

 

[Kairo]

I tried getting pics of them together for comparison but they won't stay in 1 place long enough

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I tried getting pics of them together for comparison but they won't stay in 1 place long enough

It works that way most of the time LOL