chick crusty eyes...we are battling ILT

[chickengrl]

Hope to get some help and reassurance. I have a 2 week old chick with crusty eyes. It is otherwise OK. Eating, drinking, and normal poop. We did pull her out of the brooder and isolate in plastic bin with heat lamp over night. I am just a little freaked out because we have ILT out in our main coop outside. We have been super careful, even changing clothes and showering if we have to go downstairs to tend to the younger birds. There is still a chance the virus got down there because early on we had sick birds isolated down there. (long before these babies hatched)

None of the birds (2 adult bantams, 10 5 week old chicks, and a brooder of about 30 chicks) appear to be sick. No sneezing, watery eyes, or any of the symptoms from ILT. Please tell me that the crusty eyes is no big deal. I don't think I could take it if we start losing these babies to this nasty stuff. We did vaccinate the birds outside, the adult bantams, and the 5 week old chicks 5 days ago. the vaccine is not supposed to cause disease in unvaccinated birds. Any help is most appreciated.

 

[gritsar]

I'm not real good with chicken illnesses, but I will give you a *bump* back up to page one.

 

[honeydoll]

I am no expert on ILT but I have read your other post and I believe you have done a wonderful job. There is always hope, and there is a chance this chick is just sick from something different. I think you have done an amazing job so far, and by the time it's done you will be knowledgable about ILT and very good at tending to chickens. I understand your concern and frustration, I bet it is so difficult to see all your hard work possibly end up with an illness still spreading. YOu have gone the extra mile and there is always a pay off for that, albeit, not always the way we wanted but you will be rewarded for your effort. Hang in there, whatever the outcome of those chicks, the knowledge you gained will be of use someday and may bless you more than you know. As sad as the loss would be, if that were to happen, this to shall pass. I pat you all on the back for your hard work and effort you put into being responsible for this and doing all you have. I really hope and pray for a great outcome for you. That great outcome may not come in the way we expect so be patient, your hard work will be rewarded. You are an example to us all of great chicken keeping practices.

Carolyn

 

[yanmar1610d]

When my chickens where Sick the Vet that checked them told me if my chickens had of had Infectious Laryngotracheitis, ILT
that me and him were going to have to kill my whole flock of about 70 chickens to keep the infection from spreading ( I live in an area that has a large number of Commerical Chicken Farms). He also said that the pen would have to be clean-out and disinfected before more chicks where place in it to insure the new chicks did not get LT too. The sickness my chicks had turned out to be Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection, M.g instead of LT, not quit as bad. How many chickens do you have in your outside pen? ILT virus can easily cover 500 metres and possibly much further. It is an airborne disease and could come into your house if the winds are blowing right.