chicken not active, sneezing, drooling, runny eys and nostrils, trouble breathing

[brummie]

Yes it probably is coryza. I've ordered some tylosine to treat the whole flock.

What I don't get is why cull the whole flock? I was thinking of doing it but then I realised, it will cost me a lot more to replace them than it will cost me on anti biotics.

And so what if they are "carriers" once they are cured? The chances are some other bird I buy might be a carrier. So what? Most birds probably are carriers of some disease or another. When they have been through the illness once, their immune system is generally a lot stronger against the particular disease. Most animals as well as humans are probably carriers of some bacteria or another. If a new bird is introduced to the flock and catches the disease, I'll have some antibiotics to help it see through the disease, and after the first time it will be fine. If the chickens egg laying rate is not noticeably affected, and their meat is fine to eat, and they are acting happily like normal chickens, then what does it matter if they are "carriers"?

 

[Michael Apple]

If Coryza becomes a problem year after year, there is a vaccine available for it. Once Coryza is in the yard, it doesn't leave. It is an airborne disease spread from bird to bird. Good sanitizers can be used effectively in the yard, coop, cleansing waterers and feeders. Oxine AH is quite effective against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. It can also be used to mist birds, treat water, etc. I've used it for a long time:
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

 

[brummie]

Thanks for the oxine tip MA. Seems very interesting and I would love to try it, but does not seem to be available anywhere in the UK. An alternative over here seems to be vanodine v18 which I might try.

 

[Michael Apple]

Thanks for the oxine tip MA. Seems very interesting and I would love to try it, but does not seem to be available anywhere in the UK. An alternative over here seems to be vanodine v18 which I might try.

Sorry about that. I'm so used to responding to folks in America, I often forget to look at the avatars where people are from. Good luck and I hope your chickens recover.

 

[brummie]

Sorry about that. I'm so used to responding to folks in America, I often forget to look at the avatars where people are from. Good luck and I hope your chickens recover.

no need to be sorry, I've got nothing in my avatar to show i'm from the UK anyway. Besides I learnt about the the vanodine only because of your oxine post.

 

[brummie]

Unfortunately the banty that was really ill died at some point in the night. I had it isolated in the tool shed. I wish I could have found the antibiotics locally, I might have been able to save it, as they still have not arrived through the post. The global herbs breath free stuff did not seem to do it much good.

The other banty is up and about looking as healthy as ever today. But 2 of my other chickens a looking a bit down now including my RIR cockeral. I think I took too long isolating the dead banty. I've stuck some crushed garlic cloves in their water as I wait for the antibiotics. Hopefully the garlic will do some of the good it is famed for with chickens.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I am sorry he/she didn't make it. Don't beat yourself up....

Here is hoping that your other ones turn around.

 

[brummie]

Hopefully they will make it.

Since yesterday I've been giving shots of apple cider vinegar (raw, unfiltered with the mother) with a syringe (diluted in water) to the ones that started showing major symptoms. I've noticed that after giving them the ACV within about 3 hours they had perked up. They were not standing around lethargically any more, they were actually out foraging looking somewhat better and not gasping for breath either. Although the swelling around the sinuses, the bubbly water from eyes, and runny nose was still there, they looked much happier. The ACV must be doing something to help them, even if it is only for the short term until the antibiotics get here.

I've replaced their water now and put in about 3 tablespoons of ACV to about a gallon (that's british tablespoons, I've read American tablespoons sizes are bigger than our british ones) instead of the garlic, but I know the gralic is good in the long term for their immune system development, so I've minced up a whole bulb (for 11 chckens, about a clove each), and sprinkled it around the garden and run, and into their feed. They are only having a little bit of it each, so that is good, as I don't think too much garlic is very good for them.

Hopefully, the combination of garlic and ACV will help them make it through. Certainly seems to be having some positive effects so far.

 

[brummie]

To update:

I mixed ACV in their water as well as about 5 or 6 crushed garlic cloves. I kept them on this for about 5 days. Non of them seemed to get any worse. Infact they were visibly getting better, and the ones that did not seem ill never showed any symptoms.

Then the tylosin arrived. I have had them on tylosin in thier water for 3 days. They all seem to be pretty much recovered, except the bantam. Even my rooster restarted his crowing this morning, a sure sign that he had recovered.

My bantam has also largley recovered, but she is snicking a lot (making these quick sharp sudden hiccup type sounds). There are a couple of hens also occasionally still snicking but nothing like the bantam. Why is bantam still snicking and shoould I still be worried, becasue their runny noses have stopped, there are not gasping for air any more, they are all actively foraging and are generally happy again.

Should I stop the tylosin now even though bantam is still snicking a lot?

One thing I have learnt though, I will regularly have crushed garlic cloves in thier water or feed them raw, and one week a month I will stick in ACV into their water too. I've read numerous times this is good general health keeping for chickens, and now I've seen it work for myself.

 

[123IsaBrown]

I have the same problem. I have two chicks which are around 5 weeks old. I put them in a coop except the coop is placed above dust and rocks so they keep eating the dust....The chicks are still quite active but they've been sneezing for 2-3 weeks now. I also noticed today that when i held them in my arm both of them drooled. I might try to replenish their food and water bowl more often...i take them inside when its raining so that they are warm. Do you think its a respiratory disease or is it just because the weather's bad or something? Whatever the cause is, please give me advice on what i should do in my situation.
Thanks.