Hi Everybody!
I appreciate you taking the time to read my giant book of a thread. I really am searching for some help and answers. So a little back story. I went online in search of a local breeder because I wanted to support local and avoid obtaining chicks from mass suppliers. It was my first time going local, and I found a post on Craigslist with lots of cool breeds. So we went and picked out four chicks from this woman.
I had a weird feeling about it from the get-go when we got there. She didn’t have all the breeds she had posted or a few of the ones we wanted. Tractor Supply was right around the corner, so we picked up a couple from there as well in spite of wanting to avoid that route.
We noticed the chicks we got from her were growing slower, feathering oddly, and exhibiting some issues the other ones weren’t. Three out of four of them are concerning me. But two are really worrying me.
So bird number 1, (Julie Andrews) is severely stunted. She was supposed to be a Blue Orpington, but I’m not convinced. She has grown much slower than the other birds, and one of her wings is substantially smaller than the other one and the feathers are growing in all kinds of wonky.
Bird number 2, (Starfire) initially started off pretty strong, but around the beginning of week 3 she started acting lethargic, sneezing, and having nasal discharge. She is a Splash Orpington, and I do believe her assessment of her breed is correct.
Bird number 3, (Louann) was initially the tiniest chick we got. She seemed fine until I noticed a bulge in her neck on the right side. I’ve felt around, and it’s not the crop. I started noticing it around week 3 as well, but she’s active, eating, drinking, pooping well, and seems to keep up with the healthy babies. She also is having odd feather growth and isn’t exactly preening herself as well as the other birds. So she looks kind of tattered and strange.
I’ve searched all over my local area for a vet to see them, but either they won’t call me back, they don’t see chicks, or they have a 8 week wait. So I reached out to a lady at a local feed store who I know is pretty knowledgeable. She gave me some tips to follow.
So I separated out Starfire and Julie Andrews because they exhibited respiratory issues and I knew it could be very contagious. They are in a large tote with a heat lamp close by to keep them warm, they’re now almost 6 weeks old and I’m keeping them at about 75-80 since they’re sick. I’m keeping them on pee pads to minimize dust, feeding organic chicken starter crumbles with 20% protein and adding probiotic powder by ProBios to their food.
The lady at the local feed store told me to purchase fish amoxicillin and split a 250 mg capsule for each of them morning and night and mix it with water and Nutridrench. So I was syringing that mix for two weeks. I honestly didn’t see much improvement, and I did some research and it sounds like they may have Infectious Bronchitis. Starfire is sneezy, has one weepy eye, tracheal rales, nasal discharge, and occasionally breathes through her mouth. Julie Andrews is just sneezy and occasionally breaths through her mouth. In spite of Julie Andrews being small and having a wing deformity, she isn’t exhibiting symptoms as intense as Starfire.
So I used Vet RX to cleanse the nostrils and applied under the wings. I used a diffuser with some Vet RX, used probiotics, used Amoxicillin, and made an herbal blend in the water to help with immune support. The blend consisted of Duravet Oregano powder supplement, Nutridrench, Vet RX, Calendula, Echinacea, Yarrow, and some Apple Cider Vinegar.
The lady from the feed store told me to continue the Amoxicillin until the symptoms go away, but if it’s Infectious Bronchitis, I don’t think antibiotics will help. I’m not a vet, but I’ve done quite a bit of reading and I’m gathering a good bit of the same information. She told me to switch to a medicated food, and as soon as I did, they got horrendous diarrhea. So I discontinued the use of that and decided to go back to what they’re used to. Their stool has gone back to normal. No blood, no severely unpleasant odor, and firm to the point where I can pick it up off the pee pad with gloves on to keep their space hygienic.
As far as Louann with the crooked neck and strange feather growth, I’ve researched crop impaction, sour crop, and wry neck, but none of those things seem to fit the bill. Her head is not completely turned around and I don’t smell any foul odor coming from her mouth. I also don’t think it’s an impacted crop because I feel her crop is full after she eats and it’s towards the front of her body and this lump is separate on more to the side of her neck.
Their condition has not worsened, they’re still growing, eating, drinking, and pooping. But if there’s anything else I could be doing, or if there’s anything I shouldn’t be doing, I would love any feedback.
I am honestly really upset about the breeder. I reached out to her and informed her and she said that she would take them back and swap them. But I am already invested and really care for them. I keep my chickens for eggs and as pets. So I just want to give them the best life possible.
I have read that if it is infectious bronchitis, they cannot be introduced to my older flock until 5 months. Supposedly that is when the virus is no longer being shed, so I am keeping all 8 chicks from the entire group away from my 8 hens until October/November regardless of if they are asymptomatic. Does this sound right? I definitely don’t want my pre-existing flock to develop this issue.
Side note: I’ve seen in multiple spots that Tylan 50 is effective. Does anyone have any insights? Should I give it a go? If so; what are your recommended dosing instructions and for how long?
I will attach some photos for your review.
The gray (lavender) one is Louann with the neck situation and feather issue. The Splash is Starfire. And the predominantly black mystery Orpington is Julie Andrews. You can see from the picture of them side by side, how much smaller she is than Starfire. These birds are all approximately 5.5-6 weeks old.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my giant book of a thread. I really am searching for some help and answers. So a little back story. I went online in search of a local breeder because I wanted to support local and avoid obtaining chicks from mass suppliers. It was my first time going local, and I found a post on Craigslist with lots of cool breeds. So we went and picked out four chicks from this woman.
I had a weird feeling about it from the get-go when we got there. She didn’t have all the breeds she had posted or a few of the ones we wanted. Tractor Supply was right around the corner, so we picked up a couple from there as well in spite of wanting to avoid that route.
We noticed the chicks we got from her were growing slower, feathering oddly, and exhibiting some issues the other ones weren’t. Three out of four of them are concerning me. But two are really worrying me.
So bird number 1, (Julie Andrews) is severely stunted. She was supposed to be a Blue Orpington, but I’m not convinced. She has grown much slower than the other birds, and one of her wings is substantially smaller than the other one and the feathers are growing in all kinds of wonky.
Bird number 2, (Starfire) initially started off pretty strong, but around the beginning of week 3 she started acting lethargic, sneezing, and having nasal discharge. She is a Splash Orpington, and I do believe her assessment of her breed is correct.
Bird number 3, (Louann) was initially the tiniest chick we got. She seemed fine until I noticed a bulge in her neck on the right side. I’ve felt around, and it’s not the crop. I started noticing it around week 3 as well, but she’s active, eating, drinking, pooping well, and seems to keep up with the healthy babies. She also is having odd feather growth and isn’t exactly preening herself as well as the other birds. So she looks kind of tattered and strange.
I’ve searched all over my local area for a vet to see them, but either they won’t call me back, they don’t see chicks, or they have a 8 week wait. So I reached out to a lady at a local feed store who I know is pretty knowledgeable. She gave me some tips to follow.
So I separated out Starfire and Julie Andrews because they exhibited respiratory issues and I knew it could be very contagious. They are in a large tote with a heat lamp close by to keep them warm, they’re now almost 6 weeks old and I’m keeping them at about 75-80 since they’re sick. I’m keeping them on pee pads to minimize dust, feeding organic chicken starter crumbles with 20% protein and adding probiotic powder by ProBios to their food.
The lady at the local feed store told me to purchase fish amoxicillin and split a 250 mg capsule for each of them morning and night and mix it with water and Nutridrench. So I was syringing that mix for two weeks. I honestly didn’t see much improvement, and I did some research and it sounds like they may have Infectious Bronchitis. Starfire is sneezy, has one weepy eye, tracheal rales, nasal discharge, and occasionally breathes through her mouth. Julie Andrews is just sneezy and occasionally breaths through her mouth. In spite of Julie Andrews being small and having a wing deformity, she isn’t exhibiting symptoms as intense as Starfire.
So I used Vet RX to cleanse the nostrils and applied under the wings. I used a diffuser with some Vet RX, used probiotics, used Amoxicillin, and made an herbal blend in the water to help with immune support. The blend consisted of Duravet Oregano powder supplement, Nutridrench, Vet RX, Calendula, Echinacea, Yarrow, and some Apple Cider Vinegar.
The lady from the feed store told me to continue the Amoxicillin until the symptoms go away, but if it’s Infectious Bronchitis, I don’t think antibiotics will help. I’m not a vet, but I’ve done quite a bit of reading and I’m gathering a good bit of the same information. She told me to switch to a medicated food, and as soon as I did, they got horrendous diarrhea. So I discontinued the use of that and decided to go back to what they’re used to. Their stool has gone back to normal. No blood, no severely unpleasant odor, and firm to the point where I can pick it up off the pee pad with gloves on to keep their space hygienic.
As far as Louann with the crooked neck and strange feather growth, I’ve researched crop impaction, sour crop, and wry neck, but none of those things seem to fit the bill. Her head is not completely turned around and I don’t smell any foul odor coming from her mouth. I also don’t think it’s an impacted crop because I feel her crop is full after she eats and it’s towards the front of her body and this lump is separate on more to the side of her neck.
Their condition has not worsened, they’re still growing, eating, drinking, and pooping. But if there’s anything else I could be doing, or if there’s anything I shouldn’t be doing, I would love any feedback.
I am honestly really upset about the breeder. I reached out to her and informed her and she said that she would take them back and swap them. But I am already invested and really care for them. I keep my chickens for eggs and as pets. So I just want to give them the best life possible.
I have read that if it is infectious bronchitis, they cannot be introduced to my older flock until 5 months. Supposedly that is when the virus is no longer being shed, so I am keeping all 8 chicks from the entire group away from my 8 hens until October/November regardless of if they are asymptomatic. Does this sound right? I definitely don’t want my pre-existing flock to develop this issue.
Side note: I’ve seen in multiple spots that Tylan 50 is effective. Does anyone have any insights? Should I give it a go? If so; what are your recommended dosing instructions and for how long?
I will attach some photos for your review.
The gray (lavender) one is Louann with the neck situation and feather issue. The Splash is Starfire. And the predominantly black mystery Orpington is Julie Andrews. You can see from the picture of them side by side, how much smaller she is than Starfire. These birds are all approximately 5.5-6 weeks old.
