Chronic Respitory Diasease/Antibiotics in Layers/Snotty Bubbly Eyes

[magikk]

Hi Everyone,A few of my Girls seem to have come down with something.Two of my Americaunas had the bubbly snotty eye for a few days but this morning it seems to be cleared up.I listened to some of my other girls & no sound from their chest when theybreath.My little bantam Stanley had the same thing but she has a rattle in her chest & wheezes when she breaths.I started giving her Teramyacin last night by mouth Via a eye dropper & this morning her breathing seems a little better.I have read about using Tylan injectable I may give
it to the bantam but I really don't want to give it to any of my egg layers because of the worry of transmitting the antibiotic in the eggs.Is there anything that is actually labeled for layers?Heres a little background on my birds .We added 20 started pullets about a week ago to 23 birds that we already had (Welsummers,RIR,Barred rock & americauna).I was lazy & didn't quarentine the new girls(delewares white rocks BR & americaunas) we just mixed them together.The new girls all look good & have shown no signs of sickness.Is the CRD something they had but the stress
brought it out or maybe carried by the new girls.My coop also had a pretty strong ammonia smell.We had warm spell & I didn't get the windows opened soon enough to establish good ventilation.Could that have been a contributor.They don't have any bad smells.I read that Coryza has abad smell.They just smell like normal.It hasn't been a yr since we started on the chicks but you learn alot when you have to in situations like this.Thanks for any advice Mike

 

[spook]

Hello to you. I would say do not do any antibiotics unless you see a secondary infection. Below, under my profile you will find a link. I've done a lot of reading around these problems and its everywhere. Keep the birds as stress free, good diet and clean, this will help them keep their signs of Mycoplasma (snotty nose, bubbly eyes etc) down and use an all in or all out practice.
Do not go for the big guns while the .22 is working- if Terramycin is working, let it be. Obviously your little girl had a secondary infection as virus' do not react to antibiotics.
If you are going to use deep litter method, please keep clean shavings at least an inch or 2 deep. The ammonia can burn the birds eyes, lungs and breed illness. It can be a whole separate health issue, don't let this be the death of your birds.
Would you want to fall asleep next to a dirty toilet bowl?
Good luck and if it gets warm, open a window/door to let fresh air in.

 

[magikk]

Hi We where doing the deep litter method using D.E. every couple of weeks.I plan to clean the coop out completly this weekend & add a good layer of DE then add my litter over that.we'll keep her on the Terramyacin & see what happens.I think I'm understanding what your saying is.The CRD is a virus that Antibiotics have no affect on anyways its just a secondary infection brought on by the weakened condition of the bird that the antibiotics treat.Would my girls that are not showing any signs still have the virus in them already just waiting for a stressed condition to bring it out?Thanks Mike in PA

 

[spook]

Its better to allow all of them to build up an immunity to these types of germs. Technically the mycoplasmas are a bacteria, yet act like a virus. If we all can stay off antibiotics when we have a virus or minor issues we, as well as our animals, can stop the growth of super bacterias that are harder to treat. Keeping the one bird with antibiotics is one thing, but the treatment of the others without a problem will only delete your usage of Terramycin in the future (not close future, but you know what I mean.
I have the MG, CRD in my birds and yet 4 of the 9 have never shown a sign of having it. More then likely they are living with it. I tend to give my birds all sorts of goodies, from left over cereals (not the sugar kind), macaroni, salad stuff like the outside leaves of lettuce, and if we have left over veggies and meats, they go into the bucket for the girls.
Also, I give my birds "Fat and Finish" in the winter, 1 1/2 cup with a cup of hot water to make a treat with scratch feed and the left overs on it (kinda to stretch the veggies).
You do it as you see its right. Your the one that will have to watch, treat and decide what is best for your girls.
Personally I have never used DE. I guess its a good thing, but luckily I've never needed it.
With the deep litter method, and if your in a cold climate, each day, freshen up under the roosts and leave it be. The composting will help warm them at night. Unless you have a big ole pile and I'd only dig under the roosts and toss shavings in. But, I stress again,
You do as you see fit, there are not right and wrong answers, only what works for you!
One of the bigger problems with having a ventilation free environment is that the birds have the build up of ammonia and if you use a heated waterer (I've found) that it brings up humidity that can bother the girls too. Opening a vent hole on one side of the house and the other side, high up by the eves, 1/4" drill hole just to circulate the air. If its a super cold - negative numbers, I'll go out and poke a rag in. Ive seen folks use a can cover with one nail in it and turn it over the hole, or off.
Good luck and there should be others jumping in here with suggestions, I can only give you my opinion.
Feel free to contact me anytime, I'm 99% sure that others wouldn't mind helping you out!