CRD in chickens

[wesley m]

My almost 2 week old (i think) chicks seem to have got a case of CRD. I think I know which chick it started with but by the time I was able to do something, most of them already had it. If not all of them. I am using a medication that is supposed to be good for treating them, its called Agrimycin-343 (Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride). They are my pets and I am already attached to them so I really don't want to cull them. Will they suffer their whole lives if I don't? I don't plan on getting any more chickens while They are still kicking. I think it is CRD because they are sneezing, making stuffy noises from their nose (almost human like), and their noses are a little runny (hardly at all but runny none the less). How long can a chicken live with this disease? They are functioning completely normal and growing at the same pace, they're eating and drinking, running around their coop trying to fly (haha rather funny to watch). How does the disease take effect and what happens overall? Will they surely die from it or can I "cure them"? Will they still grow up and lay eggs? Will the eggs be safe to eat despite their disease? Please share any info and stories from personal experience. Thanks!

 

[luckydux]

Since nobody has chimed in I'd just like to throw something out there for you so you can possibly make a better choice, because its your choice to make. CRD is a hot topic this time of year and the choice of what to do if or when it happens to you is like everything else, debatable.
Some say cull, some say medicate, and some say let it just weed out the weak ones for you. In my opinion its your birds so its your choice to make.
Each person really needs to research CRD for themselves and decide which side of the fence they want to be on and not just accept what somebody's else's stance is. CRD also goes by the nasty little name of MG which is a type of mycoplasma. It may help during your research.
Good luck and I'm sorry that I'm unable to answer your question completely but it would only be MY opinion.

On another note, it appears that regardless of which disease you may think you have, you probably have a couple more riding on its coat tails. Even if you go to a vet, their diagnosis is only an educated guess. A necropsy is the only way to surely know.

 

[dawg53]

My almost 2 week old (i think) chicks seem to have got a case of CRD. I think I know which chick it started with but by the time I was able to do something, most of them already had it. If not all of them. I am using a medication that is supposed to be good for treating them, its called Agrimycin-343 (Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride). They are my pets and I am already attached to them so I really don't want to cull them. Will they suffer their whole lives if I don't? I don't plan on getting any more chickens while They are still kicking. I think it is CRD because they are sneezing, making stuffy noises from their nose (almost human like), and their noses are a little runny (hardly at all but runny none the less). How long can a chicken live with this disease? They are functioning completely normal and growing at the same pace, they're eating and drinking, running around their coop trying to fly (haha rather funny to watch). How does the disease take effect and what happens overall? Will they surely die from it or can I "cure them"? Will they still grow up and lay eggs? Will the eggs be safe to eat despite their disease? Please share any info and stories from personal experience. Thanks!

Have you considered that it may not be a respiratory disease? Ammonia fumes from soiled bedding can cause the symptoms you're seeing, feed dust as well, type of bedding etc....all of these things can be corrected or eliminated before medicating or culling them.