Duramycin Had No Effect...Next?

[whoacowboy]

I have two pullets who are sneezing. This started about three weeks ago. I had them on Duramycin at the dosage recommended (ml/water, changed every 12 hours, etc.) and after it's course I haven't seen a change. No other symptoms besides a sneeze. No drainage, bubbles around eyes, appetite and energy change. Do I need something stronger or should I take to a vet to diagnose?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
how often are they sneezing? have you changed anything lately? bedding, feed sometimes things like that can cause sneezing. If you have ruled out inviroment then maybe a trip to vet would be good, are these pullets new to your flock?

 

[whoacowboy]

They seem to sneeze the most when they are excited...first thing in the morning, and whenever I first come out to see them...every few seconds. When they are just out and about it isn't as frequent...I would say 2 or 3 times a minute. They are not new to the flock. No changes in their home or feed. I feel bad for them. Like it's an interruption to their life.

 

[speckledhen]

It's probably environmental. Any gasoline engines stored near them? New plywood or caulk in the coop area? Also, if by some remote chance they had a virus, no antibiotic would fix that, as you know, but with sneezing alone, I'd never treat with an antibiotic (actually, I'd never treat any contagious respiratory illness with antibiotic anyway, but....)

 

[whoacowboy]

Is it contagious if two have it and the other 14 don't? Would I know by now? I don't know how long it would take for the others to show symptoms. Can it be they have a weaker immune system? We do have a number of vehicles they free range under. But the coop is at least 150 feet away from gasoline. I'm only typing what I think. I'm on here for answers and not questioning any advice. Just describing their living conditions. Speckled Hen, how would you approach this?

 

[Hawkeye95]

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clueless about diseases- so I would love to know why you would not use antibiotics on a chicken showing signs of illness? And if you don't use them, what would you use instead? Thanks!

 

[Titania]

I had sneeze-y chickens too and their sneezes flared up with my allergies. Tall grasses and seeding time just might affect them the way it does us. Just a thought. If only 2 have been sneezing for two weeks but none of the other 14 have, then I would definitely lay off medication. Just assume that you have 2 who are hyper-sensitive to allergens.

Hawkeye95, I think the reasoning behind not using antibiotics to treat contagious respiratory diseases is that viruses, usually the cause, are not treatable with antibiotics. Antibiotics will only treat bacterial infections. In humans, you can get antibiotics for a sinus infection or pneumonia (all bacterial) but if you have influenza or the flu, you just have to wait it out because those are viral (although sometimes bacterial infections come secondary to a flu and antibiotics will at least treat those symptoms). Same concept for chickens. Also, with chickens, (I have heard) the less you medicate, the better off your flock will be. So, I have taken that to mean to only medicate when necessary and not to use it routinely. Over-exposure to antibiotics (I have heard) makes their immune system more susceptible to disease.

Whoacowboy, keep us posted on your chickens!!

 

[dawg53]

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If it's environmental, it's obviously not contageous. Incubation times for respriatory diseases vary, nailing it down to one specific disease is impossible unless bloodwork or a necropsy is done. There are many things that can cause a weak immune system in chickens...internal/external parasites, injuries or recovering from injuries, inadequate nutrients in feed or improper feed, heat stress, changes in living conditions etc...all stressful situations to weaken an immune system. Here's a link that might help you in regards to identifying incubation times, identifying the symptoms what your chickens are currently showing and treatments. Antibiotics only treat symptoms and dont cure the disease, birds remain carriers for life and it's best to maintain a closed flock or cull. The best thing I've seen and heard treating certain respiratory diseases such as MG is denagard. There is no withdrawal and no resistance to it.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[speckledhen]

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It's hard to know sometimes how to approach something like this. If there are no other symptoms besides sneezing, no discharges, nothing, then I'd just observe. See if their feed in the feed tray has turned to powder--sometimes a couple of them will snort some of that and start sneezing fits. Sometimes certain birds will dunk their nares in their water and start up that way. I have one Brahma hen that sneezes her way through life. She's almost 5 years old and has never been ill, but has sneezed daily for probably 3 years of that 5. It's just her. My Silver Phoenix is prone to sneezing, but no discharge, no illness, just sneezing. Some birds just are more prone to being affected by dust or fumes or pollen or whatever.

clueless about diseases- so I would love to know why you would not use antibiotics on a chicken showing signs of illness? And if you don't use them, what would you use instead? Thanks! smile

Hawkeye95 (my late great first rooster was named Hawkeye--he was awesome), I made a personal decision years ago that if my birds ever contracted a contagious respiratory illness, they would be put down. The reason for this is that chickens do not get "colds"; they get herpes type viruses that make them carriers for life, making it ethically impossible to sell birds or chicks from your flock (at least for me, it would be impossible; I can't be the cause of heartache for someone else by selling a carrier bird). Some folks treat things like CRD then close their flocks; others treat, keep it quiet and keep on selling sick birds. I can't do that. The only respiratory thing I'll treat is a non-contagious ailment such as situational pneumonia. So I never buy chicks or other started birds from anyone and practice biosecurity here.​

 

[whoacowboy]

Thanks everyone.