E. Coli Infection in Trachea and Capallaria Parasites - Please advise

[ahodges]

Hello all -

A little over a month ago I made the very regretful mistake of introducing 7 new pullets (age 12 weeks) to my original flock of 10 (age 2 years) without giving them a proper "quarantine period." Horrific, unfortunate, lesson learned. I had them all in the same run, although I had the new ones separated in the corner with some garden fencing. One of the new girls started acting sick (ruffled, lethargic, eyes weeping, nasal discharge), I separated her and she passed. Then one of my original girls started with the same symptoms but exacerbated - would not eat or drink, green watery feces, and could barely breathe with heavy respiratory gurgling. She passed within 2 days. Another hen started with the same symptoms and I was able to get her to a local vet where we had to euthanize her. We started the entire flock on Tylan powder and I chose to have her sent off for a necropsy to try to figure out what was causing this. Her report came back positive for "moderate" capallaria parasites in her feces and e.coli in her trachea swab. We started the entire flock on a dewormer (safeguard - fenbendazole). It is now a week after their last dose of the dewormer and I am still seeing symptoms in some of my girls. One in particular is very lethargic, green watery feces, and walks with a limp. Some others are also having green watery feces but seem to be getting along fine.

Unfortunatley the vet is not a poultry specialist so I have been left with a lot of questions unanswered. Is this something that just has to run its course? Should I try another antibiotic? Should I try another dewormer? Even once they hopefully recover, will they ever lay eggs again (out of the 8 remaining layers, only 3 are now laying)? Unfortunately I cannot take anyone back to the vet due to financial reasons. My original flock was beautifully happy and healthy for 2 years, never a sickness or issue, so this has all been a huge shock and stress knowing it was my fault for bringing the new girls in. I welcome any and all advice, experience, wisdom you may have to address this and how to move forward. Hopefully I have provided enough information but feel free to ask any questions that may be of importance that I did not address.

Thank you in advance for your time - I sincerely appreciate it.

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

@Eggcessive @azygous

 

[Eggcessive]

Capillaria (thread) worms requires a 5 day course of 10% fenbendazole (Safeguard liquid goat wormer or horse paste) at a dosage of 1/4 ml per pound or weight given undiluted orally. Sorry for your loss. The state vet lab is the best place to get a necropsy and find out what respiratory disease that you are dealing with. That is the best thing you can do if you lose another. E.coli is usually a secondary infection in respiratory diseases, and enrofloxacin or sulfadimethoxine are some antibiotics used to treat that. But the primary respiratory disease would be good to know what it is. MG or coryza are common ones. Testing is done with a necropsy, so that is a good way to find out. Zoologix is a national lab that does testing for up to 8 respiratory diseases I believe.