EMERGANCY! Illness & dead birds I need help fast!~UPDATE on page 3~

[Mourningdove]

I just came back in the house from feeding and watering my birds (I have 6 pens & 1 tractor... I asked about coccidosis (not sure the spelling) because I had started hearing that word and wanted to know what it was. Now this is the situation I have right now and folks
I do need your help correctly diagnosing my problem(sorry I don't have pics right now) so here goes and please bear with me as I try to describe things....

In all of the pens except the tractor I am seeing these common things but not with ALL the birds....
sounds coming from the pullets like they are horse, coughing & sneezing, diarehea some look like clumps in them and others almost bloody, white/clear flem like liquid on the ground, 1 pullet was droppy & drooling. I have a rooster that sounds like his crow is leaving altogether. Now I have seen some of these things and started thinking something is WRONG, now I know that YES there is something wrong as I just found a dead white rock pullet and a silkie.
I have searched and can't determine exactly the problem.
I have no extra money for a vet either and a complaining dh.
So I have come here for help PLEASE!!!!
This is what I did...I just finished empting all the waterers again
and this time added ACV to the fresh water and add cayenne pepper per instructions here to their feed(I did not give any scratch)
I used both water and feed recipes in ALL the pens for all the birds.
Now with what I am able to describe here what do you all think is the illness? I wish to correct and solve the problem and most importantly save my birds. So I ask you HELP!!!!!!!

 

[Mourningdove]

Anyone?

 

[threehorses]

Are there any of them with facial swelling, etc?

This sounds like a respiratory illness (possibly Cholera) with a secondary bacterial infection (the diarrhea).

When birds get a respiratory infection, their drainage from their sinuses drains through the opening in the roof of their mouth into the digestive tract. The change in pH and added bacteria cause a digestive problem.

You'll want to go to the feedstore and get a GOOD antibiotic powder. Pass on the terramycin packets. Go for LS50 or Tylan, mayyybe Aureomycin. Tylan injected is preferred. You will also want terramycin eye ointment or VetRx. Or both. You will use the LS50 for no less than 5 days. You will need to give them all probiotics starting immediately to help with the diarrhea. Before you treat, you can use plain yogurt - one cereal bowl for your flock. During treatment you can only use acidophilis capsules or Probios or a similar livestock probiotic. Probios is only $8 for the small bottle. You can sprinkle that on their food, or make a wet mash for their first meal of the day and mix it in there. It's more economical than yogurt in the long run and you can (and must) use while giving meds.

Only you can't use yogurt during any -mycin or -cycline treatment. Note. It'll make the meds not work.

You must clean and disinfect all waterers. You must always do this flock after all the others. This is highly contagious. Even wear different shoes (not been around the flock) before going to the feedstore, please.

Treat with the antibiotic and let it treat the secondary bacterial infection while the probiotics also treat the bacterial infection. Continue the probiotics daily one week after treatment and every other day for another week after that. If your birds aren't all better after 5 days on the antibiotics, do them for 7.

I would HIGHLY recommend taking an ill bird into the state vet or ag extension for testing because of your situation. Do not move them off of their ground as you will contaminate the ground. You can spray the ground after with Oxine when you can afford it.

When you treat, remove the acv from the water. The meds will likely go there.

We'll be looking for your reply.

 

[Mourningdove]

wow!!!! So you don't think this is coccidosis? Wow!!! I am still in my 1st year of having them so I've alot to learn. Does this respritory issue cause decrease in eggs also?

 

[Mourningdove]

oh I didn't notice any swelling that you mentioned, but in the juvinile pen some have a greyish cast to their eyes, this is the pen the silkie was in.

 

[Mourningdove]

oh does the state vet charge for testing?

 

[bargain]

Georgia has State operated poultry labs where vets do not charge for assessment.

I imagine that Alabama does as well. Our labs here are free of charge.

Good luck.

 

[threehorses]

If the grey cast to the eyes is like a cloudiness on the surface or in the pupil, those birds have the optical form of Marek's most likely.

And yes - respiratory illnesses (any illness) causes reduced laying rates.

On the coccidiosis, no I don't think that's what caused this. But being ill predisposes them to other diseases, particularly when the gut is compromised. Your birds likely are having E. coli and other pathogens (that normally live within control in a healthy gut) blooming and causing the diarrhea, etc.

I have a thought. Sulmet (sulfamethazine sodium 12.5%, aka Albon) treats both E. coli, cocciodisis, and fowl cholera. It isn't effective against M. gallisepticum, however. But you could try treating them with that and try to cover a broad series of illnesses. It's water based which would make it easier to treat your whole flock. TSC carries it. And it's inexpensive.

Are you seeing anything more? Any swelling of the face? Any bad smell on the ones that are sneezing? The drooling sounds a lot like Cholera. FC birds produce a good deal of mucus from their mouth (drooling).

 

[threehorses]

Hinton Michem Poultry Diagnostic Laboratory
1001 College Road
Hanceville, AL 35077-0409
256-352-8036 phone
256-352-8038 fax

Director and Diagnostician:
Samuel P. Christenberry, DVM, MAM, Diplomate ACPV
[email protected]


Just found that information. They could certainly point you in the right direction.

 

[Mourningdove]

Quote:
What is FC? sorry for my ignorance.....