Experienced keeper stumped!

[ten chicks]

Hi everyone, a mystery illness is killing off my birds. I have a mixed flock ranging from 3 mos to 1 year. Ill go into the coop, find a ruffled, unthrifty, huddled bird almost weightless, with a slight gurgle and no other symptoms, within 24 hours of coming indoors for R&R the gurgling worsens, accompanied by gasping, then dead. I have treated with tylan IM and Oral, but it doesn't seem to help at all. I have also tried treating as coxi (weight loss got me thinking), but sulfa doesn't help either. It seems to affect the smaller, less robust birds. No discharge, no sneezing, no bubbly eyes, no foul smell.
What on earth?? I keep my coop clean and dry, I don't do deep litter this time of year. I'm in canada so it's always a little chilly (-2,-3 max) in the coop but I have heat lamps (several) to keep the water from freezing and some nice cuddle spots too. I have a commercial exhaust fan constantly on, blowing air out of the coop. The indoor air is clear, dry, no hint of ammonia. What on earth is killing my birds??

When you treated for Coccidiosis,did you use Amprolium or just Sulmet? Reason i am asking is Amprolium will target 9 strains of coccidiosis,Sulmet only two. They may have a secondary infection(respiratory)due to coccidiosis.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Hi everyone, a mystery illness is killing off my birds. I have a mixed flock ranging from 3 mos to 1 year. Ill go into the coop, find a ruffled, unthrifty, huddled bird almost weightless, with a slight gurgle and no other symptoms, within 24 hours of coming indoors for R&R the gurgling worsens, accompanied by gasping, then dead. I have treated with tylan IM and Oral, but it doesn't seem to help at all. I have also tried treating as coxi (weight loss got me thinking), but sulfa doesn't help either. It seems to affect the smaller, less robust birds. No discharge, no sneezing, no bubbly eyes, no foul smell.
What on earth?? I keep my coop clean and dry, I don't do deep litter this time of year. I'm in canada so it's always a little chilly (-2,-3 max) in the coop but I have heat lamps (several) to keep the water from freezing and some nice cuddle spots too. I have a commercial exhaust fan constantly on, blowing air out of the coop. The indoor air is clear, dry, no hint of ammonia. What on earth is killing my birds??

The gurgling has me puzzled, but you can see gasping with aspergillosis, and a quick death afterward. Also you can see paralysis.

Any moldy feed? Tossing feed onto ground where it gets damp and they eat it days later?

 

[Sterkfarm]

For ten chicks: Now that I did NOT know!!! I treat with sulfa something from the vet, think its a dimethox. The coxi does come back from time to time if the litter isn't scrupulously dry and fresh. Up here we get amprol only in the 4liter jug and it's about $150. I am planning to pick up some corid soluble next time I'm stateside though. Very good info!!!
As for feed, never wet or moldy, always in a disinfected galvanized feeder off the ground

 

[realsis]

Amprol and corid are the same product . both are amprollium which kills all 9 strains of the cocci while other meds such as sulmet only kill 2 out of the 9 strains. So if you can get Amprol that's just fine. They're is no difference between corid and Amprol. Just different names depending on where your living. Both are amprollium and that's what you want. So no need to make a special trip for corid if you can get Amprol. Just wanted to let you know that. Best wishes. Also if the gurgling chickens have a viral respitory illness antibotics won't touch a virus but can be used to prevent a secondary infection. Its likely viral and this is why it didn't respond to antibotics. I had the same situation not too long ago in my flock and it spread like wild fire. Sadly I lost the flock and had to start over. If its viral there is really not much that you can do on your part. And usually if the bird recovers they are generally a carrier of that virus and can infect others. As I said antibotics can be used to prevent secondary infections but if its viral it won't knock the virus sadly. I wish you the best and hope this helps.

 

[casportpony]

I think that Sterkfarm was saying that they can't get Corid in Canada, just Amprol and that Amprol only comes in expensive 4 liter jugs, unlike Corid which comes in 16 ounce bottles as well as 1 gallon jugs. Both products also come in powder packs, but I prefer the liquid.

In my sig is a link that has dosing instructions for both, but they are for making gallons, not liters, lol, that math you'll have to figure out on your own.

-Kathy

 

[ten chicks]

For ten chicks: Now that I did NOT know!!! I treat with sulfa something from the vet, think its a dimethox. The coxi does come back from time to time if the litter isn't scrupulously dry and fresh. Up here we get amprol only in the 4liter jug and it's about $150. I am planning to pick up some corid soluble next time I'm stateside though. Very good info!!!
As for feed, never wet or moldy, always in a disinfected galvanized feeder off the ground

Will your vet let you purchase a smaller amount? I live in Manitoba,my vet sells me 500 ml(this is the amount i requested) of Amprol,cost is about $12.00.