Flock URI, Egg WD on Tylan 50 injectible? *UPDATE I need help please, my flock is very sick*

[WilloughbyStead]

Have a bit of what seems to be a bacterial URI going around my flock. Gurgling, but no signs of worms when looking down their throats. Runny nose, sneezing, bark-coughing, raspy or hoarse vocals. Mainly only my roos had it. But one of my ladies started this morning, so I dosed her 3/4ml inj back of neck. Well this afternoon she laid. We've been waiting for our ladies to lay again after the winter pause and molts. I hate to toss an egg. Is it edible? Or no? What is the withdrawal for eggs using tylan 50 injectable? I've read a few different scenarios. Just checking to see what the general consensus is.

Also, what happens if say my husband was brave enough- insisting to eat it? LOL would it hurt him?

 

[Eggcessive]

You can't usually tell if there are worms, such as gapeworm in the throat, or if an infection is bacterial, viral, or even fungal, without getting one or two birds tested by your state vet or local extension agent. Infectious bronchitis is one of the most common diseases, and is caused by a virus. ILT is another virus that can cause the symptoms. MG and coryza are treated by antibiotics, but the others have to run their course over several weeks. There is a 7 day long egg withdrawal time for injectable Tylan, but if that same Tylan is given orally, then there is only a one day withdrawal.

 

[WilloughbyStead]

Thanks for responding. I know that looking down the throat isn't a definitive for ruling out gape worms. Please allow me to clarify, I examined my affected birds and they didn't show signs of worms in droppings or in their throats. Their symptoms lead me to believe they are suffering with either a virus or bacterial respiratory infection. They were free ranging when this onset. I have a large 300ft run attached to a barn/coop where I am keeping them now, but previously due to their egg time out- let them run all over the for several weeks. Woods, horse paddock, dirt road, grassy fields and all. Wherever they wanted to go they went and came home to roost. Now they are laying again so I have brought them into a fenced area but it's almost free range since it's such a massive run.

Symptoms started little more than a week ago and are:

Lt. Dan (rooster 1) started sneezing but I didn't make much of it except a mental note. I figured they scratch with their beaks in the dust all the time, so it could be nothing. Except the sneezing got gradually more frequent for another day or so and was then followed by a bark. I realized that bark was actually some kind of cough. I noticed he would extend his neck and make what looked like a choking or crop clearing motion also. No drainage or discharge was seen at that point. But later he was mouth breathing in the roost, this wasn't constant though and its been warm here in Florida. He's a black Americuana. Other symptoms which followed was raspy vocals, and more gagging motions with gurgling sounds, and both nasal and eye discharge. An exam of the mouth reveals excessive amounts of clear mucosal excretions.

2nd Victim was The General (roo#2, alpha roo) at this point his came on fast. He sneezed and coughed the first day, but by the second day even with Tylan 50 1ml dosed at first symptoms day before; he is experiencing copious amounts of clear mucus in his mouth, throat, adding his eyes and nose are draining profusely also. He can't even crow and is choking on mucus when he tries. His pride is hurt, and I dosed him again with Tylan, but I am starting to fear this is a viral issue. I haven't vaccinated my flock because I was under the impression from a local farm store that there isn't much need to do so. However after speaking with other poultry hobbiests and breeders, this isn't true. In fact one fairly local breeder had an outbreak of coryza last year. Now I'm worried. I have a dozen chicks at 5-6weeks old, and some hatching this weekend. Aside from the babies my flock ranges in age from 6 months to almost 2 years old, 13 total in my flock not counting the chicks- which I was planning on selling half. The babies are already out in the coop with supplemental light as they need. They've done great and 1 hen has adopted them almost half time.

They seem to be fairly normal in behavior aside from not being able to sound off- roo crowing in the morning and such. They are still chasing the ladies, but 1 of my ladies started having nasal drainage and cough so I dosed her with tylan also.

I haven't been able to locate a local vet that deals with poultry yet. I wonder if I should vaccinate at this point, and what should I vaccinate for? Should I change meds since Tylan isn't working? Yesterday I did a major coop/barn deep clean. I broke out the sprayer, dish soap, scrub brush, bleach, and went to town. I replaced all bedding after cleaning. We use barn lime and hay for the floor. I sprayed essential oils of lavender, lemongrass, tea tree, cedarwood, and peppermint to freshen things up a little more and kill anything else that might be left.

They get a rotation of water each week. Day 1 is vitamin water, Day 2 is apple cider vinegar water, Day 3 is probiotic water, and repeat and so forth. They have PVC pipe feeders with layer crumbles, scratch, extra grains and seeds mix, and oyster shells and a dish of grit.

What would y'all do next? Change meds? Dose everyone even if they aren't symptomatic? Vaccines? Help please.

 

[WilloughbyStead]

Any experiences appreciated thanks...

 

[WilloughbyStead]

Could I, or should I? Change the meds to Durvet PenG?

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like something pretty contagious such as MG, ILT or a combination of several diseases such as infectious bronchitis and one of those others. I would try to get a couple of birds tested right away. If one dies, then get a necropsy. It helps to know what you are dealing with. Having neighboring farms with respiratory diseases is distressing, since wild birds can spread them. Tylan 50 injectable is better than oxytetracycline, and Pen G will not work as well. With Tylan 50, I would give a 5 pound chicken 1 ml orally twice a day for 5 days. Increase that dosage to 1.5 ml for a 7 pound chicken. It is more for a staph or strep infection. Florida has a very good poultry college, and I am sure that you can contact the state vet and find a testing lab.Below are some links for labs and state vet contact info, and a link on the common diseases and symptoms:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Live Oak Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Florida Department of Agriculture 912 Nobles Ferry Road
P.O. Drawer 0
Live Oak, FL 32064 Phone: (386) 330-5700
Fax: (386) 330-5710
Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Florida Department of Agriculture 2700 North John Young Parkway
P.O. Box 458006
Kissimmee, FL 34741 Phone: (321) 697-1400
Fax: (321) 697-1467​

 

[WilloughbyStead]

Thanks, I'm going to look into all of that.

Sadly, I'm leaning towards cull of all infected birds. Which is heartbreaking at the very least. I don't want to see my flock go, but also don't want to live with infectious disease forever as a chicken mom. If it's coryza I don't think they make a vaccine available for that, or do they? and MG can be something I'll be battling more than I'd like. IB is also no fun. IDK, I don't like the thought of having to cull all, but also don't want to keep any carriers who may infect others including new chicks I'm hatching. Also some of those diseases reduce production perm. Maybe it's best to start over and cull them all and clean the crap out of my pens and barn coop?

I'll look into the labs and see what I can come up with. Right now I've separated my infected (showing signs and symptoms) birds from the rest of the flock. I pray my chicks and healthy pullets don't become involved.

 

[WilloughbyStead]

Thanks again for the information above. I called the FL Dept of Ag Diagnostic Lab and will be either driving there tomorrow with a few of my birds for testing and euth. Lab test is free for birds on their way out. And if they don't make it over night, I'll be sending in for necropsy.

 

[Eggcessive]

Please let us know what the necropsies show. As far as vaccinating, there is both an MG and coryza vaccine, and Jefferspet.com is a good online store to find it. Coryza is a much more nasty and serious illness, causing the smelly pus-filled eyes and with much more symptoms. I would definitely cull all birds for that. MG, however, is pretty common in backyard flocks. It can be milder or very serious depending on the strain, and can cause swollen eyes. Some vets say it is pretty much everywhere. Some people keep a closed fock with MG, while others cull for it. ILT is a viral disease that is pretty serious, and hard to tell from MG or gapeworm. I couldn't find a vaccine for sale for that one. Vaccines all differ, with some needing repeating several weeks after the first shot, and perhaps yearly. Most come in 1000 dose vials that have to be used up the same day. I think I would read as much as I could before culling the whole flock, but with your already having chicks coming up, they will get exposed if the other birds are around. Use good biosecurity measures now while dealing with the chicks. Here are a few articles I have found to help that you may want to look through:
https://www.extension.umd.edu/sites... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps034
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-infection-in-poultry
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/82/infectious-coryza/
http://articles.extension.org/pages/67296/biosecurity-for-small-poultry-flocks
http://articles.extension.org/pages/68127/infectious-coryza-in-poultry
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/infectious-coryza/overview-of-infectious-coryza-in-chickens

 

[WilloughbyStead]

Thank you again, I'll be reading all of that. Also, I couldn't find a coryza vaccine. Do they still make it?