Help! A bunch of my chicks has signs of respiratory disease

[Chrissye96]

I have 10 chicks. Half are 2 weeks old the other have 3 weeks old. Last week one of the 2 week olds started sneezing which made me concerned. I reached out to where she came from and they suggested VetRX. I held off because it kinda stopped. Then i noticed another one sneezing. Now tonight a bunch are sneezing and a few are sounding pretty congested! I then heard the VetRx can be deadly to chicks after i put it on some of them. Some may be acting a little mopy but overall they are all acting pretty normal. Eating drinking and pooping. I’m so nervous as these are my first ever chicks. I ordered Tiagard that i was suggested to use in a chicken group but it won’t be in until Sunday and it’s Thursday night. I’m so worried it will get worse and they will die. What do i do!?

I’m not seeing mucus from any of them but the sneezing and congestion from a lot of them is really making me worried. Please help

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

How are your chicks doing?

How are they being kept/brooded - what type of bedding and the location of the brooder?
What's the temps in the brooder - on the warm and cold side?

How's the ventilation in your brooder?

Photos are welcome - often they can answer questions that we may have - chicks, brooder setup, poop, etc.

VetRx is a remedy, it's been used for a long time. It's like Vapor Rub for chickens. Do you have links to the info you found that says it is deadly to chicks? I would like to read the article/info.
If you follow the directions for use, generally there should not be an issue.

Did the breeder you got them from seem surprised that the chicks were having respiratory symptoms?

Tiagard (Tiamulin) will treat symptoms of Mycoplasma only. While it can be helpful, it's a good idea to rule out other things like dust/fumes/poor ventilation that may be causing symptoms.

 

[dawg53]

I suspect bedding dust and possibly improper ventilation. Dont be giving chicks meds that young, they may not be able to handle it and can possibly die.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Can you tell us about your brooder set-up, ventilation, type of bedding, etc? Sneezing occasionally can be common when they get dust or feed into their small nostrils. Hopefully, it isn’t a sign of infectious bronchitis virus or mycoplasma (MG.) If you should lose any, most state vet labs can perform a necropsy and testing to help give you a diagnosis. Be sure to make sure they have good ventilation, and prevent water spills which can cause mold. Add to or change the bedding often, as they can get sick from ammonia fumes in the poops.