Help a Respiratory Infection!

[michelle Bray]

I need some advice, I made the huge mistake a few months ago and brought home two baby chicks from a feed store and introduced them to my flock. The new birds seemed fine at the time, but little did I know they had a respiratory infection, which they quickly passed to my flock of 9 bantams. Our local vet gave me Tylan for 5 days to get the girls threw it. This helped but they still had the cough and bubbly eyes. One of them ruptured there air sac, from coughing so much, and puffed up all over. They all have a wonderful appetite and drink plenty. I returned to the feed store and they recommended Tetroxy HCA for a 10 day treatment, which I have been giving them for 6 days now. This seems to be helping. My biggest concern is that my oldest pullet is a bantam frizzle cochin that is going to be 27 weeks on friday and has not layed a single egg. They have had this respiratory infection for 5 weeks now. My next oldest bantam is a barnevelder that is 21 weeks old and has never layed either, all the rest are under laying age. Will this respiratory infection prevent them from ever laying. I really wanted eggs for my family of 5 and have been patiently waiting. What do you guys recommend me doing. I am looking for a good output from my flock. Thanks Michelle

 

[lilchick]

Do not worry about them laying eggs at this time.. Just get them thru the infection and get them healthy and they will lay. good luck!

 

[michelle Bray]

They do seem soooo much better, just hoping it didnt permanatly damage anything, since they are so behind on laying.

 

[itsmyobsession]

Some people have mixed feeling on this but what I have been told and have experienced in my own flock is that the infection will lay dorment in their bodies but they never quite get over it and it can flare back up at any time. They are also ALWAYS going to be a carrier and pass it on to other chickens(potentially). Even if they appear "cured" they are not. A respiratory infection in chickens will NEVER fully go away. We just had to make the decision to cull our lavendar orpington ROO for the good of the rest of our flock, I wasnt taking any chances. You can treat for now but it will be back.

 

[chicmom]

Hello! I think this respiratory illness your flock has will most definitely cause a delay in the egg laying. I don't think it means they will never lay--it will just take longer for them to start laying. I sure hope they get better for you. One of my hens had a respiratory illness once, and then I noticed others sneezing, and I gave them all duramayacin for about 10 days, and they're just fine now. That was last year.

Good luck!
Sharon

 

[michelle Bray]

I really appreciate the thoughts! I was considering putting them all down and starting fresh again in the spring with fresh chicks. Just want good productive layers. I have hand selected all the breeds we have, and hatched some of them from eggs, so while we love our chickens so much, I would definetly consider starting over again if It meant that production would be where it should be. Hope that doesn't sound insenstive. Just want great healthy organic (non anti-biocticed to death) eggs! Any thoughts?

 

[michelle Bray]

Does anyone have any thoughts about my situation? thanks Michelle

 

[rosco]

follow these threads:

my first: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=383043
my second: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4899208#p4899208
another BYC'ers thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=404196

first getting weak and not eating. sniffles and gurgles. swelling around the eye. first thread shows if you don't catch it before this. the illness seeming to linger is on my second thread.

symptoms that linger almost two months later: fizz in the eye and all other chickens stretching their necks like they've gape worm but fenbendazole doesn't fix it. and tetramycin to treat the whole flock doesn't help so i'd guess not a respiratory problem.

i've no idea but desperate to know. i want to avoid a "recheck" at our vet office. the vet is very cool but costs $ and it seems if it won't go away, i should try to fix this at home, if at all possible.

our birds are healthy, just that neck stretching and eye fizz.