My red ranger chicks are sick, I think bronchitis, need advice.

[mnferalkitty]

One died last night.

this is exactly what I went through last year, I thought mine would recover but they started dying and the ones that didn't die were just in bad health, they would seem fine then it would start all over again

. I got rid of all my chickens I know it sounds mean but I couldn't justify feeding them and not getting eggs(mine were egg layers). I started over this year with all new chickens.

 

[coloradoalice]

Ugh, I'm so sorry for the loss of your whole flock. That's heartbreaking.

Today these guys are all fine so far, everyone looks well. I really hope that's the only one I lose. I will be just so disappointed if we don't end up with a bunch of meat at the end of this.

 

[coloradoalice]

So we moved them all outside today. There are 22 left now. They are still sneezy but otherwise ok, the bloody poop cleared up in a couple days with meds. So now 5 weeks in the fresh air. Hopefully they will all make it the rest of the way!

 

[BCMaraniac]

I hope your meaties continue to do well.

My first set of meat chicks were 5 days old when I brought them home from TSC. They were Cornish Rocks. So I got more in 4 weeks, and the day after I brought them home they started sneezing. First a few, then all of them. But they ate and drank, and seemed fine. However, being the worry wart that I am, I put them on some tetracycline, which I thought was helping some, but they weren't getting better. So, I switched them to Sulmet, and within 24 hours, the sneezing had virtually stopped. They are now 5 weeks old, and the picture of health.....except for one with a bad leg, that I processed this weekend along with my first set.

Now I have to get the first pen stripped and cleaned for the third batch that will be arriving in mid-May.

 

[coloradoalice]

What is sulmet? Can I get it at the feed store? These are still the sneeziest darn chickens!! They are doing fine otherwise though, handling the cold extremely well and eating and drinking normally. But the sneezing, it's just hilarious really. I don't know if I should bother worrying anymore, they've been sneezing for weeks but it doesn't seem to be harming them.

 

[BCMaraniac]

What is sulmet? Can I get it at the feed store? These are still the sneeziest darn chickens!! They are doing fine otherwise though, handling the cold extremely well and eating and drinking normally. But the sneezing, it's just hilarious really. I don't know if I should bother worrying anymore, they've been sneezing for weeks but it doesn't seem to be harming them.

Sulmet is sulfamethazine 12.5% drinking water solution. The directions say 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, and it needs to be the only water source. I used it for three days, I think. You have to replace every 24 hrs, so just make what they will drink during that time. I think I made a quart at a time since mine were so small.

I got mine from the feed store.

When mine were laying down and still, they didn't sneeze. As soon as they heard me, they would move and start sneezing. Mine were eating and drinking fine too. I was just glad when it stopped.

You have to wait 10 days after it is stopped to harvest.