New chickens and they're sick!

[honeydoll]

Quote:
I agree totally. And shame on this breeder selling these to you if he knew about it. No one should ever sell a sick bird, too many nasty diseases that can wipe out a bloved flock or a person's business. Trouble breathing is a huge concern in my book, that needs to be taken serious. I'll be honest, and I do not mean to sound cruel, but not knowing these birds true history, I would cull them, chalk it up to a learning experience and start over. But that is just me and I know others feel differently. Good luck with whatever you do. I would definetly say a thing or two to that breeder.

Carolyn

 

[sabella]

I was afraid of that. I can't afford to just kill them and start over. I spent $135 on these kids. I'll call him in the morning. Everything I've read about respiratory illness says once your birds recover they are carriers and have to be separated. This is so disappointing. I hope it doesn't end up being an expensive mistake.

I didn't want to hatch my own since I've NO experience with chickens but I see why y'all do!

 

[math ace]

Quote:
It depends on which virus caused the respiratory infection. ..

You can use terramycian ointment or plain Neosporin triple antibotic ointment ( WITHOUT the pain killer) in the eye. Twice a day.
You can find duramycin to mix in the water at the feed stores. In order for the antibotic to work they must be given daily for two weeks.
It has to be mixed fresh every day.

You can use Tylan 50 BUT the dosage has to be right . .. It can be given orally instead of injected. It does come in a powder too.

Your best hope is to do all you can on your end and HOPE that the breeder will make good on it if the birds don't make it. Stress can make the birds sick. However, a good breeder sound stand behind his / her birds if you keep in touch and involve them.

My vet quoted me $250 to do the lab work to determine what was wrong with my birds either before death or after death. Some vets will only give you enough medicine for one bird even if you tell them the others have the same symptoms. If the vets aren't in the "livestock" mode they will prescribe really expensive antibotics that are impractical for the chicken breeder - - example $200 in antibotics per bird.

Good luck and make the breeder responsible by keeping in touch with them

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Sabella, What state are you in?

 

[sabella]

Georgia. I'm on the west side in Newnan.

The only vets that'll see chickens around here are small animal. Treating a group would likely be beyond them. My equine vet refuses to see other stock.

 

[VillageChicken]

Do the birds have a heat source?
I bought young birds at an open air market that should have been able to handle the cold but the stress of the market and travel made them susceptible.
They all three came down with respiratory infections within a week and all died within a month (3 birds).

I think I could have potentially avoided this if I had given them a heat lamp in the very beginning when their eyes swelled and they began to sneeze.

Sick birds need extra warmth just like we do when we're sick. I recently had a 5 week pullet with a swollen eye and wattle (no sneezing yet) and I increased the temp and she fought it off without meds.

Looks like you're in further, but maybe with meds and extra warmth they could pull through.

Do they have any nasal discharge? My birds with RI had swollen eyes, but not stuck shut. It kind of bulged around the eye, and they kept them closed most of the time.
I had limited access to medicine here, and by the time I got them on Baytril it was too late.

So far I have been able to avoid it transferring to any more of my flock, and this was a year go. I wish you the best, and hope that your birds heal.

 

[RedneckChikns]

Could be Infectious Coryza...a least looks that way to me. I would be SCREAMING at the breeder but that will probably do you know good, he can blame it on you lalalaa no proof of where the birds caught it....but ditto they DONT GET COLDS.

Since they are ALL sick keep them together and DO NOT introduce any new birds...if you do....do it in a differnt spot no where NEAR where you had these guys.

Get you some SULMET (at any feed store) and get that right into the drinking water. Get you a bag of Auramycine (about 25 bucks) and ad some to the feed. They could take up to a month to clear...or being blunt...they will die.

If they die BURN THEM and BURN the carcasses till they are NOTHING....you dont want to infect any new birds you get.

You got SCREWED and I feel bad for you but ag people arent going to do a thing about it...best you can do IF he wont give you a refund-take birds back is post his name on Craigslist and here and where ever you saw his ad.

Hoping all works out.

Terramycin (in the yellow packet) is a TOTAL waste of money....yes a pen. shot could also help but if youve never done it, dont...I dont react well to Pen. myself so when I do use it I glove up and have safty googles on in case of any backsplash.

Try the Sulmet first...dont mess with their eyes short of maybe putting a dab of neospoyrin (not the kind with the anesthic in it-just the regular kind) in each eye, or ON each eye if closed.

Again..sooo sorry you are having to go through this!

 

[phasian]

Like many here have expressed, this is situation is shameful, but it's not going to get your birds better now that you have them. (As a breeder myself, I always give a 6 month health guarantee.)

I am from the organics/natural camp with chicken keeping. I have had birds passed onto me for rescue with infectious coryza and well as common respiratory complaints. I kept them quarantined and was meticulous about hand washing, having specific shoes, etc. but was able to get these conditions under control using herbal treatments without further outbreaks. (These birds will never be bred or for sale but I felt they deserved a chance at a quality life). Firstly, I used strong doses of garlic in their drinking water (in plastic waterers), 8 cloves of minced garlic per gallon, as well as squeezing a garlic oil capsule (1500mg available where vitamins are sold) in their beaks daily. I also put 5 drops of lavender oil (sold at health food stores) in beaks daily. Eyes were cleaned with a eye wash solution (available at drug stores) that contained a small amount of boric acid once daily or more if needed. If there was discharge from their nostrils, I cleaned it out with Qtips dipped in warm water and lavender oil. Both garlic and lavender oil have powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. I also provided heat in their housing using ceramic heat emitters (available at pet shops that have reptile supplies). These work in light bulb sockets, but do not provide light- just warmth.

Great resources for using natural treatments are, "The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm & Stable" by Juliette de Bairacli-Levy; and "Poultry Homeopathy"by B.P. Madrewar.

I have worked on and off with/for veterinarians throughout my life, and do have support for blood analyses, etc., but find that a lot of tests are inconclusive. Natural remedies rarely ever have side effects, are reasonably priced, and typically more effective in the long run than antibiotics/drugs. You can still eat the eggs if a chicken is laying while administering herbs.
Hope this helps....

 

[ddzFunnyfarm]

So sorry you're going through this, but gotta say THIS shows just why BYC is the best site around! A variety of experienced advice and care with encouragement. Hoping your ladies all pull through......

Keep us posted.

*****
Devoted wife to the most patient coop-n-run builder on Earth, mom to 4 and their spouses, g-ma to 3+1 on the way

....I'm graciously allowed by the FunnyFarm inmates to serve them: Ruby the Lab/Pit galoot who thinks she's a lapdog, Smalls the slinky black feline who thinks she's God's gift to Ruby, 13 new un-named chicks, 14 Jumbo CornishXs we're sending to Camp Freeze-em-up on April 1 (funny timing, eh?!!), Bruuuce the Ameraucana Roo who does not "get" that whole 'crow only at sun-up thing', our laying flock of 22 (Eenie, Meenie, Miney & Mo and The 3 Stooges the Ameraucanas, Cruella the WCBP and Balayage the GP, Lucy the RIR, Ethyl the NHR, Winnie & Dottie the BRs, Splash the SLW, Foghorn & Leghorn the WLs, Goldie & Starr the RSL & BSL, CC the Blk Minorca, JetBlue the Blue Andalusian, 'CBOF the Greedy' the Lt Brahma, and Abby-Normal the Red Frizzle Cochin Bantam who runs the place!)

 

[snowbird]

From someone that has experience with poultry diseases. This appears to be the start of Coryza, can you smell a strong noxious odor coming from the chicks ? I would treat with either LA-200 or Duramycin right into the open eye, just squirt the eye with a couple of drops. In the water give either Sulmet or Sulfadimethoxine in water just follow directions for mixing. First thing to do is get the Oxytetracycline liquid in the eye socket. Don