New chicks seem to be sneezing

[blipit007]

Im new to chickens. We got 5 chick on Saturday. We are keeping them indoors and have a heat light on them. The temp is around 85-95 F but some of the chicks seem to be sneezing every now and then. Is that bad?
Kristen

 

[Michael Apple]

I keep mine on floor lined with paper towels the first 5 days. If you already have them on shavings sometimes the shavings are too dusty and can cause respiratory problems. I took my first bag of shavings for the brooder back this month because of how dusty it was. Drafty areas are a problem too. If they are in a dusty area with bad ventilation it could be the problem. Also, soiled areas are breeding grounds for fungi like Aspergillosis (brooder pneumonia) and other bacterial manifestations. Only you know the environment in your brooder. Don't allow droppings to become too abundant and keep the water troughs clean as well as the feeders. I changed paper towels a few times a day being slow and easy about it as to not scare and stress the chicks.

Use a good quality vitamin-electrolyte in the water at 3 day intervals and add a couple drops of Poultry Rx remedy in the water trough they drink from. Keep them warm 90-95 the first week depending on where they place themselves around the brooder lamp. If you still see sneezing after a couple days, get back on here and tell us.

I've used a mixture of antibiotics for flock treatment in the past which targets CRD (Chronic Respiratory Disorder). Get a bag of Chlortetracycline and a bag of Gallimycin and mix equal parts of each together dry in a jar. Use one teaspoon of the mixture for each gallon of water and repeat for for 14 days, changing the waterers daily. Dawg54 knows of a new antibiotic besides this that works well in water, but I forget which one it is. Tylan 50 is often used for respiratory problems but is difficult to administer to chicks that young since it is an injectible.

 

[blipit007]

Thank you Michael. It may be the shavings. They do seem bit dusty. I clean constantly. I will keep you posted.

 

[Michael Apple]

Thank you Michael. It may be the shavings. They do seem bit dusty. I clean constantly. I will keep you posted.

You're welcome. Don't put them on shavings too early as you want them to get accustomed to what food is and where it is located. Larger flake pine shavings is what I prefer after 5 days since so many of the finer flake shavings are dusty and easier for them to ingest.

There is such a thing as being too obsessive about cleanliness. Moisture and caking of litter with chick droppings is a recipe for disaster, if neglected. Chicks will get droppings in the most protected feeders and the smallest game bird water troughs. Changing the water 3 or more times a day is not out of the ordinary the first few weeks of brooder life. the same goes for cleaning out feeders to keep them free of droppings. They will ingest some. That's just the way it is and it is necessary for them to build immunity to coccidia. I prefer Amprolium in water as opposed to feed for reasons I won't get into now, but believe it is necessary to prevent cocci protozoans from overwhelming the chick's digestive system. The brooder and the outdoors with mother hen are two very different environments for chicks, and regardless of what certain people say about there being no difference in regard to immunity, they are wrong. If they were right, they wouldn't hatch and brood chicks themselves. They'd be letting hens do all the work and let the mortality percentages fall where they may out in the yard.

Use various size platforms to keep water above the layer of shavings. Scrap wood that can be nailed together at home comes in handy for this. They seem to grow like weeds after the first 7 days, so you may find yourself making platforms of different heights. Getting a good program together that allows chicks to grow into healthy adults is a task. There's a very informative book that covers those first 5 weeks in detail. You can find it here: http://www.nortoncreekpress.com/success_with_baby_chicks.html
You may also find some chick raising info that is helpful here:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html

 

[blipit007]

Thats some great info! I will look into something for the water. Also, here is something new this morning. Not sure if I should be worried but there seems to be some weird looking feathers/moisture under one of my B.Rocks wing. Looks like she has been messing with it? Maybe she has mites? Is it too early for a mite powder and dust bath or something? Here is a photo.

 

[Michael Apple]

Difficult to tell by the pics. Are you sure the chick didn't get into the water trough? Are any of the eyes weeping and the bird is rubbing it against the wing or breast? If the skin is irritated or raw, there could be some pecking going on. If that's the case make sure the temp is comfortable for them and there's enough feed and water stations for all chicks to get to. I use Rooster Booster Pick-No-More lotion on spots that have been picked. It is spicy, a little goes a long way, and birds don't like the taste. Getting the right balance of minerals is also a good way to prevent feather picking. A good quality vitamin-electrolyte in the water should help with that.

 

[blipit007]

OK, So I went and got Duramycin-10 which is an antibiotic. It calls for 400-800 mg of powder per gallon... Conversion?? 1G per 1,000mg... Is that enough? Can I over do that? I also got the Electrolytes. The store owner suggested I just get the antibiotic in them first then start the electrolytes when they get better. She also sold me some medicated food (which I did not have apparently)

No there is nothing around her eyes. Under her wing looks like she did fall in the water, but it is not normal looking after all day. She is eating and drinking and playing. So maybe its nothing.

What do you suggest about dosage for the antibiotic?

Thanks again for all the help! I want to give them the best care I can.

 

[Michael Apple]

I'd take the Duramycin back and get some Tylan soluble powder. I have never used injectibles on a chick so don't get Tylan soluble powder confused with Tylan 50 injectible. Even if you don't end up using it, keep it on hand. Tylan is the most effective drug against CRD that I know of (use 1 tsp per gallon of water). Some people have sworn by Denagard for respiratory diseases of chickens but I have never used it. Both can be found here:
http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livestock/pharmaceuticals/oral-antibiotics-sulfas.html

 

[Michael Apple]

I didn't mean to be dismissive against the Duramycin. I just think it is a weak antibiotic. The dosage is 1 tablespoon per gallon of water for treatment and 1/2 tablespoon as a preventative. Sometimes my memory makes me stumble. Start out with the Duramycin 10 if you think you really need to. If you don't see improvement in 3 days, I would then go with the Tylan soluble powder. You'll save about $20 if you ordered it from QC Supply versus buying it in most feed stores. I had to slap down $75 some years ago because I didn't want to wait for it in the mail.

 

[blipit007]

Thank you Michael! I had already opened the package so i probably cant bring it back. I will go look for the meds you suggest though. Probably good to have around. The other stuff is Tetrocycline. There is less sneezing today I think. It's such a tiny sneeze to notice.

The gluey stuff under the lil Rock's wing is less but still there. No abraisions... and no one is bugging her about it... its a mystery.

This may sound like a stupid question, but I would like to get a silkie chick. How long should I wait to add her to this flock. I haven't gotten her, but just looking right now.