Newbie needs help!!

[tmv1266]

Hi all! I am new to the Chicken world and have fallen for my fluffy little girls! I started with 6 chicks from Theisens. 3 Aracanas and 3 heavy pullets i fed them natures choice feed. I went to a local swap and purchased 2 Cochins and 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes. In my ignorance I combined all my chickens. On further examination I noticed caked eyes and matted feathers on the cochins. I called the Vet and he gave me Albon which I put in the water for 3 days with no improvement and lost 3 babies so we switched to Duramycin (sp) which I dosed for 4 days with little improvement I found blood in the poop and lost 4 more. A friend gave me 8 more chicks who I kept completely seperate from the other chickens, these chickens started dying no symptoms other than blood in poop also just found dead in pen. I called the vet again and he gave me Corid which i dosed for 3 days and lost 1 baby. I noticed great improvement but my babies are so thin.I came to the conclusion that maybe all the antibiotics have destroyed the healthy enzymes in there gut so I've started feeding boiled eggs to them and took away the medicated water and switched to the medicated feed its been 3 days with no dead babies and everyone seems to be getting better except for a couple crusty eyes and an occasional sneeze. Should I put them back on the duramycin or wait. i read not to give them electrolytes after antibiotics should I go to that. Please help!!! I've become so attatched I hate to loose anymore. Some I even had to feed and water with a syringe.

 

[Judy]

The ones with the bloody poop on Corid have coccidiosis, and should recover, at least most of them. Some plain yogurt will help soothe their guts. Corid is not an antibiotic. It is a thiamine blocker, and blocks thiamine uptake in the cocci.

For the ones with the respiratory symptoms, it is a very different story. Most of these diseases are never cured, and some can be passed on to the next generation through the chick. If the bet did not test them, you can't be sure which desease they have. Some old time chicken keepers simply cull flocks which develop one of these diseases/ If you keep them, you need to keep a closed flock forever, meaning no selling eggs for hatching, no selling hatched chicks, and no selling or giving away of live birds.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/coccidiosis-how-to-treat-it

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/clinical-signs-for-common-respiratory-diseases-of-poultry

 

[tmv1266]

Thank you for your reply. I think I will have the vet test them I would hate to take the chance of spreading a disease. I would like to someday start a flock of Gold Laced Orpingtons. If it is such a disease will I ever be able to raise a flock in the same coop?

 

[tmv1266]

I am very releaved to report the Vet has cleared my chickens!!! YAY!!!