Respiratory disease?

[dawg53]

I have a 15 week old silkie and I was about to move it outdoors for the first time with the rest of the flock a couple days ago when I noticed it was keeping its eyes shut and when it did open them they were a cloudy grayish color almost like he might be going blind. I quickly put him back into the crate I have kept him in. He seems to have a runny nose with clear discharge and shakes his head frequently. Last night he started gently opening his mouth and sticking his neck out when he breathes...sometimes a gurgling sound would come out. Today I listened to his breathing and he seems raspy and he is very lethargic and will not open his eyes much at all. I have no idea what to do for him. There isn't a vet I can take him to. I had his crate sitting next to a cage that I was keeping my 4 week old chicks in. I quickly moved the silkie into an isolated room as soon as I saw he was sick. Today one of my 4 week old chicks has been sneezing and acting lethargic so I immediately pulled her out and isolated her. The other chicks seem fine for now. I do not know what I should do. Any ideas or helpful suggestions? Do you think it will affect my whole chick flock? What should I do with the sick chicks?

I dont know where you got your Silkie from, but he has spread a disease to your chicks...who are now infected. Do NOT introduce these sick birds to your 6 healthy hens and 3 bantams. They will get sick as well. Immediately cull the Silkie and chicks and bury them deep away from your healthy flock or incinerate them. If you dont, you will be dealing with sick birds for the rest of their lives, spending money on antibiotics which eventually wont work and loss of egg production. Most importantly you will have knowingly infected healthy birds causing them to suffer...your 6 healthy hens and 3 bantams.
Additionally, respiratory diseases can be passed to healthy birds after handling sick birds via shoes, clothing, hands etc...are you willing to change clothes, shoes and take a shower prior to visiting your healthy flock each time you go outside? This is called biosecurity.

 

[calicosmurph]

I dont know where you got your Silkie from, but he has spread a disease to your chicks...who are now infected. Do NOT introduce these sick birds to your 6 healthy hens and 3 bantams. They will get sick as well. Immediately cull the Silkie and chicks and bury them deep away from your healthy flock or incinerate them. If you dont, you will be dealing with sick birds for the rest of their lives, spending money on antibiotics which eventually wont work and loss of egg production. Most importantly you will have knowingly infected healthy birds causing them to suffer...your 6 healthy hens and 3 bantams.
Additionally, respiratory diseases can be passed to healthy birds after handling sick birds via shoes, clothing, hands etc...are you willing to change clothes, shoes and take a shower prior to visiting your healthy flock each time you go outside? This is called biosecurity.

Dawg53, I was hoping that would not be the case. Would I need to cull even the chicks not showing symptoms? And how soon could I start over with new chicks in the house?

 

[LoveThemBirds]

You may not have to cull.

Just medicate them.


If you hurry and add it to their water,and may not stay for life time....

 

[casportpony]

I would use the 800mg dose.

-Kathy

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Respiratory diseases have different incubation times and different course times. They all have one thing in common; they WILL spread to healthy birds. You can have a necropsy performed on your Silkie to find out exactly what you're dealing with, then you could get an idea when to repopulate.
Here's a link for you to look through regarding respiratory diseases. Take a look at Infectious Bronchitis (IB,) Infectious Coryza and Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG.) Keep in mind that it's not necessary that birds have the same exact symptoms for each disease that I mentioned...it depends on the severity of the strain. It's also possible that birds can have two diseases (or more) at the same time.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[casportpony]

Call the lab in TN and ask about having your Silkie tested for the various respiratory diseases that poultry can get. They may suggest a blood test, nasal swab or maybe necropsy. A friend of mine was about to cull his birds, but decided to have the sick one tested and it came back negative for mycoplasma, but positive for E. coli. and another bacteria. Of course theses things often are things one should cull for, so that is viable option.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

FYI, I think TN is one of the States that offers free necropsies on backyard flocks, so definetly worth calling and asking.

-Kathy

 

[calicosmurph]

I'm not sure where to find that info. Have to do some googling. The 4 week Olds seem improved a bit with more energy and not much sneezing today since I gave the antibiotic last night. The silkie I think might be too far gone. I really hate to have to cull seemingly fine chicks. This is so frustrating. The silkie came from an individual. I got the babies 4 weeks ago from Tractor supply. They were never in the same cage but the cages were next to each other. I'm sure the silkie must have started it. This makes me so sad.

 

[casportpony]

I'm not sure where to find that info. Have to do some googling. The 4 week Olds seem improved a bit with more energy and not much sneezing today since I gave the antibiotic last night. The silkie I think might be too far gone. I really hate to have to cull seemingly fine chicks. This is so frustrating. The silkie came from an individual. I got the babies 4 weeks ago from Tractor supply. They were never in the same cage but the cages were next to each other. I'm sure the silkie must have started it. This makes me so sad.

Kord Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory - Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory

TN Dept of Agriculture
436 Hogan Road Nashville, Tennessee 37220
Phone: 615-837-5294
Fax 615-837-5250
http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/regulatory/kord.shtml

State Vet:

Name: Dr. Charles Hatcher
Title: State Veterinarian
Agency: Division of Regulatory Services
Department: Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Office Address: P.O. Box 40627 Nashville, TN 37204
Office Telephone No: (615) 837-5120
Fax No: (615) 837-5250
E-mail : [email protected]

-Kathy

 

[calicosmurph]

In our effort to decide what to do with the chicks it occurred to me that we set the chicks cage right on top of our dog's cage that he sleeps in every night and when we leave the house. The chicks have thrown their bedding all over which falls onto the dog frequently and he has been outside in the yard most of the days so therefore, he has already contaminated our outside flock. Since we just have a small backyard flock and I don't plan on bringing anymore new chickens in and we don't sell our eggs for hatching or our birds, I think we might just see what happens and let the chicks live. Not all of them are sick anyway. They don't seem to be getting any worse. The silkie chick we may have to put down. He was a little perky today but I think he may be a rooster which we are not allowed to have and since I cannot re-home him if he is infected we will have to cull. I'm still giving the chicks the oxytetracycline in their water and we will see what happens.