Respiratory Illness. Cull or Keep?

[Ghosty]

What would you do? I have two pullets 20 - 24 weeks that have come down with a respiratory illness. They are quarantined and have been on Pen G for 2 days. The light brahma has watery eyes, nostrils. The game hen has a gurgle, cough, sneeze, and watery nostrils. The game hen's symptoms have improved. The brahma still has watery eyes. They are eating and drinking some. I have read up a lot on respiratory illness. I have them on Pen G because that's all I can get right now. I figure if anything it could help a secondary infection. What I want to know is would you cull the birds or try to rehabilitate them. I am partial to the game hen especially, but I am worried for the rest of my flock. I know a lot of you are going to say they are already contaminated, but then why cull? Quarantining 2 grown birds in my attatched garage for a month or two also doesn't seem very feasible, as they are in a 4 x 4 x 4 pen. Biosecurity between the garage, house, outside is difficult at best.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What I do,,,I give them a week or two than judge if they have improved or not. I personally don't treat. Things either fight stuff off or we cull. I personally don't even remove them during this time because if they have something everyone has been exposed. They are just the ones that couldn't fight it off.

I keep a large flock, and think of the flock as a whole, and make my decisions based on what's best for the whole. Others keep chickens and value each member like pets. So it can depend on how you fell about your birds. In my experiences sick chickens stay that way or continue to come down with stuff until they finally succumb to things. Antibiotics aren't the answer to everything and they are overused in chickens, but that's just my personal opinion.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Have you introduced new birds into your flock recently? Your whole flock probably has been exposed to it.
Sounds like your birds have ILT. My flock does and I keep Tylan 50 handy. Get some Tylan 50 or Tylan 200 and administer it orally for 10 days following the instructions provided in the picture below. I put the Tylan on a piece of bread and give it to the bird I’m treating.

 

[Ghosty]

I have 23 birds. I'm more concerned about my birds as a whole. I recently introduced three 8 week old games I had hatched and raised. They all roost in the same coop. They all free range all day. It has been wet and cold here for a while. Raining again today.

My coop is big enough for 20 birds. I'm going to expand to make it larger for winter. Plenty of ventilation without wind, but I want to make the coop deeper (16 x 15), and get them even further in. The coop is 16 x 5, 16 x 8 enclosed run, with ventilation on the long side, south facing, with some sheltering trees and buildings.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Were these 2 originally with the 23?

 

[Ghosty]

What I do,,,I give them a week or two than judge if they have improved or not. I personally don't treat. Things either fight stuff off or we cull. I personally don't even remove them during this time because if they have something everyone has been exposed. They are just the ones that couldn't fight it off.

I keep a large flock, and think of the flock as a whole, and make my decisions based on what's best for the whole. Others keep chickens and value each member like pets. So it can depend on how you fell about your birds. In my experiences sick chickens stay that way or continue to come down with stuff until they finally succumb to things. Antibiotics aren't the answer to everything and they are overused in chickens, but that's just my personal opinion.

Thanks for the advice oldhenlikesdogs. I was really considering taking the very approach you use. I don't have all the resources to properly quarantine, and they have already been around the other birds anyway. The game hen seems to be improving, no more sneezing and coughing, and the gurgle has lessened.
Thanks for the numbers on the Tylan, Brahma Chicken5000.

 

[Ghosty]

Were these 2 originally with the 23?

The Light Brahma was. The game hen is one of 2 birds I got 3 months ago. However, 2 of my other Light Brahma's died suddenly, recently. I got the Brahma's from a hatchery, and the games from an individual.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So they game got sick after she was placed with your flock, correct?
What I'm getting at is, these birds were living with your existing flock - they are not really "new" to you, you've had them for a few months correct?

Whatever illness these have, then all the others have been exposed as well.
It is up to you to determine if they should be culled or not.
Testing is an option at most state labs.
Your goals would dictate how important it is whether you cull or not too. Are you going to be breeding/selling? Showing?

 

[Ghosty]

So they game got sick after she was placed with your flock, correct?
What I'm getting at is, these birds were living with your existing flock - they are not really "new" to you, you've had them for a few months correct?

Whatever illness these have, then all the others have been exposed as well.
It is up to you to determine if they should be culled or not.
Testing is an option at most state labs.
Your goals would dictate how important it is whether you cull or not too. Are you going to be breeding/selling? Showing?

My main goal is keeping the flock healthy. I might breed a few games for myself, but that's about it. One game rooster, the rest hens is the plan. I have 15 Sapphire Gems from Hoover, 2 Light Brahmas (had 4) from Cackle, 2 game hens I got locally, and 3 game chicks I hatched from shipped eggs; one is a roo.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I am very wary bringing in private breeders birds of any age. If possible only bring in eggs to hatch. Older birds can bring in diseases your flock isn't used to and wreak havoc.

Another problem this time of year is migrating birds can bring stuff in. If I'm gonna see one with a respiratory problem it will be in the fall. I have had birds recover from stuff, but without testing I don't know exactly what I'm dealing with. Thankfully so far I haven't had anything nasty. I keep a closed flock now, and only get day old chicks or hatching eggs from a single hatchery.