Respiratory infection

[PlumParadise]

It looks like two of my 8 week old chicks have a respiratory infection. They each have an eyelid that is red and swollen, there is some sneezing. In my 5 years of raising chickens I've never dealt with a respiratory illness. Ive done some research. I'm considering taking one to my vet to determine exactly what the problem is. My biggest concern is that they will have to be culled because everything I've read has said they will be carriers for life and will infect other birds and their eggs can't be used for hatching. Can they still be used for meat or will that depend on the diagnosis? I'm just not sure how to deal with this. I have more than one group of chickens and was planning on moving this group to pasture soon.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos?

Hard to know what you are dealing with unless you have some testing.
Culling would be up to you depending on your goals. If they have Mycoplasma, they will be carriers for life and yes, the disease can be passed on into hatching eggs, so keeping a closed flock is usually a good idea. Generally speaking birds with MG can be used for meat, but that also depends on what you see when processing the carcass - anything questionable or if the bird was showing symptoms of infection at the time of processing it would likely be best to dispose of the carcass. Do some research on FDA processing guidelines.
Symptoms of respiratory bacterial disease like MG can be treated with an antibiotic like Tylosin. Folks that have flocks with illness sometimes give a maintenance treatment of Denagard for 3 days each month to help keep birds asymptomatic. You may want to check into that as well.

You may want to investigate to make sure there's not another cause of symptoms you see. Injury or a peck to the eye, dusty or ammonia conditions. Fowl Pox?
General care for the eye(s) would be to clean with saline and apply and eye ointment.

 

[PlumParadise]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7VhVrQ7ioUNMhWwz6. There are two with puffy eyelids and the "whites" or inner eyelids? are very red. There are also multiple birds sneezing which is why I don't think it's a pecking injury or foreign matter in the eye

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It does sound like you have something running through the flock. Could be MG or something like Infectious Bronchitis.
You can try treating symptoms with Tylosin to see if that helps. Only treat birds that are symptomatic.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

 

[PlumParadise]

I can't find tylosin near me, My IFA said it's in short supply right now , but I did find Denegard 12.5%. I saw some people like to use that for respiratory infections.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It does sound like you have something running through the flock. Could be MG or something like Infectious Bronchitis.
You can try treating symptoms with Tylosin to see if that helps. Only treat birds that are symptomatic.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

I can't find tylosin near me, My IFA said it's in short supply right now , but I did find Denegard 12.5%. I saw some people like to use that for respiratory infections.

Generally you will not find Tylosin in stores, the link to purchase Tylosin online is in the previous post.

Denagard is used to treat Mycoplasma in poultry, so you could try that if you are able to get it. My understanding is that it's very bitter, so you may want to mix it with some fruit juice to make it more palatable.