Should i give my chickens antibiotics?

[denisamoga2]

So half of my flock got sick,each one has different symptoms but almost each one has a respiratory disease.While i’m trying to treat the sick ones,i separated the healthy ones in a different yard at my uncle’s house.The healthy ones act fine but i’m worried they got infected and they’re going to get sick sooner or later.Should i use antibiotics in case they got infected and not showing signs yet?

 

[ChickenLeg]

I personally wouldnt treat the ones not showing signs of illness. I would give them some vitamins and make sure their housing is draft free, but I'd wait to til they actually showed signs before treating them. Just my 2 cents

 

[aart]

The healthy ones act fine but i’m worried they got infected and they’re going to get sick sooner or later.

No doubt they have been exposed to the illness.
Choosing an AB can be tricky unless you know exactly what organism is causing the disease.
And most respiratory diseases will be carried for life and symptoms will show during stress.

 

[dawg53]

I dont recommend giving either group of birds antibiotics until you find out what respiratory disease(s) you're dealing with. For example; if it's virus such as Infectious Bronchitis (IB) or Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT,) antibiotics will be ineffective.

Perhaps you can send your sickest bird off for a necropsy to find out exactly what you're dealing with. You can contact your local extension office or state Department of Agriculture to find out how to go about sending a bird to be tested.

Here's a link for you with a list of poultry respiratory diseases including symptoms of each disease and treatments. The most common diseases in flocks are generally Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG), Infectious Coryza, and Infectious Bronchitis (IB.)

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PS044