Sick 5-8 wk Bantam//Sneezing Swollen Eye Bloody Stool. Help!

[MacCana]

So I had an initial respiratory illness in one of the younger chicks...I treated everyone since they free range together (I have several cooped by age groups). Then right after treatment (I fed Aureomycin crumbles), I had some of my 6 month old birds get lethargic, runny stool, and I found one bloody (I had started Corid in the water at this time) & a couple of days ago I noticed the only bantam I have with a swollen eye, like down in the corner. Figured it was just irritated from being poked, but today I noticed it being lethargic & gasping. When I inspected it's mouth, it;s little trachea was making a slight "pop" noise every breath. Started feeding crumbles figuring it was purely respiratory. Then saw someone online recommended Oxytetracycline for something similar....so I started that ib the water, Got a little into it;s mouth, but didn't want to choke it so I couldn't force it. It had some watermelon not long ago. Seems to be slightly perkier, but I just checked on it and saw bloody stool. I just ran Corid through everyone's water for a little more than 7 days and everyone has seemed ok during the past week up until this. Why would it still have cocci? Is this cocci or some bad resp illness? Does it sound like something this chick will be a carrier of? Any knowledge is appreciated. I will be breeding & selling eggs, so I don't want to be selling sick birds.

 

[MacCana]

It's slightly better this morning, but still rough. it's been eating the crumbles, but not sure about the water intake. Also gave it a small piece of watermelon again. I still need some advice. I can't understand how it's still showing symptoms with how much they've all been medicated lately. Please, someone give me their thoughts here.

 

[MacCana]

No one knows anything???

 

[MacCana]

Can anyone at least tell me whether they think Corid or Oxytetracycline in the water is the best route? Is there something injectible that I could use? It's appetite is still ok, but I can't get it to drink anything, and it's little throat is too small for me to use the syringes I have on hand without getting some in the trachea. Come on now, anyone?

 

[MacCana]

The stool is back to normal by the way, but the eye has maybe increased in swelling down in the corner & it still doesn't want to drink. But will eat crumbles & watermelon with some persuasion. I really want to save this one if possible.

 

[MacCana]

Good grief.....I've never felt so neglected! *Sits down in dark corner*

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that you received no answers, but it could be that your case is fairly complicated. Respiratory diseases in chickens are all carrier diseases, and will make carriers of the flock. Infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma (MG,) coryza, and ILT are the common ones, and some come in twos. You shouldn't be selling any chicks or birds out of your flock in the future. I would recommend that you get a necropsy done by your state vet on a sick bird to find out what you are dealing with. Coccidiosis weakens chicks to fight off other diseases. Aereomycin and oxytetracycline are both tetracycline antibiotics. The oxy is used more commonly in respiratory diseases. If it were me, and you didn't want to cull your sick chicks, I would treat them individually with Tylan 50 injection, either given as a shot or given orally. Sick birds usually don't drink enough of the medicated water to help. Here are links about finding your state vet and the various diseases to read symptoms, and I would read about the 4 above: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx

 

[MacCana]

Thanks for the reply eggcessive. It was a little too late to be helped I'm afraid. Died night before last. But now I have a 22 day old dorking chick (who is being brooded with 10 others) that is beginning to show signs of illness (they were exposed to the bantam before it appeared sick). It's a little cockerel....and I'm not against culling if it will help my birds, but is that what I should do with the little dork too? There's about 5 pullets in with him that are very much needed for my breeding program so I can't risk their health. I'm going to go seperate him right now actually. He had a "booger" yday when I was looking him over & is beginning to do that thing where they just stand around & close their eyes.
These birds are my hobby & I do need to be able to sell them. So does this mean everything I have in my yard is completely useless now?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. If MG is a possibility, then you would need to get tested since MG can be spread through any chickens or hatching eggs. Are you in the US? Here is another link for finding the state vet in the US: http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

 

[MacCana]

Yes I am in the US. I seemed to have isolated the issue into the young birds, 3 months old & less in age are the only ones affected.most of them are having slight sneezes. & clear runny nose. All of my SG Dorkings have small sores on their feet. Until today, I had them in a little playhouse, but I had been afraid to move it often thinking my older birds out free ranging would come over & end up ingesting some of the chicks poo trying to pick through for spilled crumbles. I think the sores are my fault, not a symptom of the disease. They look like small red cuts on the bottom of their feet. Prob from standing in their own poo for too long . I moved them in with my turken chicks bc they're sneezing too, but they're in a chicken tractor on grass, so I figured what the heck. They're all sick, so might as well house them together to help the youngest batches feet. What should I do as far as treatment for that? I'm going to be sure to continue moving the tractor daily so they wont be standing in their own poo anymore. Other than keeping their feet clean, is there an antibiotic spray I could put on them? Its on their toes too and in random spots on the bottom of their feet so it'd really be to hard to sit down and bandage all those feet & toes. I did get in touch with the dept. of agriculture & they connected me to a core lab in Nashville, but thats over a 4 hour drive round trip....I'm considering just giving them Vet Rx on their heads & under wings & in their water as only treatment to see if it's a real serious disease or just some kind of "cold". If they start dropping dead, I'll see if I can't overnight a bird(s) for a necropsy to them. If VetRx works, won't that mean my chicks don't have anything serious? Wouldn't it take antibiotics/some real serious meds to cure high caliber resp. disease? Any additional thoughts welcomed. I'll try to post a pic of the feet. Its not bumblefoot, but could become an infection.