Sick babies- what to do?

[Crimsonchicken]

I have some 2week old silkies and 3 week old brown leghorns. I noticed the day before yesterday that 2 of the silkies seemed to have stuffy noses. The only symptom they were exhibiting was occasional mouth breathing (rare and mostly when eating) and sometimes a squeaky noise from there nose and occasional head shaking. Today, one seems to be a little worse. It acts like me when I have a sinus infection. It swallows alot and closes it's eyes sometimes. I also heard it sneeze and there was very very minor nasal discharge. It still eats and drinks fine and has almost as much energy as the other guys.

I don't know if I'm being paranoid or what but I think I'm noticing a few others seeming stuffy. can chickens have sinus infections? These birds have never been outside and I bought them from Cackle hatchery. They have been Mareks vaccinated. The leghorns are in a separate brooder next to the silkies. I'm having different issues with one or two of those guys. I'll put that in another post. I also have some mutt chickens outside, but my new guys have never come in contact with them and, also, the mutts are healthy. ( knock on wood).

So, the question is, do I go ahead and medicate silkies and leghorns with what I have, which is Duramycin-10 and ProBios? It seems that if one guy is displaying URI symptoms, then pretty soon they all will. I'm freaking out a bit as these are my babies and I want them to be ok. We had poultry and water fowl when I was a kid and I don't remember ever having these issues with them.

I'm also freaking out because I have two parrots in the house too and I am so afraid they will catch something from the chickens. They are in another part of the house, and I do wash and change clothes before handling my birds after handling the chicks. Still, it bothers me.

. Im so worried about the chickens it's kinda making me feel sick. I want to see them grow and live happily in the houses and pens we are building. I asked my grandma if any of her chickens ever got sick when she had chickens and she said no.

In case you are wondering, the chicks get medicated chick crumbles and I've been giving them Polyvisol for several days now because I figured since they are inside they need the extra vitamins.

Am I worrying too much? Suggsetions? Words of wisdom? Help please.

 

[Atomic Ranch]

I'm empathetic to your plight, very sorry you're stressed out. But I think you're being very wise to exercise such caution.

I'm relatively new to chickens, but have managed to raise a flock and treat a couple in the process. Is there any sneezing?

It does kinda sound like a URI or CRD. Are the eyes runny? A tried in vain for two weeks to help a small chick who had similar symptoms... head-shaking, runnies, scratching... and she had never been exposed to any other birds other than at the hatchery. Duramycin, antibiotics, vitamins, and nothing helped. What DID finally cure her (IMO) was Ciprofloxacin Opthalmic Solution .3%, for human conjunctivitis (a pinkeye eye drop). Also a topical erythromycin.

I suppose I now have what folks refer to as a "closed flock", in that they were exposed to her for a period. Although I don't notice any symptoms in any of my chickens now, not even a sneeze, at 4 months.

Please keep us posted?

 

[Atomic Ranch]

A couple of sites which offer extensive symptom cross-references and reading material:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiNZo6udgaR9cHdoalE2WW5nODc3aXpfSk5pQ04xSVE&hl=en#gid=0

Your grandmother may have had livestock during a period which we were all perhaps less sensitive to seemingly trivial health problems. In the event your chicks do have a respiratory issue, it's common, and with treatment they'll overcome it but may always be carriers. Have you phoned Cackle and spoken with them yet? I'd get all the information you can then decide whether to treat them, and ultimately keep them or not.

Best of luck and will be thinking of you!

 

[Crimsonchicken]

Thanks for the reply. No runny eyes yet. Could it be environmental, like dust or something? Anyone else have any suggestions? Should I go ahead and medicate?

I wont mind having a closed flock, as they are mostly pets with the leghorns being for eggs.

 

[Atomic Ranch]

Could be, and hope so! Are there shavings, etc. very small like it could irritate them? Personally, I'd probably hold off unless and until they show more definitive symptoms so you know what to treat them with.

 

[imelfamily]

I'm so sorry you are having problems. We recently adopted 8 chicks and only have a couple left. It has been one thing after another, and many conversations with our local experts. Several of our chicks had very similar symptoms. Breathing through their mouth was the first symptom. Then they started sneezing and scratching their eye's. I was told they are very susceptible to respiratory problems. I started my girls on antibiotics, and was hand feeding mash and water with a dropper. When there eyes were getting weepy and worse I also started warm cloths to clean out thier eyes. Weather it was a cold, flu, pneumonia we don't know, but I don't think you can start the antibiotics too soon. Unfortunately ours did not make it. I so hope you can pull yours through. Good luck!

 

[leadwolf1]

When my silkies were inside, I had the same problem but not too that severity. Here's what I did and continue to do with any chicks that I get, except for the medication. I put them on duramycin 10 and gave all poly vi sol. Only one appeared sick and was actually coughing and I thought it was going to die! While on the antibiotics, I started bleaching everything that they came in contact with 3X per week. At first, it was every other day. Entire brooder, water bottles, feeders, floor, everything. I also starting making sure that they got outside for at least an hour a day. I'm not sure if it was the antibiotics or the other care but they all survived. I have integrated them into my flock and have had no signs/symptoms of illness out of anyone. They have been with them for over a month. I am thinking that it was environmental and was curtailed by fresh air and clorox!

I'm not sure this will help but since I started this regimen, I have had no sneezing or any signs of illness in any chicks.

Good luck with your babies!

 

[Crimsonchicken]

Thanks for the help. I'll start them on the Duramycin tonight, i think. Im going to observe some more today. Does anyone know how to feed probios to the chicks? I can't put it in the water because that's where the meds will go. I've done found out that these chicks do not like wet food. So mash may be a no go. They are still eating fine and drinking water.

 

[leadwolf1]

I used yogurt...

 

[Crimsonchicken]

I would try the yogurt, but you aren't supposed to give dairy with Duramycin. Hmmmm......

However, you used it with Duramycin. I dont know. I'll try something.