sick chickens need help

[meltowns]

I posted yesterday and got no responses. new symptom today. hopefully i can get some help!!
The other day I noticed some of my girls sneezing, didn't think much of it because it has been so windy. The next day almost all of them were sneezing, had mucus coming out of their noses and some gurgling sounds. I went and got some duramycian 10 for them. They all seem to be doing better somewhat, nobody is sneezing anymore. Some of them still have mucus coming out of their noses and they seem like they have it in their throats too. I have 1 girl who is not doing too hot. She stands alone and sleeps with her head tucked in. She still eats and drinks though. Everyone else is eating and drinking and acting normal except for the mucus. A little bit ago I noticed one of them pooped and it looked kinda weird so i went and looked through it and there was a long worm in it. So my question is could the worms have caused the cold symptoms or am I fighting 2 diseases now? I am on day 3 of the duramycian, should i take them off of that and just worm them or keep them on the durymican? Can i give them that and a wormer? I wouldn't think so but I don't know what to do. This is our first time with chickens and i would hate to lose them all. I put acv in their water, isn't that supposed to help prevent worms? How else would they get them? They are 12 weeks old I have them on Dumor chick starter. They do not free range. I keep the coop and run cleaned once a week. Please, anyone with any help would sure be appreciated...

 

[Judy]

There are a number of respiratory diseases chickens can get, and to be sure which it is requires more than can be done on the internet. In many or most cases, treatment will not cure them as they are viral diseases, and the flock will remain infected for life. Some are also passed from hen to chick in the egg.

I'll give you some links: (The first is a must-read, IMO)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=129278

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

http://www.welphatchery.com/poultry_health.asp

 

[meltowns]

thanks so much!

 

[dawg53]

I recommend you continue the duramycin treatment til it's complete. In the meantime you can purchase or order valbazen in preparation to worm them. Valbazen is a liquid cattle/sheep wormer. If your feed store doesnt carry it, you can order it online from Jefferslivestock.com or call them. Dosage for standard size chickens is 1/2cc given orally....1/4cc for smaller chickens. Since your pullets are 12 weeks old and you've actually seen worms, go with the 1/2cc dosage. Redose them again in 10 days. Use a syringe without the needle when giving orally.
ACV is not a wormer, it is used to help in calcium absorption in their system. ETA: I dont recommend adding ACV to the water that has duramycin in it, it's possible it could diminish its effectiveness.

 

[CherryChick]

I'm sorry to hear about your chickens. I hope they have a speedy recovery!

 

[meltowns]

thanks for all the help. So you don't think that the worms will kill my girls since i still have 4 days of the antibiotics?

 

[dawg53]

It is possible that worms have weakened their immune systems to the point making them weak enough to get a chronic respiratory disease. On the otherhand, it's most likely that one of your birds already had a respiratory issue and it has rapidly spread among the others. You dont want to stop start stop start treatments...not good. Finish the duramycin, then start the other. Now is the time to order the valbazen...by the time you finish the the duramycin, the valbazen will be on it way in the mail.
It is six to one, half a dozen the other honestly...either can kill. You dont want to give them an antibiotic and wormer at the same time...it would be too much stress on them and could overwhelm their systems and possibly kill them....one step at a time. Respiratory diseases are guesswork at treating unless bloodwork or necrospsy is done by your state dept of agriculture or vet school of medicine etc.... Worming is easy.

 

[meltowns]

ok. will do. thanks again so much.