Sick flock

[thereseiam]

Hi all,

Please help me figure out what is wrong with my flock and help if you can! I have been extremely unimpressed with the knowledge of my vet and am afraid I'm going to lose everyone.

I got a dose of stuff to put in the water (it was $28 for one packet that lasted three days, so I had them on it for six days total--sorry, can't remember the name of it at the moment) which did absolutely nothing. My vet then suggested SMZ-TMP in the water for five days, again, nothing. I'm losing one two two adult chickens per day, and it has decimated my young flock of seramas. Out of 28, I'm down to about 8.

Finally, Clay, my rooster, became very ill, and when he got to the point of laying in a heap in the middle of the coop, I figured he was dead anyway, and anything I did couldn't hurt, so I put 2cc of pennicylan (sp?) into him, and low and behold the next day he was up and about. I gave him another 4 days worth of injections, moving him down to 1cc per day. He is now mostly recovered, but still not 100%.

Here's what they are doing. They are coughing, and when they breathe they rattle. Some are mouth breathing. Their beaks are wet and just before they die, their eyes both swell shut and get kind of foamy around them.

Please tell me what I can do to try and save as many of my group as possible!

Thanks so much,

Therese

 

[Plain Old Dee]

It's an upper respiratory infection. It's most likely viral and while the antibiotics help with secondary infections, they don't help with the primary disease. My flock is going through the same thing. I lost a few - but most are recovering and starting to lay. A couple have acted like they were at death's door and I was sure I would find them dead the next morning, but they were up and around the next day and although they still sneeze a lot, they seem to be on the mend. I thought they were all over it, but it came back again - but the visit doesn't seem to be as intense as it was (maybe because they are finished moulting?). The only difference is that my hens eyes are all clear and bright - no foamy ick.

 

[thereseiam]

Hi Dee,

My only question is if it is viral, how come the pennicylan worked?

Is there anything I can do to help save the rest of them? Can you recommend some medications to either put in the water or inject them with?

It's just killing me to think that I might lose everyone--I have gathered quite the nice collection of birds, and I really am enjoying them. I just want to help them in some way.

From the reading I've done, this really sounds like Infectous Coryza (also called roup or coryza) but it's not responding to the medication like the books say it should.

Thanks!

Therese