Sick Pullets - please HELP!!

[Troutbum67]

Hi, new to the forum. Last weekend, I picked up 4 Red Comet pullets (I believe they are more commonly known as Red sex Links in US??) that are about 10 months old for, in retrospect a high price of $60....
At the farm I bought them from, they were all together in what I thought was a small but sufficient cage with a couple other hens and a rooster. The seller put them in a box and I travelled home 1 1/2 hours with the chickens in my truck. Once home, I let them into a 4x6x4 temperary cage I had built with fresh food and water. Shortly thereafter, my wife noticed one hen had her eye almost closed and watering/foaming and she was a bit lathargic. I figured that in the close confines of the box, she had gotten pecked; however the next day both eyes were completely swollen shut. I then isolated her from the other chickens, she had no other obvious symptoms and seemed otherwise to be healthy, ie, no feathers picked and good weight. Then I noticed a second chicken was foaming from one eye and was shaking his head frequently (he had been pecked at quite a bit in the rump area) then a third one started swelling in the eye.
I researched the death out of the symptoms then I went to my local feed store and the clerk there sold me Neo-Chlor antibiotic powder and Electrolytes Plus electrolyte and Vitamin powder. I promptly put them in the water feeder for the last 3 and dribbled it from a small cup into the beak of the first chicken as she was the worst and wouldn't eat/drink on her own. After 4 days, I started to notice improvement. The 3rd chicken seemed to heal right up and is fine. The second seemed to be doing a bit better, the first one's swelling started going down and the eyes opened up a bit and she seemed a bit more "perky".
I was hopeful, but now on the final day 5 (the package only recomends 3-5 days) of medicine, the first chicken's eyes don't seem as open and she is again slightly lathargic. The second one is very lathargic even though one eye is still slightly opened and is sneezing/wheezing a bit when I try to give him fluids. Neither one is eating/drinking on their own. I manage to get some fluids into them but no food.
I am getting very disappointed and fear the worst for these two....Any advice or am I fighting a loosing battle? I want to get some more chicks, but am scared to until I get these guys healthy and figure out if this could be passed to them afterwards.
Sorry for the length of this e mail, but I wanted to be thourough. HELP!
Thanks,
Shawn

 

[realsis]

hi there and welcome. they have a respiratory illness and can be treated successfully with a antibiotic called Tylosin. brand name is Tylan50. the dose is for large birds 1/2cc for small birds 1/4 cc given once a day in the breast muscle for 5 days. you can get Tylan50 at the feed store along with the syringe. do NOT worry that the bottle says for cattle and swine.MANY poultry owners including myself choose to use Tylan50 antibiotic. and successfully treat our poultry with it. its a excellent choice for respiratory illness. the reason I chose injectable over water soluble is because it gets into the blood steam faster and dose is more stable. when they are ill they don't drink as much as they should and this also affects the dosing on water soluble antibiotic. so the dose is more accurate. you should see a significant improvement in a few days. I just had to treat mine with tylan50 as they also had a respiratory illness. now they are better thank God. I hope this helps. when giving the injection I like to use a alcohol swab I'm the area because it parts the feathers nicely and exposed the breast skin. for a clear view. good luck and best wishes. I'd start them on the antibiotic ASAP. best wishes

 

[cafarmgirl]

I would be contacting the person you bought them from, they really should take them back. You don't want to be getting more chicks if you already have diseased birds on your property.

Do you have other older chickens? If so, the risk that they have been, or will be exposed is high. It's very hard for most people to do true quarantine and bio security and poultry respiratory diseases spread very, very easily.

Even if these birds recover with treatment they will remain carrier's of whatever this is.

Sorry to be a dark cloud but these diseases are a real pain in the backside. In my opinion, your best bet is to get these birds back to the person who sold them to you, sanitize everything thoroughly a few times and let some time pass THEN get some chicks.

 

[Troutbum67]

All,
Thanks for the comments and advice. After a week of medicine, the girls finally appear to be doing well. The swelling is all but gone, both eyes are open, no discharge and they are struting around clucking, scratching and most importantly eating. I will discontinue the antibiotics as per directions but will continue to give the electrolyte/vitamin supplement for a bit, just to build their immune systems.I will keep them isolated from the other two for another week or so just to make sure they are up to reintigration.
Haven't decided on the chicks yet, but if I do get them I will be keeping them completely seperate, most likely in a chicken tractor once they are ready for it.
So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and will keep you updated.
Shawn

 

[Troutbum67]

All,
Well, Everyone is alive and I everyone seems healthy. The antibiotic and electrolyte worked though it was a lot more work than the needles, which I think I might try next time (if this happens again...).
I have been putting the girls outside together and just last night put them all back together in the coop, yayyyy! My first sick girl, laid her first egg yesterday since the first day I got her. The two non sick birds have only been laying an egg a day, don't know if only one is laying or they are taking turns? They seem to lay them some time mid morning, which is odd as I thought they normally laid first thing in the morning? I'll post another post after work about laying questions?
Thanks,
Shawn