Sick young chickens

[surious]

Last week we had an 8week old araucana puller become unwell- lethargic, listless, not eating or drinking, so we brought her inside (nice & warm) to observe her. We noticed little bugs around her eyes but they didn't look like mites, but we dusted her with pestene just to be sure. The next day she appeared to develop puss from her eyes, which we bathed but kept returning, she also looked to be short of breath or gasping/stretching her neck out to get breath?!? She's still alive, some days she appears better than others, but again upon inspection this morning, her eyes look pussey. Today my son found one of his Belgian bantams looking the same, pus in eyes, gasping for breath but no bugs?!? Any ideas please

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Where did you get your chickens? It sounds like they may have been exposed to MG/CRD, fowl cholera, or coryza and others. Unfortunately these diseases are chronic, and make all chickens in the flock carriers. Although you can treat symptoms with antibiotics, this won't end the problem, and you wouldn't want to put them around your other chickens. Here is a list of these diseases with symptoms, and drug recommendations: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[surious]

We bought the araucana from a breeder a few weeks ago & the Belgian from a poultry auction on Saturday. Thanks for the link, will do a bit of reading & maybe head to the vet for diagnosis & treatment.

 

[surious]

Should I just euthanaze to be safe?

 

[Eggcessive]

Should I just euthanaze to be safe?

With those symptoms that's what I would do. Others like to close their flocks--none in, none out--but euthanizing 2 chickens may nip this in the bud. If it spreads to your whole flock, it can become a nightmare, not to mentions very sad and expensive to treat. Sorry.