Sinus problem in Peafowl

[kylieandfish]

Has anyone had any issues with young chickens or peachick with sinus problems. I have 3, 7 week old peachicks that i purchased 2 weeks ago. One of them was displaying puffy eyes and keep shaking head and scratching at head. Does anyone have any ideas on treatment? She seems happy enough, normal poos, eating and drinking and chirping etc…Inside at night and not with general public chickens anymore (was for a few days last week but i have since learnt you shouldn't put them in until they are around 12 weeks) Oooops...

 

[Yoda]

Sounds like a respiratory infection. If she is eating and drinking then add an antibiotic to the water like tylan powder. I never had a 7 week old peachick get a respiratory infection but they do get it. I do not know where you are from? I believe you should be able to find the tylan powder at your farm and feed store like tractor supply or online at jefferspet.com or Ebay just be sure to try to get priority mail. If your local feed/farm store doesn't have it get some chick vitamins and add that to the water for now til you can find the tylan powder. Don't wait cause each day the chick will get weaker

 

[kylieandfish]

Hi, i am from Australia so Tylan not available here. I spoke to the vet today and he recommended a product called oxymav B, available at produce centres and vets…Its a broad spectrum antibiotic powder added to water for birds? The active ingredient is oxytetracycline hydrochloride. It says it is for chlamidia, antinomycetes, mycloplasma, protozoa and some of the larger viruses…It is one of the only antibiotics available in Australia without actually seeing a vet apparently. A weaker dose than the vet can prescribe obviously but about the best i can get my hands on at the moment. Was happy to go and take her to the vet but by the time he rang back on Saturday morning it was past 11am and after hours callouts would have been in place. I will take her first thing Monday if she doesn't improve but she didn't seem too bad…Do you think this antibiotic would be as good as Tylan? Also, what is the best thing to feed her at the moment - she doesn't seem too fussed with the pullet powder and always seems hungry, need to get something into her so she doesn't get weak. Also, on a side note, i noticed when we first got her, that she had a small sore on the top of her beak, up near her nostrils? I didn't think too much of it but it is still there 2 weeks later, i noticed the other peachick had a peck at it so not sure if this just keeps happening, or if it is part of the reason why she isn't doing well…Ive popped an antibiotic cream on it for the moment...I did read that some sinus infections can pop through the skin, but not sure if it could come through the beak?? Thanks

 

[Yoda]

I used Terramycin (oxytetracycline hydrochloride) years ago for my racing pigeons. It is an antibiotic and it is a start but not as good as Tylan 200. Tylan 200 is an injectable for cattle so it is usually harder to get for poultry in Australia from what I have read online. I would make the dose of Terramycin a bit stronger cause the bird has to drink it. Be sure there is no other water available for it to drink. If it is in with other birds be sure to treat all of them. I am thinking that you will be fine with this drug cause the bird is so young. Tylan 200 can be used for birds 6 months and older but I would think the Terramycin is good for the chicks. You can add chick vitamins to the water to help boost the immune system too. Crumbles is better for it and medicated chick starter crumbles is the best. I would give her the med. crumbles as it has crushed corn in it to give weight. The cut on the beak is not related to the respiratory infection. The infection is basically just a cold. The medicated crumbles will help the little ones battle Coccidia. It will not prevent them from getting it, but will help them battle it so it isn't as severe and deadly. The beak will heal

 

[kylieandfish]

Ok, well i have learnt 2 things on here…1) they are only on chick starter at 18% as i was told this is the best for the young ones…I have since learned that game bird starter is better as it has the higher protein. Will go out and get some first thing in the morning. and 2) maybe they could be allergic to the wood shavings i have in their bedding. It just dawned on me tonight that one particular peachick seems to do a gasping thing with her mouth when i put her in her night pen that has wood shavings…will try some towels for a night or 2 and see if that helps..From what i can read, the oxymav B is as close to Tylan200 as i can get here in Australia? They both seem to treat the same illnesses?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

The Ox.B and the Tylan are similar, the difference is that the Tylan is injectable so it is delivered much more quickly and efficiently than the water soluable antibiotic. The bedding could be to blame, some chicks just don't do well on shavings. If the symptoms you described are accompanied by runny noses and/or noses, excess sneezing/coughing or odd breathing then its probably more than the bedding.

And yes, the peas need a gamebird feed thats somewhere around 24-28% protein. Good luck!

 

[kylieandfish]

Hi Howfunkyisurchicken, thanks for the info...

So Ox B it is then as i can't get my hands on the Tylan. May just take a little longer than the tylan but it seems to be making a difference
No runny noses or coughing, sneezing, just the eyes 2 days ago were puffy and a bit weepy. I actually had some Chloramphenicol (conjunctivitis treatment in Australia) in the fridge from 2 weeks ago so used that and the eyes seem to be much better now. She just seems to be scratching her head a bit, which only seems to happen at night when i bring her into the laundry. Ive changed their bedding to towels for the moment but the guineas that are in the laundry as well still have shavings…I even find myself getting a little short of breath when i go into the laundry, so might even look at changing the guineas bedding as well...

Now, just another question - i read somewhere that it is common for peachicks to go from awake to sleeping in seconds and then back again? Is this the case for 7 week old chicks as well. One minute they will be super active and next, will stand there with eyes shut…I always associate eyes shut in chooks as them not feeling well….but maybe i'm over thinking it??

"A normal, healthy chick (after hatching) will toggle between alert and bouncy and sleeping like the dead (and it's practically like someone hitting an on-off switch sometimes)." This is what i have read - does this apply to 7 week old chick as well?? and i was also concerned initially about their poo, watery with brown in it, but also read that that is quite normal..

I also just want to make sure i'm feeding them enough protein, i started off with chick starter but have since read that they need 25+% protein. The highest protein i can find locally is turkey starter which is 23%…the guy at the produce told me to add 100% soy to the feed and this will bring the ratio back up? Does this sound right. I always believe that you should feed animals foods that they would eat naturally in the wild but not sure they would eat soy? Though also in the wild they would probably eat a lot more worms, bugs etc than what they are getting here…Should i get them some mealworms instead?

Its all quite overwhelming as have never kept peas before - they are just so delightful though and i can't believe how friendly they are…I could watch them for hours…I ...just adore them, so much personality

Thanks so much for all the advice - it's been very helpful

 

[kylieandfish]

I think they were struggling with the shavings…I have changed over to a recycled paper pellet cat litter and they seem to be much happier.

 

[Yoda]

And yes, the peas need a gamebird feed thats somewhere around 24-28% protein. Good luck!

That is not true, I feed my peas 6 months and younger medicated chick starter. Too high of protein will give your bird leg issues. They should get 18-22% protein. All chicks do best in pine shavings not cedar shavings. If your bird is gasping catch it and look into it's throat to see if anything is stuck inside it. In post 1 your bird has a respiratory infection and needs an antibiotic. I do not know anything about Ox.B so you will need to find out the dosage. You can check on Ebay to see if anyone has it for sale. You might be able to get some from anyone who has cattle or pigs. You would only need about 0.5cc/ml which is only a few drops but those few drops do do wonders for the birds.
Here is a link: http://www.unitedpeafowlassociation.org/Q-APeachicksLegProblems.html
I googled tylan 50 and tylan 200 in Australia and it says it's available so check with your feed store cause that's most likely where you will find it. Remember Tylan 50 &200 is for cattle not peas/birds. Also here is another link to a thread I started and I think it will give you an idea about when to let your peas touch the ground https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704066/ill-show-you-my-setup-if-you-show-me-yours-heavy-pictures

 

[kylieandfish]

Thanks so much - this has been most helpful