Sold sick chickens!

[spinney]

I recently bought 4 new hens luckily they are my only chickens. once I got home I noticed 3 of them were sneezing and had a rattle in there breath they also smelled like rotten flesh and were infested with lice. immediately I wanted to ship them back were they came from but I found out that farm had a history of abuse so I decided to keep them. Being a new chicken owner I found out the hard way and now I feel compelled to try to help them. This is the first time i've had sick chickens so i'm pretty clueless on what it is and what to do. I did call the only vet in town that deals with chickens and he wanted $150 just to step on the property so that's not an option. I had the state check them for Avian flu and thank goodness its not that! I've had them on Duramycin-10 for 7 days they seem a little bit better. They seem alert and are drinking and eating. After doing a little research(7 days too late!) I'm finding out that the antibiotic will always remain in their eggs. IS THIS TRUE??? also because they have some kind of respiratory illness does this mean they will always be carriers??? Thanks for all and any suggestion!

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[Ol Grey Mare]

How old are the birds? If these are young birds who have not yet begun to produce eggs there is no concern. Duramyacin has no labeled withdrawal period for actively laying birds as it has not been tested in or approved for use in them - *but* - the drug will not remain in their system indefinitely. *I* would not consume any eggs laid within 21 days of the final dose - also, do not feed the eggs back to the flock during this time, just dispose of them entirely. Depending on teh specific illness your birds are dealing with, yes, they can remain carriers for the rest of their lives even after they have recovered from the initial illness.

 

[spinney]

I was told the birds are a year old. I've only had them for 8 days and their hasn't been any eggs. Our goal was to have organic eggs so I'm not sure the best route. thanks for the info