Speckled sussexes with allergies?

[monkeemakr]

Help please. I have 5 speckled sussex, about 6 weeks old. They came from Cackle originally but I bought them some the person who ordered them. All their birds looked good and healthy, clean surroundings and the chicks looked good. I noticed on the way home, one was kind of tired looking but didn't look really unusual for the stress of an hour long drive. When we got home, they were all running around like normal. the next day I noticed that the one that had been tired seemed a little listless and usually stayed away from the others, but was eating and drinking fine. We have been in 100+ heat here in SC so I kept a close eye and put a fan on them in case it was the heat getting to her. Now 3 of them seem to have sneezes and a little bit of swelling around the eyes, just like humans do when they have allergies. I use wheat straw for bedding and put down agri-lime and DE beneath it, with a little DE in a spot for dust baths. I'm hoping this is just allergies and not some respiratory problem. When I got them, they were in something like a playpen on a grass lawn. I thought at first when I saw one sneeze that they were trying to crow. I hate to put them on anitbiotics if I don't have to, but don't want to risk an outbreak of disease, or losing my sweet speckles. Thanks.

 

[Judy]

Most respiratory diseases in chickens are viral so antibiotics will not affect them, they only prevent secondary infection.

 

[monkeemakr]

Thanks ddawn. Any suggestions on dealing with the viral or just making them more comfortable?

 

[Daisy668]

It may be a allergic reaction. Do you know what feed they were on before you got them?
If its an allergic reaction to the feed you may want to find out the feed they had before and keep them on that.
Hope they get better.
Daisy. xx

 

[monkeemakr]

Hi Daisy,
They were on the same food from the same local milling company that I use. I am kind of wondering if maybe my son (who did the last DE and lime treatment) may have gotten some dust in their lungs and eyes now. I'm hoping it's not some of the respiratory diseases I've read about. Scary stuff that. One thing for sure, I have been giving serious consideration to closing my flock except for hatching eggs, and this definitely urges that on!

 

[Daisy668]

Hi,
If its that they got dust in their eyes maybe try washing them down and checking their eyes for bits in them. If it was respiratory disease it would have spreaded to all of them quite quickly so i think your safe their.
Its a shame

Don't give up on them but its quite exciting hatching eggs so i see your point...
Hope this helps.
Daisy. xx

 

[crazyhen]

If you find it is not an allergy look up a med called Denaguard. If it is MS a viral disease it can be transferred through the eggs. Good luck with your flock. Gloria Jean

 

[monkeemakr]

Thanks Daisy, that's encouraging. I have about 50 other birds in my flock, not counting the ducks and turkeys, so that's encouraging. Thank goodness we put the speckleds in pen by themselves when we got them, just to be on the safe side. So far, none of the other chickens have shown any sign of anything wrong. And I will check out that Denagard. Have you used it before?

 

[crazyhen]

I have been using it as a preventative since I lost my flock last yr to MS. It was insiduous. My hens had tested clear of disease three months before and then the sneezing and clear drainage started. I lost one hen quickly and then the others seem to get over it. Then we had cold weather and it started up again. I had the vet ck them and it was MS. He said I could keep the hens but I would have to have a closed flock. Thats for eggs and hens. I would not catch the disease through meat or eggs. I could not watch then weaken one by one and die so I had the flock culled. It about killed me. I cleaned and repaired the coops and wire. Cleaned out the runs. Used clorox and then vikron-S to finish the job. I put in new sand in the run. Where I did not put sand I limed , tilled and planted alfalfa and clover.
someone told me about Denagard. I looked it up. I use 8cc per gal of water for three days every two to three wks as a preventative. If I had the virus again I would use more. It seems that ms is very prevalent. Good luck with your flock. If they over it they would be carriers for life. Have a vet check one while they are sick. You really need to know what is going on with these. It is catching to other birds. Gloria Jean

 

[monkeemakr]

Thanks Gloria Jean. I'm going to order that stuff whether they have it or not, sounds like it's worth its weight in gold just as a preventative. I'm trying now to find a vet around Columbia SC that knows something about chickens. The good news is that my son says he did get a lot of DE on them when he dusted, but want to make sure. Told him from now on, dust the pen when they're not in it!