Still learning & need some advice

[free ranging]

Hello everyone! I come to you folks on a daily basis looking for help on this website, and you always have great advice. My issue is my daughter started raising chickens about 2 years ago. This will be her 2nd winter with them. She has gone from having 15 to 169 (I believe is what she's at now). My daughter (being 13) takes very good care of them with my help. While she's in school I tend to them through out the day & she tends to them after school & weekends. Sadly, I know nothing to very little about chickens. This year they seem to be very sick (this is how I came across this website). I've been reading up on every little thing to do for them. It breaks my heart to see them not feeling well
Having so many, makes it extremely hard to vaccinate each one or to put medicine in the waterers not knowing if they are all getting the medicine they need! I'm convinced they have a respiratory infection. Those of you with larger flocks, what is the best way to go about making sure they all get the meds they need? I've isolated some of the weaker ones & have even brought a couple in the house to get better, but it seems like a never ending battle...any advice would be great!
They sneeze & cough. Some have icky eyes, while others "seem" perfectly fine. We have had 3 die so far, by (what seems to be) no apparent reason?? I go let them out in the morning & everyone seems good by 10am when I check on them again 1 would be down? I'm at a complete loss.
Please help!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[trailrider330]

First of all, Welcome to the BYC flock! We are glad you joined us, though wish it were under better circumstances!

You may want to try posting in the emergencies forum to see if anyone there has any good advice for you and your situation. Here's the link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

Good luck!

 

[drumstick diva]

It would be good if you could take one of the sick ones to the vet and find out what is going on and get medication from him for them. You may have some contagious illness going thru your flock, which could eventually wipe them all out. .I'm wondering if overcrowding is partly the cause.

169 chickens is really too much for her to handle when she is home and certainly a major imposition on you.as well as expense - along with housework and all the other adult responsibilities.

I raised and showed dogs and my parents showed absolutely no interest in them or in helping me out. This was fair to me because I was the dog addict and they were NOT.

 

[free ranging]

It

It would be good if you could take one of the sick ones to the vet and find out what is going on and get medication from him for them.  You may have some contagious illness going thru your flock, which could eventually wipe them all out. .I'm wondering if overcrowding is partly the cause.

169 chickens is really too much for her to handle when she is home and certainly a major imposition on you.as well as expense - along with housework and all the other adult responsibilities. 

  I raised and showed dogs  and my parents showed absolutely no interest  in them  or  in helping me out. This was fair to me because I was the dog addict and they were NOT.

It is a lot, I agree! But we had a suitable sized coop built for them by the Amish & they have a large run area. We thought that maybe they were over crowed as well, but I don't think that's really the issue.
Will my regular vet be able to test them? I don't know of a poultry vet near me.
Right now I don't mind helping as I'm off of work till the beginning of the year. We have down sized a little on her flock. And if we can get them better, we'd like to down size some more.
Thank you!