Stubborn respiratory issues in the brooder.

[JustAnotherWeirdo]

My hen Minnie didn’t want to take care of her chicks anymore so I brought them inside completely unknowingly they had respiratory issues. Had them in there just for a day before taking them to stay outside but it’s past a month (probably almost 2) later and I’m still completely unable to get it out of the chicks my brooder. The outdoor chicks also got it from them but 7 days of Terramycin in the water mostly did it but nothing is working for the indoor chicks. No chicks who have been in the brooder along with the sick ones have been taken out since I don’t want it to spread further or again and I clean and disinfect the whole thing 1-2 times a week. Tried Terramycin for them too, didn’t work, Enrofloxacin, no results either. Lots of garlic, honey and apple cider vinegar in the water was useless as well. This week I started a medicine for coccidiosis and coryza (16% sulphadimidine sodium) and have been giving it for 3 days (instructions say 3 days in water, 2 days without then to treat again for 3 days). Today was the 1st of the 2 no medicine days and I added some doxycycline and bromhexine poultry medication in their water (this one didn’t work on the outdoor chicks which is why I’m only trying it now) and I hear no improvement in the sneezes or mucus filled airways either

I should probably just be more patient and hope this does work but I’ve always started to see improvement within the first 3 days when a medication is working so I’m quite hopeless by now and don’t know what to try anymore.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated but please do keep in mind that I live in Southern Africa so giving me the name of an ingredient/specific antibiotic/treatment is much more helpful than some brand of medication because I likely won’t find it here.

 

[LaFleche]

I am sorry your chicks are sick, it must be very stressful to see that nothing you try to help them really works.

Which leads me to believe that they caught a virus infection that will not respond to antibiotics.
Do not use another antibiotic during the two days pause when giving sulfadimidine. The two days without is necessary to prevent kidney damage.

For viral infections prepare a strong tea using oregano, thyme, sage and aniseed. Let it steep for one hour until it is really dark, then add a bit of honey and serve lukewarm instead of water.

I hope your chicks will recover soon.

 

[JustAnotherWeirdo]

I am sorry your chicks are sick, it must be very stressful to see that nothing you try to help them really works.

Which leads me to believe that they caught a virus infection that will not respond to antibiotics.
Do not use another antibiotic during the two days pause when giving sulfadimidine. The two days without is necessary to prevent kidney damage.

For viral infections prepare a strong tea using oregano, thyme, sage and aniseed. Let it steep for one hour until it is really dark, then add a bit of honey and serve lukewarm instead of water.

I hope your chicks will recover soon.

Thank you so much for the reply! They’re not completely fine yet but the coccidiosis medicine is the first thing that has helped so far and shown some more effects now. I’ll definitely try your tea recipe next and while it possibly won’t cure them either it seems good for them and the immune system at least

 

[LaFleche]

Glad they are improving already.

The afore mentioned herbs have scientifically proven antiviral and antibacterial properties.
Oregano oil for example is widely used in organic poultry farming.