Tylan 50 for Infectious Bronchitis? Any advice on IB or CG?

[laturcotte1]

Sick in the past week...We have one 1 year old barred rock hen (others taken by predators) she is extremely friendly, healthy and very happy; until two days ago.

On Monday we brought home 4 new chicks (2 wks-2 months). The 2 wk old seemed to stay puffy and just wouldn't completely open her eyes she sort of squints. She eats and drinks well and is not afraid of anything.

The 3 wks old had a "wet cough" is the only way to describe it when we got her home and today still has the cough, yawns alot. Then yesterday my 1 yr old hen started a little "cough". This morning she is also sneezing. The chicks are separated from the older hen by fencing inside and out.

I called the woman who I got the chicks from to see what I should do to treat the cougher and if she knew why the other chick seems cold and squints. She said she never heard of what I described, if I want to bring them back and get two more tht would be fine. I explained my oldest hen is now sick and she told me to use teramycin in all the water and to treat them all.

If I lose my 1 year old, I'll be devasted. My husband went to TSC to pick up the teramycin.

 

[speckledhen]

If it's CRD (Chronic Respiratory Disease)/Mycoplasmosis, Terramycin will be useless. The disease is a carrier disease, meaning they can infect other birds even when they themselves are not symptomatic. So many are completely ignorant of chicken illnesses that they sell sick birds to other folks, not even realizing what damage they do. I'd cull the chicks. They have compromised immune systems. Remember, viruses do not respond to antibiotics anyway.

The longer I have birds, the more I hear, the more convinced I am that respiratory illness should never be treated, not unless you want to keep a permanent problem in your flock.

 

[PurpleChicken]

First, ditto on everything SpeckledHen said. I'm not a vet, just someone who has studied MG and experienced it first hand.

Can you get a necropsy report? There are two different test for MG and MS. Unfortunately many vets are ignorant of MG or unconcerned. Some necropsies don't even include tests. They look at various organs on the bird for indications of disease. For birds as young as yours there would be none.




laturcotte, like SpeckledHen said, Terramycin is useless for MG. MG, if that's what your birds have, won't usually kill a full grown healthy bird.

 

[CatJane0x0]

I figured my bad feelings weren't crazy....I am glad you guys feel the same because I needed some more backup. (Thanks for your responses!) My other friends that have flocks didn't agree on it either!
I just can't figure out why the results turned out this way and I was concerned that the extension office in my county (Alpena) didn't know what a necropsy was.
I am very sad about all of this. I wish I could just go ahead and agree with the doc...but I want to make the right choice. I have already made too many mistakes that probably brought me to this point now. I still have the five sick ones in the basement. One of my two remaining Isa Browns (Rosemary) loves to hop up onto my shoulder or arm when I open the cage and will race back and forth when I go down to take care of them. It makes it even harder when they trust me. Poor guys...I feel terrible. I'll talk one more time with the vet tomorrow. I want to get a copy of the results and hear anything else she might have to say.

On the bright side of things...I somehow haven't lost my hope for keeping chickens and I certainly have learned a lot...this is forum is very neat. I can't stop reading others' threads on here.
Thanks again guys... I will try to be smart rather than bring even more harsh lessons down on myself. Most of all I want my chickens to be healthy and happy. *sigh*

 

[CatJane0x0]

I got a copy of the report....I really don't know what to say. I will say I am upset and more confused than I was before I got it.


Here it is ---

Received Date/Time:
05/20/2010
03:11:00 PM

Verified Date/Time:
05/20/2010
04:57:45 PM

Pathologist:
Fulton, R.M. "Mick"


HISTORY
Two immature chickens, reportedly recently purchased from TSC, were submitted dead for necropsy. A more detailed history is on file in the DCPAH.


GROSS DESCRIPTION
Bird 1 was a brown/white chick. The crop, proventriculus had no ingesta. The ventriculus had small amounts of litter.

Bird 2 was a black/white chick. There was no ingesta in any of the gastrointestinal tract. The ureters were filled with urates. The skin of the shanks was dry and withered.


FINAL DIAGNOSIS(ES)
Birds 1 and 2: Failure to adapt
Bird 2: Dehydration

COMMENT
The gross lesions in these birds most likely reflected their failure to find adequate food and water and thus adapt to their new environment.



And a sticky note was attached with Townline Hatchey and Murry "McMurry" written on it... Gee, thanks Mister!!
All this for the low cost of 120 dollars.





I am wondering why they didn't test the white silkie that I specifically requested to be checked -- even if only one was to be checked at all -- since it was from the somewhat suspicious farm and had bad symptoms like many of the others had. They told me that they would be sure to do so, but all three would probably be done. They didn't...according to this report anyways. Why not? For the price, they should have paid attention to me, right?

The biggest issue is that there were no MG or MS tests done...nothing. I told the doc multiple times that I just wanted them tested for diseases. I knew that the two smaller chicks weren't eating much and very rarely drank already. The silkie I submitted was eating and drinking fine, but was having respiratory issues and getting puffy eyes. I wish I had only sent the one by itself, but maybe it wouldn't have made a difference since there wasn't swabbing, blood checks and the like. If they were too young for the tests, they should have told me so in the first place! Then I could have waited or just not wasted the time, money and sanity at least.

 

[CatJane0x0]

I put my last five babies down. I haven't felt so sad in a long time. It was so hard to lose all of them...and Rosemary, too. I really had to fight myself.


Here is Rupert (the white silkie that mysteriously never got tested), Chinty (tested chick) & Hilda (had the worst eye issues) days before I noticed the sickness.

Baby Rosemary on the left. (Their box is fairly long, but looks smaller in pic.)

I'm kind of brain dead right now after all of this to be honest... I just hope that this information may help someone out sometime. If anyone ever sees this that is
in the shoes I was wearing these past weeks....please don't be afraid to contact me. I will help in any way I can.







Goodbye Rosemary