Tylan vs Sulmet vs Gallimycin

[Quiobole]

Which of these would be the best to help treat my 8 week old chicks with?

Tylan, Sulmet, or Gallimycin

I suspect that they have Coryza because they have bubbly eyes, runny noses, occasional sneezing, and irritated, sometimes swollen, eyes. Plus they're a little funky.

And before anyone says anything: I know, I know. If it IS Coryza they'll be carriers for life. However this is a pet flock of only 5 so I will NEVER cull.

I bought Sulmet solution last night and already put it in their water. I WANTED to get gallimycin but my local feedstore only carries Tylan and Sulmet.

I just wanted to see what y'all think is better to at least get rid of the symptoms, and get my girls to feel better.

 

[mypicklebird]

If they have coryza, they should smell bad- do they? There are MANY causes of respiratory disease in chickens. Ideally your first step is to start the process to ID the bug. Many state labs have low cost or free testing for poultry. Where did they come from, how long have they been sick? Coryza can have a pretty high mortality rate- if your 8wk olds are hanging in there with no deaths (and the live ones don't smell bad around their heads)- it is probably not coryza. Could be mycoplasma aka CRD.

Sulmet is a sulfa drug- ok for coryza, not for mycoplasma or any of the virals
Tylosin & Gallimycin are both macrolide antibiotics- with similar spectrums- can be used in control of coryza & CRD. Won't do anything for a viral infection.

ID the bug if you can (testing), then you will know down the road if you have to worry about carriers. I know you plan to keep these a pet flock- but with carriers you need to remember that any bird you bring in in the future- will likely get sick. These ones may periodically get sick, and any chicken friends who come over to visit may take the bug home by accident, AND you can accidentally transmit some bugs on hands/feet/tires ect to other peoples flocks. Most people cannot be constantly vigilant, and most BY chicken folks don't do a closed flock well. We like to bring in new chickens occasionally, to keep the number constant.

What will you do when in a few years you lose a few and you have less than 5? Wait until each and everyone passes on from old age? You may end up with a flock of 2 non laying 7 year old hens...

I know this sounds harsh, but it is really really good to start out with a healthy group of birds. IMO, this is what I would do- find out about testing- what country are you in? If the US, what state?

Humanely dispatch the sickest, send to the state lab to find out what they have, keep the rest in a quarantine area, start them all on tylosin or gallimycin or similar, then wait for test result to make the decision about depopulation or not. Having a real diagnosis will be very important for knowledge about a carrier state- as well as how infectious will they be if/when they look healthy.

 

[threehorses]

Actually, Sulmet in combination with erythromycin (gallimycin) in 1/2 doses each work in a synergistic fashion to help against Mycoplasma. Studies show that sulmet can actually be moderately effective against CRD/MG although Erythromycin (gallimycin) works best. Tylan is second, but has been showing resistances.