URGENT. 2ND VIDEO ADDED! 2 week old chick breathing weird and sneezing? (Video)

[Jeffross1968]

We've hatched or purchased and raised a couple of hundred chicks at this point, and have a couple doing some weird things we've never seen. Just recently we purchased from a local breeder some Polish and a Blue Andalusian, and added them to a few chicks of the same age we got from TSC. The day after we got them, we noticed the Andalusian doing what looked like strange little gasps for air. We now have half the chicks doing the same thing, and at least one Polish sneezing almost non-stop. So...wanted to get some advice. Can you dose chicks with Tylan? If so, how much? Should I even do that? At this point, I'm sure it's too late to isolate it. Feel like I'm just waiting around for them to die at this point. Very frustrating...

Here is a video I just took...

 

[Jeffross1968]

She's been doing this for hours now, and there are others doing it, though not this bad. It started with the Andalusian a few days ago, but that one doesn't seem to be doing it anymore. We're pretty desperate...hate seeing it go through this. Here's a recent video from in the brooder...

 

[Jeffross1968]

Nobody has any thoughts on this?

 

[WI FarmChick]

I have no Idea but here is what I found ....The link to the site if you don't have it already. Sorry I am no help. there is no sneezing with this one.

Is there any fluid from the eyes?

http://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-diseases-and-disorders.html

Gapeworms (Syngamus trachea) are included under 'respiratory system' since the adult worms reside in the trachea (or windpipe) and often produce a gurgling or 'tracheal rattle' that can be confused with respiritory problems. Gapeworm is common in pheasants but also affects chickens, guinea fowl and turkeys. Gapeworms can cause considerable losses in pheasants and turkeys. Gasping for breath or 'gaping' as it is known is the biggest sign of gape worm.Shaking of the head and neck stretching are also common. When birds are held, gurgling can often be heard. If a heavy infestation occurs, death by suffocation will occur. Fully grown gape worms are 'Y' shaped and vary in size between 1 and 2cm long.

They are blood red in colour (as can be seen in the second photo during a post mortem).


Photos courtesy of Janssen Animal Health


Other Names: Gapes, Red worms, Forked worms, Y worms.
Symptoms: Gasping (gaping), yawning, gurgling / respiritory distress, head shaking, loss of appitite, and eventually coughing and choking
Area affected: Trachea (windpipe), bronchi and lungs.
Causes: Environment
Transmission: Via intermediate hosts such as earthworms or snails and directly by birds picking up eggs that have been coughed up, or passed out into faeces,
Diagnosis: Laboratory identification of eggs in faeces, gapeworms found in trachea by postmortem, some / all of the symptoms above.
Prevention: A good worming strategy, rotating grazing areas, avoiding contact with ground where wild pheasants have been.

Treatment: Flubenvet 1% 60g is licensed for treating gapeworm. For heavy infestations (high epg or 'eggs per gram of faeces' determined by laboratory worm count) usually on heavily used ground or with high stocking density, it is usually necessary to worm again a little before the prepatent period (the time it takes from being laid as a worm egg to being a mature worm of egg laying age) to reduce high infection levels. Rotating the pasture really helps to break this cycle.

Prepatent Period: 18 to 20 days
Risk to Human Health: None known.
Links to Articles:

• Gapeworm article.
• Internal Parasites (Worms) in Chickens and other poultry article.
• Poultry Medication Section> Flubenvet Information
• Flubenvet 1% 60g pack information (suitable to treat 20 chicken sized birds)

 

[WI FarmChick]

Here is 2 more links. If you don't have them already.

http://www.raising-chickens.org/common-chicken-ailments.html

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Infectious Bronchitis​

Incidence: common chicken ailment worldwide
System/Organ affected: respiratory
Symptoms: in birds of all ages: gasping, coughing, sneezing, wet eyes, nasal discharge.
Cause: several strains of coronavirus that survive no more than one week off chickens and are easily destroyed by disinfectants. Will only infect chickens.
Transmission: the most contagious poultry disease; spreads by contact with infected birds or their respiratory discharges. It can travel up to 1,000 yards in the air.
Prevention: Good management. Avoid mixing birds from different sources. Vaccinate with strains of virus found locally.
Treatment: electrolytes in drinking water. Keep birds warm and well fed and avoid overcrowding. Survivors or permanentlyimmune, but become carriers.

 

[Nicole01]

It's not gapeworm. They have a respiratory problem. I treated mine with amoxicillian, probios, and poly vi sol vitamins without iron. I put a couple drops of vitamins right down the beak. I also sprinkled some wet feed with the probios and antibiotics.

They all lived. I had one hen who couldn't walk for 3 days. This illness spreads, so treat everyone. Good luck.

I did not cull my sick ones. I don't know if they are carriers or not, but I'm not a breeder. My girls are used for eggs.

 

[dawg53]

I agree that it's a respiratory disease of some sort. Tylan 50 injectable given orally 1/10cc once a day for 5 days will treat the symptoms but not cure the disease. Whatever respiratory disease it is, it will be contageous and affected birds will be carriers. Strict biosecurity and a closed flock will be required. Here's a link to respiratory diseases in poultry:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044