Vet gave sulmet for respiratory disease. 2 - Died anyway

[flood]

I have 14 chickens and 4 guinea fowl...in this one coop. 12x20. Seven are full grown ranging from 3.5 yrs to 9 mos and seven are half sz 4 mos or so. They have a covered run of the same sz which opens into a fenced large paddock. I have ducks and ducklings on the premises as well but not *with* the chickens, The 9 older ducks do go up to the fence at times. The guinea's hang with the chickens all the time and they are infected too. The ducks seem fine right now, just happy to be ducks.

I lost one 3.5yr old hen 5 days ago. She was skinny and had no energy but tried to eat and drink right up until she died. I had noticed her drop in weight a few days before and had started free feeding. By the time she died her comb had shrunk and she had lots of lice. That was very strange to me because she didn't recently. I checked everyone and found some on the roo. I DE'd them and I cleaned the coop in case that was the fault.

The next day I noticed a guinea holding his neck in. I wondered why but that was all, I didn't know. It was 19 degrees that day. The next day was the same and he seemed disinterested in food or water so I called the vet. Also he stumbled when I set him down just like my hen had before she died. By the time I got to take him, 12/12, the *new young rooster was tucking his head in or sleeping with it on the ground in the morning when he is usually full of life and strutting around. One other hen, sounded croupy. I took the guinea and the hen to the vet. He listened with a steth to chest/neck areas. He said it was respiratory but gave me no info and forgot to tell me how to dose. He gave the guinea a shot and sulmet for the water. I asked how they get this sickness and he said it's respiratory...just like you and I get it.

I gave the med yesterday and today so far. My rooster and the two other questionable guineas are now great. The hen is okay too. She never seemed sick except for the breathing noise when I picked her up to look her over. She is the only bird laying...on the entire premises! But I guess laying is not a sign of health. I am hoping everyone continues to do well tomorrow.

Anyway, everyone seems fine now except the guinea that got the shot. He died anyway this evening. I couldn't get him to drink water today.

If it was/is respiratory do I cull those who were sick or all of the birds and start again because they are now carriers? It appears those who were/are sick all hang out together on one side of the coop with the exception of the rooster. Roo hangs out with the bigger guys during the day and sleeps in front of the nest boxes at night. All the larger birds and guineas sleep on one side on roosts. The smaller ones and one hen choose the nest boxes. Can I keep them? They showed no symptoms. I am asking because they aren't just backyard friends, though they are. They are for meat and eggs.

Thanks for any help.
Lorie


edit: used wrong word (crop = comb)

 

[flood]

It looks like the med treats these diseases:

Infectious Coryza (Avibacterium paragallinarum),
Coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella, Eimeria necatrix),
Acute Fowl Cholera (Pasteurella multocida),
Pullorum Disease (Salmonella Pullorum,

of which, the first seems most possible.

 

[flood]

I am done reading for tonight. I found this link http://fowlfacts.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=afflictiondiseaseff&action=display&thread=1185

Based on my roo getting so much better overnight I think it could be coryza. These symptoms match:
Chickens 14 weeks of age and older are most susceptible and it increases with age.
reduced egg production
and a very offensive odor!) , labored breathing, and rales are the common clinical signs.

However, this below is much more like we are experiencing and until I found the above link I kept passing over it due to symptoms not matching.

7. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Mg) or Chronic Respiratory Disease. (CRD), not a virus not a bacteria, Also known as late summer respiratory disease. In acute disease, coughs, sneezes, hard sinus inflammation,

runny noses, sometimes sticky patches on the shoulders, bubbly eyes, smelly breath, loss of weight, loss of production. In chronic symptoms, very few respiratory symptoms may be apparent, sometimes only at night a few snicks may be heard, but the birds waste away and get the knife edge keel with no breast muscle. Sometimes, it only appears as dead bird with no body mass. Autopsy will usually show airsaculitis.

Mycoplasma also tends to be involved with Cholera and Coryza, and E.coli infection in as what is called intercurrent disease, where each disease assists the others.

Mycoplasma also can be wrongly diagnosed as Marek�s disease ( leg weakness caused not by nerve damage but muscle wastage, usually in birds outside the classic 10 to 24 week range classic for Marek�s),


bad stuff.

 

[flood]

Anyone? Is there anyway it is not a terrible disease? The rooster is not responding as well today and he is back to being sleepy and droopy. I gave the vet an update and asked about testing/necropsy. He doesn't know how to get enough blood to send off, where we would get it from, nor what we would be testing for. He can do a necropsy, so if the rooster passes I could take him in. I think I may need a different vet. There is no other bird showing symptoms- I may go out soon and listen to them in the dark, I think I may handle them too since that seems much less stressful in the dark. Two different hens are now laying. I have not been collecting the eggs and they are two different brown colors. They do not lay daily, probably every three days.

 

[flood]

Bump. I need help and no one has replied yet.

 

[casportpony]

Source:

 

[casportpony]

It looks like the med treats these diseases:

Infectious Coryza (Avibacterium paragallinarum),
Coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella, Eimeria necatrix),
Acute Fowl Cholera (Pasteurella multocida),
Pullorum Disease (Salmonella Pullorum,

of which, the first seems most possible.

I'll post some info on all of these for you.

 

[casportpony]

Source:

 

[casportpony]

Source:

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Anyone? Is there anyway it is not a terrible disease? The rooster is not responding as well today and he is back to being sleepy and droopy. I gave the vet an update and asked about testing/necropsy. He doesn't know how to get enough blood to send off, where we would get it from, nor what we would be testing for. He can do a necropsy, so if the rooster passes I could take him in. I think I may need a different vet. There is no other bird showing symptoms- I may go out soon and listen to them in the dark, I think I may handle them too since that seems much less stressful in the dark. Two different hens are now laying. I have not been collecting the eggs and they are two different brown colors. They do not lay daily, probably every three days.

I would get a necropsy. I have read that you can contact your state veterinarian or county extension agent for information on this. (Try googling for it also for your state.)