What antibiotic do you give for resp illness??

[Ash123]

What antibiotic do you give your flock for resp illness? It's spread through my entire flock. Also, when my chicks get big enough to go in the same coop, will they get it even though it will be months later?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I usually don't, most are viral and unaffected by antibiotics. It could be environmental or nutritional as well - again, not helped by antibiotics.
If it's that severe, I would send a chicken to the state lab for a necropsy to see what you're dealing with.

As for the chicks and the likelihood of contracting - you have to know what the disease is. Some may be gone in days, some a year.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would recommend that you get a chicken tested for whatever disease(s) they are carrying. This can be done through your state vet or Ag. Dept. Most people would cull a chicken with respiratory disease since they are never cured from most of the common ones such as MG (CRD) and coryza. Those that chose to close their flocks with no chickens coming in or out may choose to treat with Tylan, oxytetracycline, or erythromycin, but all chickens exposed will become lifelong carriers. You also need to practice strict biosecurity between your sick chickens and chicks because they can get exposed from hands, shoes, clothing, and hair, as well as when you clean waterers and feeders. Here are a couple of links to read:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://umaine.edu/livestock/poultry/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-faq/
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/states/texas.pdf

 

[Ash123]

They act completely normal and are still laying. They just have this cough/sneeze sound and I can hear fluid of some sort in their throat. I don't even know where to begin. I have an inclosed coop with what used to be grass but is now dirt and poop. I would never be able to completely clean out all the poop. This sounds very overwhelming.

 

[Ash123]

The coop is attached to a big outside run.

 

[Eggcessive]

What you need to do is provide dry shavings to keep the poop in control. Infectious bronchitis is another disease that is common, but is especially hard on chicks. Adult chickens will usually recover and be carriers for up to a year. It can cause wrinkled eggs and runny egg whites in hens, but it can kill chicks. Here is some info: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/78/infectious-bronchitis-ib

 

[Ash123]

Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Many people are very quick to use antibiotics, and they can help with a secondary bacterial infection with birds weakened by another disease.
Some viral respiratory system diseases:
Influenza
Newcastle
Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Infectious Bronchitis
Wet Pox

Fungal:
Aspergillosis

Protozoal:
Cryptosporidiosis

Nutritional:
Roup

Antibiotics won't help any of those.

There's really only about 5 I can think of that are bacterial and some of those are not helped with antibiotics.
Nutritional respiratory issues

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Many people are very quick to use antibiotics, and they can help with a secondary bacterial infection with birds weakened by another disease.
Some viral respiratory system diseases:
Influenza
Newcastle
Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Infectious Bronchitis
Wet Pox

Fungal:
Aspergillosis

Protozoal:
Cryptosporidiosis

Nutritional:
Roup

There's really only about 5 I can think of that are bacterial and many of those are not helped with antibiotics.
Nutritional respiratory issues

The bolded is an unfortunate truth - in chickens, other animals and humans people want to rush to antibiotics which are often unnecessary and/or given in the wrong dosage for the wrong time and the results are the drug-resistant "super bugs" that are becoming an increasing threat to us all..........in the end doing plenty of harm and no good.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Any time there's a respiratory issue, ventilation is the first place to look. Birds in open sided coops that have good bedding rarely get respiratory problems unless they've been brought in by other birds.