- Jan 2, 2013
- 5
- 0
- 7
Hi Everybody,
I wrote a message pleading for help about 6 months ago... To make a long story short...I had a flock of mixed heritage breed layers that were all healthy. I bought some Copper Marans for a local small neighborhood breeder. After about 3 weeks in isolation I let them out with my flock and they seemed fine. After about 2 weeks of every being together my rooster started having a weird hoarse cock a doodle doo... and then after a few more days 90% of my flock had the sniffles, shaking their heads and you can hear the congestion...some were even open mouth breathing. The new ones were all ok... After contacting the person I purchased them from they admitted there was a cold outbreak a few weeks prior but my birds I bought had showed no signs and were not exposed to the sick one. She recommended a antibiotic added to thte water and a vitamin boost. I did that for about 1 week... but everybody was getting sicker... and a few died... I then send out my plea to you... After your response... I called the vet out...
He isn't a poultry vet and recommended Tylan injectable... So I culled the worst cases... and I went ahead and gave everybody injections... They all cleared up and all was well. I have to also add the turkeys and ducks never showed any signs of any type of sickness even though they would have been heavily exposed to the sick one... The vet was not sure what it was but after I called in regards to a follow up he said if all is well then they are cured...
Then I had a opportunity to get some free chcikens from a commercial egg laying farm that has decided to close... I told them about my sickness outbreak about 6 months ago... and how I had a closed flock due to me not culling all the birds and starting over. This chicken person told me that these birds have had all the vaccines known to man injections as day old, followed up by a booster , and 2 boosters via eye drops and 2 booster of a water vaccine... So he said that these chickens couldn't get sick... They were also serology tested and had all high titers... It was a good opportunity for me... and because they had been vaccinated... i went ahead and took some... Know where this is headed...?
So it has been about 2 weeks maybe 3 and I now see that some of the new birds are sniffling and head shaking.... the egg production has gone down slightly... over the last week by 2-5 eggs... I also noticed some of my birds that were originally sick and recovered and also head shaking with runny noses, and I can hear the harsh lung sounds...
I called the vet yesterday as I still have a bottle of the antibiotic and wanted to start treatment ASAP... But I also wanted to ask him what the heck this is... I mean he told me that they should be fine and it was probably just a cold that got out of hand... the women I had purchased the birds off of originally had told me none of hers died and it didn't spread and everyone is all out together and is fine... Just a cold. These new birds have been vaccinated and boosted and had serology testing.... so I know that whatever this is obviously cannot be vaccinated for... The vet didn't call me back yesterday and is suppose to today...
I went out last night to start treatment...but I have now noticed that 1 big male Tom keeps sneezing and seems off, and 1 tukey hen also seems lethargic and off... and isn't sneezing but making a weird tweak tweak sound every once and awhile...I have about 90 chickens, and 20 turkeys and 15 ducks.. all of them free range and drink from each other waters... but all go into seperate coops at night...
I don't know if I should just cull everybody and spray the whole chicken yard down with some Virkon or something to killwhatever it is I have...and then start up fresh after awhile... or what... But I obviously cannot add anybody as they get sick, and the previously sick ones are having another bout...possibly the turkeys are now getting it... I don't know what to do... I have invested a pretty penny into some of these layers and have stayed away from auctions and questionable places.... Paying pretty high prices... and now I seemed to have something....that is contagious...
I don't know if the vet is going to be much help as he said straight out he knew pretty much nothing about chickens... but first step antibiotic and go from there...I am glad it worked...but now what...suggestions...?
Thanks
I wrote a message pleading for help about 6 months ago... To make a long story short...I had a flock of mixed heritage breed layers that were all healthy. I bought some Copper Marans for a local small neighborhood breeder. After about 3 weeks in isolation I let them out with my flock and they seemed fine. After about 2 weeks of every being together my rooster started having a weird hoarse cock a doodle doo... and then after a few more days 90% of my flock had the sniffles, shaking their heads and you can hear the congestion...some were even open mouth breathing. The new ones were all ok... After contacting the person I purchased them from they admitted there was a cold outbreak a few weeks prior but my birds I bought had showed no signs and were not exposed to the sick one. She recommended a antibiotic added to thte water and a vitamin boost. I did that for about 1 week... but everybody was getting sicker... and a few died... I then send out my plea to you... After your response... I called the vet out...
He isn't a poultry vet and recommended Tylan injectable... So I culled the worst cases... and I went ahead and gave everybody injections... They all cleared up and all was well. I have to also add the turkeys and ducks never showed any signs of any type of sickness even though they would have been heavily exposed to the sick one... The vet was not sure what it was but after I called in regards to a follow up he said if all is well then they are cured...
Then I had a opportunity to get some free chcikens from a commercial egg laying farm that has decided to close... I told them about my sickness outbreak about 6 months ago... and how I had a closed flock due to me not culling all the birds and starting over. This chicken person told me that these birds have had all the vaccines known to man injections as day old, followed up by a booster , and 2 boosters via eye drops and 2 booster of a water vaccine... So he said that these chickens couldn't get sick... They were also serology tested and had all high titers... It was a good opportunity for me... and because they had been vaccinated... i went ahead and took some... Know where this is headed...?
So it has been about 2 weeks maybe 3 and I now see that some of the new birds are sniffling and head shaking.... the egg production has gone down slightly... over the last week by 2-5 eggs... I also noticed some of my birds that were originally sick and recovered and also head shaking with runny noses, and I can hear the harsh lung sounds...
I called the vet yesterday as I still have a bottle of the antibiotic and wanted to start treatment ASAP... But I also wanted to ask him what the heck this is... I mean he told me that they should be fine and it was probably just a cold that got out of hand... the women I had purchased the birds off of originally had told me none of hers died and it didn't spread and everyone is all out together and is fine... Just a cold. These new birds have been vaccinated and boosted and had serology testing.... so I know that whatever this is obviously cannot be vaccinated for... The vet didn't call me back yesterday and is suppose to today...
I went out last night to start treatment...but I have now noticed that 1 big male Tom keeps sneezing and seems off, and 1 tukey hen also seems lethargic and off... and isn't sneezing but making a weird tweak tweak sound every once and awhile...I have about 90 chickens, and 20 turkeys and 15 ducks.. all of them free range and drink from each other waters... but all go into seperate coops at night...
I don't know if I should just cull everybody and spray the whole chicken yard down with some Virkon or something to killwhatever it is I have...and then start up fresh after awhile... or what... But I obviously cannot add anybody as they get sick, and the previously sick ones are having another bout...possibly the turkeys are now getting it... I don't know what to do... I have invested a pretty penny into some of these layers and have stayed away from auctions and questionable places.... Paying pretty high prices... and now I seemed to have something....that is contagious...
I don't know if the vet is going to be much help as he said straight out he knew pretty much nothing about chickens... but first step antibiotic and go from there...I am glad it worked...but now what...suggestions...?
Thanks
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