CRD?

[Krgrabuski]

So a few weeks ago, I noticed one of my cockerels breathing with his mouth open and sneezing. He also had a pale comb. We took him into the house to separate him. I put VetRx near his nostrils and put acv in his water. I was going to treat him with Tylan, but I don't think it's being made anymore, as I can't find it ANYWHERE. We decided to cull him to hopefully potentially save our flock. Today I seen a pullet breath with her mouth open and sneeze. She is part of a pair so I couldn't figure out which one she was before I went to work. When I got home from work, I listened to both of their chests and grabbed the one I thought I saw breathing with her mouth open earlier. I put VetRx around her nostrils, have acv in her water, and she is in the house. I have not heard her sneeze since before work, or witnessed her breath heavy. I was going to inject her with La 200 in the morning. Am I over reacting with this one? Should I inject her even if she seems fine, or wait until I notice something more?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Sorry you are concerned about respiratory symptoms.

Vet rx will not cure anything and basically makes a cool sensation when breathing... like Vick's vapor rub... *possibly* still relieving, though??

Many respiratory things are viral and not bacterial which means the bodies T cells and such need to fight it off and anti biotics are irrelevant unless you can confirm need or is fighting of a "secondary" infection that may (have) set in easier due to weakened immunity.

quarantine is really mostly pointless as well as all birds have already been exposed. That bring said... I still do it to prevent any more bacterial or viral load shedding among the flock. Like you state, I will even cull and consider it a very effective means of controlling most things. Most antibiotics like Tylan have become not legally available over the counter in the recent past.

Whether you're over reacting or not is hard to say. But over use of antibiotics does NOT benefit anyone and often renders them ineffective when actually needed.

Try not to forget that if your birds are not under an abnormal amount of stress that their own bodies should also be producing antibodies. All things immune system related are impacted by nutrition first, after genetics. Keep nutrition high by using a formulated ration for the species, age, and genders you keep. Be sure nutrients aren't diminished by excess treats like corn, scratch, meal worms, etc... no more than 10% of total daily intake.

How old are these birds now and where did you get them from? Adding your general location to your profile can help peeps make the best suggestions possible at a glance.

I personally would not be treating. I might offer a short term boost in the nutrient department... my favorite is Rooster Booster (brand) Poultry Cell (product). NO supplement (including ACV, which must be raw and unfiltered for the probiotic effect) should be given longer than 10 days in a row. If you don't mind, what are feeding regularly including treats and supplements?

Sometimes a sneeze is just a sneeze... most often seen in my flock during dust bathing. Paying attention to other symptoms or circumstances can help weed out cause for concern verses just good paying attention.. which it sounds like you are.

I do understand that my preference won't be the right answer for everyone. You MUST do what YOU think is right for your flock.

Hope all is well and your flock thrives without illness!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So a few weeks ago, I noticed one of my cockerels breathing with his mouth open and sneezing. He also had a pale comb. We took him into the house to separate him. I put VetRx near his nostrils and put acv in his water. I was going to treat him with Tylan, but I don't think it's being made anymore, as I can't find it ANYWHERE. We decided to cull him to hopefully potentially save our flock. Today I seen a pullet breath with her mouth open and sneeze. She is part of a pair so I couldn't figure out which one she was before I went to work. When I got home from work, I listened to both of their chests and grabbed the one I thought I saw breathing with her mouth open earlier. I put VetRx around her nostrils, have acv in her water, and she is in the house. I have not heard her sneeze since before work, or witnessed her breath heavy. I was going to inject her with La 200 in the morning. Am I over reacting with this one? Should I inject her even if she seems fine, or wait until I notice something more?

Sorry for your loss.

You say a pullet 1 time breathed with her beak open and sneeze? Had she just been eating/drinking?
If you are not noticing any symptoms at this time - you mention no more sneezing, open beak breathing, etc. and she seems "fine" - then NO, I would not treat with an antibiotic.

Monitor your birds. If you notice another sneeze or open beak breathing, take note if it's related to an activity like eating/drinking. Check to make sure crops are empty in the morning before eating/drinking. Look inside the beak for any canker, mucous or yellow/white lesions.

Sometimes a chicken may sneeze - they might have food/water/dirt/a feather, etc. in the nostril. IF sneezing is very frequent, then you will want to investigate and determine if it's due to respiratory disease. Do keep in mind, it's always best to get testing to find out what respiratory disease you are dealing with. Most all of them are contagious and make birds carriers for life. Here's a quick breakdown of common diseases that chicken can have - this will help you jumpstart your research.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So a few weeks ago, I noticed one of my cockerels breathing with his mouth open and sneezing. He also had a pale comb. We took him into the house to separate him. I put VetRx near his nostrils and put acv in his water. I was going to treat him with Tylan, but I don't think it's being made anymore, as I can't find it ANYWHERE. We decided to cull him to hopefully potentially save our flock. Today I seen a pullet breath with her mouth open and sneeze. She is part of a pair so I couldn't figure out which one she was before I went to work. When I got home from work, I listened to both of their chests and grabbed the one I thought I saw breathing with her mouth open earlier. I put VetRx around her nostrils, have acv in her water, and she is in the house. I have not heard her sneeze since before work, or witnessed her breath heavy. I was going to inject her with La 200 in the morning. Am I over reacting with this one? Should I inject her even if she seems fine, or wait until I notice something more?

Never give antibiotics for an unknown illness. Especially if one isn't even sure the patient is sick. That just continues humanity's accelerating downhill slide into a world of antibiotic resistant superbugs.
Hopefully, if you are really concerned about any possible maladies infecting the flock, you are planning on sending the carcass to your state poultry lab for necropsy to find out what was ailing him. Getting random advice online will be just that - random. Lab work is the only way to definitively know what you are dealing with and how to proceed.
What state are you in?
Tell us about housing. Be specific about square footage, type of bedding, size and location of ventilation, number of birds in the flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry for your loss. Do you still have the roosters’s body to keep it cool, and send it for a necropsy? That is the best way to tell if he had something contagious. Sneezing occasionally may be normal, but sneezing every few minutes and the open beaked breathing may be one of several respiratory diseases. A couple are caused by viruses which won’t respond to AB’s. Mycoplasma or Coryza might, since they are bacteria, but they usually cause more severe symptoms. Most respiratory diseases will make carriers of the others. Have you treated something in the past in your flock, since you have oxytetracycline on hand? Here is a good link about common diseases and symptoms:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a link that should include your state poultry lab to contact about a necropsy or testing:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm