BUBBLY EYE + SNEEZING + RATTLED BREATHING

[shaneensmith]

I am pretty sure some of the chickens I got from a friend have or have had OR are carriers of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). MG is a bacterium. It is the main 'causative agent' of Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD) and infectious sinusitis in chickens.) They have been separate from my original flock for 30 days. I introduced them the other day, and now I see these birds from my friends frickin' sneezing - bubbly eyeball on one of them....I removed ALL my Cream Legbar's and left the chickens I got from my so called "FRIEND" inside the coop until I can deal with it tomorrow. I am just so pissed. I really really do not want my Cream Legbar's infected!!! - they are my favourite birds - I could easily do away with the other birds (cull) if I had to. ** 15 laying hens would have to be culled **

- I heard rattled breathing a week ago from one of them - BUT it was NOT CONSISTENT. Just sounded as if it had some crap in its throat. I never heard anything again/.

- no sinuses are swollen
- I just noticed the sneezing
- this is the first time I saw a bubbly eyeball
- I stare at my chickens when they are sleeping on the roost
- I stare at them and listen to their breathing every night when I close them up for bed

Should I just cull them and get them over with? It's such a shame - they are great layers Keeping birds separate from each other is such a pain in the butt . . . UGH!!

I really do not want to spend lots of money on these birds - as it already cost me money to pick them up. So much for friends.

What would you do? I am just incredibly choked! Really starting to wonder if chickens are for me. LOL! I absolutely adore my Cream Legbar hens...they are amazing - they are like lap cats....and so very comical.

 

[cleoandtheflock]

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @casportpony

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They have been separate from my original flock for 30 days. I introduced them the other day, and now I see these birds from my friends frickin' sneezing - bubbly eyeball on one of them

How long after you introduced them to your original flock did you start to see symptoms?

It's hard to know what to do in your situation. It's possible the newbies contracted the illness from your birds if they didn't show symptoms for the last 30 days of separation.
Some flocks are carriers and don't show symptoms, only to find out illness is there when newbies are introduced.

Can you get some testing from your vet or through an independent lab to see what you may be dealing with?

Antibiotics may help if it's Mycoplasma - Tylan50 or one of the "cyclines". Flush eyes with saline to remove bubbles.

If these newbies are the carriers - then your original flock has already been exposed.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree that it can be hard to tell if they brought MG or if they might have gotten it from your flock or wild birds. In another thread I posted that MG is common in many backyard flocks. It can be spread through hatching eggs, and some chickens can be carriers without showing symptoms. I feel like we are taking a big chance bringing in new birds from anyone else’s flock. Your friend may not have ever had an outbreak before, if her birds were the origin. Stress from a move, molting, and during cold weather can cause an outbreak of symptoms. Here is some reading about how long it takes exposed chickens to show symptoms and other info about MG:
https://thepoultrysite.com/disease-...tion-m-g-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens

http://extension.umd.edu/sites/exte... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

 

[shaneensmith]

I agree that it can be hard to tell if they brought MG or if they might have gotten it from your flock or wild birds. In another thread I posted that MG is common in many backyard flocks. It can be spread through hatching eggs, and some chickens can be carriers without showing symptoms. I feel like we are taking a big chance bringing in new birds from anyone else’s flock. Your friend may not have ever had an outbreak before, if her birds were the origin. Stress from a move, molting, and during cold weather can cause an outbreak of symptoms. Here is some reading about how long it takes exposed chickens to show symptoms and other info about MG:
https://thepoultrysite.com/disease-...tion-m-g-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens

http://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/poultry/FS-1008 Recognizing and Preventing Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

I would like to add - my Cream Legbar's are brand new young pullets - I have had them since chicks since December 20th, 2018. I would hope they did not come infected. Sounds to me as if it's near impossible to keep MG and COCCI away from chickens entirely - sounds like its just a part of chicken ownership? I am separating my cream leg bars today away from the other birds until I decide what to do with them.

Can I purchase fish antibiotics to use on my chickens? NO vets are open today.

HOW ON EARTH CAN SOMEONE HAVE A MYCOPLASMA FREE FLOCK! Ugh.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You would likely have to order fish antibiotics. I'm not sure what you would find that's suitable for respiratory illness. Baytril for birds can be used as well as Tylosin (Tylan) and the "cyclines" would work.

 

[Eggcessive]

In Canada, you will normally have to get antibiotics from a vet. I also would recommend contacting your nearest poultry lab to seek some testing to confirm that you are seeing MG and not a virus. Here is one contact that you can ask about MG testing or if you sacrifice a bird, a necropsy, which would get a confirmation of MG:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...ls-and-crops/animal-health/pathology-necropsy

 

[shaneensmith]

In Canada, you will normally have to get antibiotics from a vet. I also would recommend contacting your nearest poultry lab to seek some testing to confirm that you are seeing MG and not a virus. Here is one contact that you can ask about MG testing or if you sacrifice a bird, a necropsy, which would get a confirmation of MG:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...ls-and-crops/animal-health/pathology-necropsy

thank you - this is the route I am going to go. I am going to take a bird that has knobby ankles (looks like swollen joints) and bubbles in eyeball and sneezing - sacrificial lamb and send it off.....UGH!! I live in Quesnel, BC and there is NO lab nearby. I always have to send it out to the city (Abbotsford) so I have to courier the dead body....) FUN TIMES! for now I have built my gorgeous cream leg bars a house AWAY from the other chickens...the other chickens can stay in the original coop for now....

My cream leg bars are super healthy (I HOPE) they are young - got them as chicks in December....they are now 5 months old....I just love them so much. The other ones I really do not care for.

 

[Banditschickens]

 

[Eggcessive]

Swollen ankles and bubbles in eyes sound like mycoplasma synovitis and gallisepticum (MS and MG.) Here is some info on MS:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/infectious-synovitis

https://thepoultrysite.com/disease-guide/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-m-s-infectious-synovitis