Wheezing with evevry breath....

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cnj-tx50

cnj-tx50

Songster
10 Years
Jun 19, 2009
342
7
121
North of Dallas, TX
I am new a having chickens and I have been adding some new ones. Noticed yesteday evening that one has a sneezing sound and this moring I notice her wheezing with every breath. Now this afternoon another one sounds the same. What could be wrong and what do I need to do?
 
The very first thing to do if you notice any hen with these sort of breathing problems is to prevent them from having any sort of contact with the rest of the flock. You can put the hen in a cage away from the others. Now that another hen has it you put her in another cage too. I can't give much more info than that, sorry.
 
I"d go one step further; new chickens should always be quarantined for 30 days from the others because of things like this. CHickens overcome experiences with bacteria/virus and sometimes become asymptomatic carriers. The previous owners might not ever have seen any symptoms. So each chicken, each flock, is carrying around baggage of past histories.

because some of the most devestating of poultry diseases have up to a 21 day incubation period, we quarantine 30 days. That gives you 21 days for the disease to even start, five days for you to notice any symptoms, and some spare days just in case.

Separate this bird now, determine exactly which section is wheezing by using your ear near her head, against her throat, and then near her back/ribs.

I wouldn't medicate based on just what you've told us; it could be gapeworm (which antibiotics don't effect), environmental (which a/b's don't effect), viral (which a/b's don't effect), and antibiotics will kill good bacteria in the gut and cause resistance issues if used for the wrong thing or indiscriminately.

Could you tell us what bedding you have, whether or not the air is very fresh and clean smelling and moving well in all areas where these birds are, if you have over 4 foot of space per bird, and what you're feeding? Any rains lately, changes in weather? Any other symptoms at all? Were these birds wormed recently at all or ever? What's her weight, etc? Look in the mouth - the roof of her mouth - is it pink and healthy, or does it have anything different going on?

How old is the bird, and I assume she was put in with new birds without the quarantine, correct? Are they her age or older?
 
I have a 50x50 yard for them and the coup is raised with an expanded metal floor and 3 large windows. Lots of air. They are nesting in coastly from my mothers farm. They have a very large roost even though tey all try to sit on top of each other. I have only had them for 30 days - 15 of them from one place and six more that I added this past weekend from 2 different places, one guy gives talks in and around Dallas. The other place was off craig's list and this is the first one that appeared sick. Now I have gone to check on them again and it seems that three more are doing the same thing so it seems to be spreading very fast. I keep things very clean and I change their water twice a day even if it doesn't need it because they seem to like the cool water. They are acting normal in every way other than this wheezing noise. No head shaking or yawning and I have not noticed any diaherra. We have a garden so I have been giving them the scrapes from the veggies almost every evening and until last night all seemed normal.
They are all between 12 and 18 weeks old. Looking inside their mouth seems to be pale pink to pink. No changes in weather other than very hot . They stay under the coop during the day and when we have no breeze I have a fan that I put out for some air. They have gained weight and seem to be eating alot. Thank for the help.
 
OK well then you have a respiratory illness, OR it's the hay. I would use horse shavings (pine only) like you get at TSC, replace them. Hay is dry, but because of the curing process it harbors mildew spores. It only takes a little moisture added to humidity for the spores to become a problem for the more sensitive respiratory system of chickens (which is why even some horse people wet it down completely, soak it, before feeding if their horses are sensitive).

You will want to use the Duramycin at least - all the birds in that flock, at least 7 days if not 14. Tylan in the water would be an even better choice.

For nutritional support, because you won't be able to add anything to the water, you can spray (with a hand-held misting type spray bottle) "Fortified" wheat germ oil on the feed twice weekly. it's sold for horses and must be "fortified" with A, D, E. A is a super respiratory healing and immune system building vitamin, E is for inflammation (sinuses) and healing. Spray only - do not pour.

If you give Tylan soluble in the water (again HIGHLY recommended because you want to stop this fast) you will be able to give yogurt as a treat in a damp mash once daily to prevent secondary diarrhea and yeast infections from using antibiotics. If you use Durvet, then you'll want to buy Probios from the feed store or TSC and use that instead in a damp mash daily (never in the water despite the label). By the time you buy two packages of Durvet 10 and probios, Tylan is way more effective and probably less expensive.



Cease the scraps - just feed them their fully fortified complete pellets, grower or layer depending on how red their combs are. You can start giving free choice oyster shell now so that they build up calcium for laying time when you will then give them laying pellets.

Good on the healthy mouths - that eliminates some bad possibilities.

Is there any way you could make a second place for them to stand, not under the coops where the droppings go and the moisture is? That actually might be part of the problem.
 
We will work on other shade maybe a tarp or something. No one is in the coop durning the day, but I do sweep out the coop daily. We went to the feed store tonight and bought duramycin and mixed with their water, they drank more than half of it in 2 hours. I was surprised but they do love the cold water. I will get the yogurt tomorrow. Just plain? I feed them crumbles and then the treats. Not too sure about pellets. We have been getting 3 to 5 eggs aday and today only one.

Just check the coop for noise and all seems quite and no wheezing.

I keep the under side of the coop raked out for our compost pile everyother day. Do I need to do anything else. For some reason even though there is shade elsewhere they seem to love being under it. Do I need to block this of somehow?

Thank you so very much for the help and advise.
 
Quote:
OK, are you using 3 teaspoons per gallon? because that's the dosage for Duramycin 10 (10 grams per package, 6.04 ounce package) 7 - 14 days, no less than 7.

But don't use the yogurt now - you can't with 'mycin or 'cycline drugs. It'll make the drug now work. You'd have to use acidophilis capsules or tablets which you can get from a lot of grocery stores in the vitamin section (bottom shelf in all of mine), or wait until you're dong medicating and then use the yogurt. Or buy Probios dispersible powder at the feed store (or the paste) and use via food, not water.

The thing that made me wonder about under the coop is that the sun never hits there, and it can be a place where there is mildew etc. Not so much eating it, but sitting there breathing it all day - could make sniffles.
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Oh and I'm glad to hear about them really liking the cold water; that's twice in 2 days that I've heard that birds much prefer it. Interesting!
 
We have a deep water well and the water is very cold coming out. They coming running when they see me coming with the hose. The humidity has been very high here for last few days and I had just replenished the straw in the boxes the day before I got the new ones and it was in a black plastic trash bag, so I am leaning toward the straw being compromised. I will get this cleaned out tomorrow and replaced. The mildew thing I don't think is a problem as there is always a breeze or fan and it is 2 feet off the ground all the way around. Nothing is closed in under neath.

We are using the the 3 TBS dose. And I will will check on the spray.

Again, your help has been great and I feel that the outcome will be high. Our granddaughter will start school on Monday and all she can talk about is green eggs and ham!!! One again anything that you tell is wonderful!!!
 
Quote:
Straw is very very easy to develop mildew that we can't see. plastic bag, heat, humidity - that can definitely cause the hay to spore out. I'd really recommend using pine shavings of the compressed horse stall type because they're dried, very absorbant, and don't have the spore issues.

And Duramycin 10 is 3 teaspoons for the 800 dosage. So teaspoons are ok - tablespoons is a bit strong. But good for a first dose.
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Just make sure and use no yogurt.

I hope you start to see some improvement. It should start about day 3 or 4. That's the usual day - earlier is a blessing unexpected.
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