1 yr old hen difficulty breathing

[Traceylane]

I have 1.5 yr old Wyandotte gasping during breaths, and having small sneezes. I lost another hen back in May to same thing, just progressed until she died. No other birds displaying symptoms but I have her separated. Normal eating, drinking and poops. I've been treating with VetRx 2 x daily and just finished 1 week of adding Tylosin to her water. I also dosed her with Ivermectin back on 9/22, 4 drops on her back. Was going to give 2nd dose on 10/6. Been giving her scrambled egg which she eats. Obviously it's something respiratory but I don't know what else to do. I dont see/feel any obstructions. I can't get antibiotics without a prescription and our vet charges $90 to see a chicken I posted on here back in May with a video of my 1st hen that had same issue but I couldn't find my account so I had to start a new one. I believe "wyorp" or something like that commented on that thread.

 

[Traceylane]

Looks like she has some nasal discharge now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm going to tag @Eggcessive and @coach723

Is her crop emptying?

Any improvement with the Tylosin at all?
You could try a different antibiotic like Baytril to see if that helps.

 

[Saaniya]

I have 1.5 yr old Wyandotte gasping during breaths, and having small sneezes. I lost another hen back in May to same thing, just progressed until she died. No other birds displaying symptoms but I have her separated. Normal eating, drinking and poops. I've been treating with VetRx 2 x daily and just finished 1 week of adding Tylosin to her water. I also dosed her with Ivermectin back on 9/22, 4 drops on her back. Was going to give 2nd dose on 10/6. Been giving her scrambled egg which she eats. Obviously it's something respiratory but I don't know what else to do. I dont see/feel any obstructions. I can't get antibiotics without a prescription and our vet charges $90 to see a chicken I posted on here back in May with a video of my 1st hen that had same issue but I couldn't find my account so I had to start a new one. I believe "wyorp" or something like that commented on that thread.

I recently treated this with doxycyline and neomycin combination still under treatment 2 times a day.for 10 days it's mycoplasma don't wait start the treatment

 

[Traceylane]

I went ahead and took my hen to the vet. I wanted to know how to deal with this in case we have any more cases. Determined it's not an infection and more than likely an obstruction. Says there's not much we can do and it might clear up later. At least we know she's not contagious and can be back with the flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

It may be a virus. Those have to run their course over time. She doesn’t look too bad. The Tylosin should have helped if it was MG. We can still get Tylosin and Enrofloxacin antibiotics from Jedds.com online. As Wyorp Rock said, check to see that her crops is emptying by early morning, before she eats and drinks anything. A crop that is not emptying may cause her to have liquid coming back up into the airway, causing gurgles or rales.

 

[Traceylane]

There was no improvement with Tylosin and VetRx. She went downhill fast after the vet visit. I had put her back in with the flock but by the next morning she was gasping and making loud sneezes with every breath. I put her back in the brooder that has a heat lamp since its starting to get cold at night here. No improvement and she was really struggling to breathe so I decided it was best to cull her. So sad I did my own simple autopsy to see if I could determine where and if there was an obstruction. I have since learned that birds breathing is very complicated with air sacs and bones even having a play. I guess I won't know what the cause was, which is sad because I lost another hen to same thing 5 months ago. Starting to wonder if it's the wood shavings I'm using, altho you'd think it would affect the rest of the flock, 10 other birds. Or maybe the feed, even tho it's local non gmo no corn or soy feed., parts of it are kinda dusty.

 

[Eggcessive]

What state are you in? It would have been good if your vet could have taken a culture of her nasal pharynx to see what she had. Most state vets can do a necropsy and testing for common diseases, look for worm eggs, and usually find a cause of death. Here is a list of state vets to contact in case you lose another chicken:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[Traceylane]

What state are you in? It would have been good if your vet could have taken a culture of her nasal pharynx to see what she had. Most state vets can do a necropsy and testing for common diseases, look for worm eggs, and usually find a cause of death. Here is a list of state vets to contact in case you lose another chicken:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Thank you for the info. After examination, my vet said it appeared to be an obstruction so I figure he didn't see a need to do a culture. I'm thinking the necropsy done by a State vet would be somewhat expensive? But prob worth doing if I have any other birds start having the same problem. It was a sad day

 

[Eggcessive]

What state are you in? Necropsies can vary a lot in price, and states where there are more poultry may have less expensive prices since they do more. Always tell them it is for a backyard chicken, since they don’t charge as much. Taking the body in to the nearest state lab, since some have multiple locations, can be less than having to ship overnight. Some states will email a prepaid shipping label as well. It is better to check it out ahead of time before you need their services.