2 birds down, 1 sick with something new :-(

[woodlandcello]

Hello all. I had 10 birds. Just this week, I quarantined and subsequently lost 2 birds that I suspect had coccidiosis. I am medicating the remaining girls. Today, yet another bird started gasping for air every time she eats or drinks. Gapeworm? Yikes. I've got her quarantined. No symptoms other than gasping whenever she puts her head down to drink/eat, then lifts it back up. Any thoughts? THANKS

 

[Isaac 0]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry for your losses.

Could you post a video of the bird gasping? To post a video, you'll need to upload it to a video platform like Yotube or Vimeo, then copy/paste here?

What medication are you using, and at what dose? Can you hear a wheeze when she breathes? What are you feeding them? Are they eating and drinking much? Have you checked in their throat for any lesions, mucous, or plaque deposits with a flashlight? Have you checked for any signs of mold in their pen?

 

[woodlandcello]

Thanks for your thoughtful response. I am not medicating the wheezing bird yet - she just developed this symptom yesterday. She has no other symptoms and seems to still be interested in food and water but is probably very uncomfortable eating and drinking because both make her start to wheeze. Open beak, labored breath. It's audible when I am beside her but it subsides after a couple of minutes. She's not stretching her neck out or shaking her head. If this is gapeworm, I was going get Safeguard 10% Liquid Dewormer for Goats which has active ingredient fenbendazole. The problem is that I already started medicating the rest of the flock for coccidiosis (Corid 20%, 1.5 tsp/gallon water) and don't want to use a second med at the same time. The 2 birds that died probably had coccidiosis - lethargy, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weakness, weight loss.

This is my first attempt at raising chickens, and I am at a loss for the sudden sicknesses. I've been careful to clean the coop regularly, fresh food/water daily, etc. The coop has only been used for about 2 months. It is dry with a raised wooden floor, no mold. The yard likewise is dry. I haven't checked her throat - how do I do that? I had a hard time even getting my 2 birds that died to accept water from a dropper while they were ailing.

Oh, and I am feeding them Dumor starter/grower, scratch grains, garden produce and occasionally bread scraps.

I'd appreciate any insights!
Thanks!

See more at: http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/gapeworms