2 week old cough

[IdyllwildAcres]

Hi everyone,

I picked up two baby birds locally two weeks ago and have been brooding them inside the house. My EE chick has been making a wet cough sound every 3 to 5 minutes since yesterday. This morning when I got up to check on them and clean the water dish I noticed she had bubbles in one eye. When she coughs, more bubbles happen. It's been a few hours since I looked at her and the excess moisture and bubbles in that eye are gone and both eyes look normal, but she's still doing this cough business. Here is a video I took off this symptom.

The birds are under a lamp with floor temp at 90f. Kept on large pine shavings. Other chick showing no issues. Both chicks are active, playful, eating, drinking, normal looking poops.

Should I be concerned? searching the Web for her symptoms (bubbles in eye and cough) gives me suggestions of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum or infectious bronchitis. Neither of these things look good, if she has either of these diseases it seems like the best treatment is to destroy both chicks and purge anything they came in contact with to protect my current two adult hens.

Edit: I'd like to add that after about 15 minutes of observation, the eye bubbles come and go. She also seems to have consistently labored breathing compared to the other chick she's with... her body does a noticeably greater amount of swelling with each breath, where the other chick is nearly still when they are sleeping.

Advice appreciated.

I would cull and never again buy local chicks. Not worth the risk IMO Hatch your own or get day olds from a hatchery

Sorry you are going through this

Gary

 

[SarahLadd]

I would cull and never again buy local chicks. Not worth the risk IMO Hatch your own or get day olds from a hatchery

Sorry you are going through this

Gary

You can bet I won't. This is the worst.

 

[azygous]

After doing a load of laundry in hot water, and after washing everything down with bleach solution, and don't forget the shoes you've been wearing out and around, you should be in the clear.

 

[Nambroth]

I recall you and your work! I'm sad that I won't see new pieces because I really did like it, but am glad that hopefully life took you in a direction that you love with jewelry. Funny enough I used to craft jewelry but had to give it mostly up due to nerve damage in my hands and arms.

I am not as well versed in respiratory illness the way others here are as so far I have managed to avoid it (my thorn is Marek's disease). I'm not sure if MG is an encapsulated virus like Mareks or not, but my approach uses a viruicide to clean non-porous surfaces. Bleach is not enough to kill some viruses, depending. I like Odoban, because it's relatively easy to find and use. Our Home Depot carries it now. Use as guided on the label for virus killing concentrations. I keep some in a spray bottle and use it on our shoes if we go out anywhere that has had exposure to chickens or wild waterfowl.

 

[SarahLadd]

I recall you and your work! I'm sad that I won't see new pieces because I really did like it, but am glad that hopefully life took you in a direction that you love with jewelry. Funny enough I used to craft jewelry but had to give it mostly up due to nerve damage in my hands and arms.

I am not as well versed in respiratory illness the way others here are as so far I have managed to avoid it (my thorn is Marek's disease). I'm not sure if MG is an encapsulated virus like Mareks or not, but my approach uses a viruicide to clean non-porous surfaces. Bleach is not enough to kill some viruses, depending. I like Odoban, because it's relatively easy to find and use. Our Home Depot carries it now. Use as guided on the label for virus killing concentrations. I keep some in a spray bottle and use it on our shoes if we go out anywhere that has had exposure to chickens or wild waterfowl.

I still paint and draw, but in small bites, usually silly things. I like watercolor most but I've been chipping away at a 4x3 ft oil painting of a giant south Dakota thunder head cloud.

I'll pick up some of the disinfectant you recommend.

I'm stuck at work crying my eyes out.

 

[azygous]

This is about as bad as it gets keeping chickens. No one is going to try to convince you it's no big deal. It goes against everything we feel and expect about new life. To need to end it so soon after it begins isn't natural. So that's why it's got you in a fragile emotional state.

The pain is acute today, it will still hurt tomorrow, but day by day, it gets reduced to something much more manageable. Hold on.

 

[Eggcessive]

The important thing about the bacterial respiratory diseases, is that mycoplasma, a bacterial-like organism, and coryza will only remain viable on surfaces, clothes, shoes, hair, equipment, etc. for about 3 days. Viruses can last longer, especially in frozen droppings.

Nambroth, so glad to see you posting again. I haven’t read your posts in ages.

 

[lilmillefleur]

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. Best wishes for you and your chickens

 

[SarahLadd]

I actually got ahold of someone at the University of Minnesota, he's got a test that's specifically for MG that's a throat swab and he would do both birds for $40 and also euthanize them for me (I've been having issues finding a vet that would put them down)... So tomorrow morning I can test them and wait for results, or put them down.

 

[Eggcessive]

Get some info for us on what test he is doing, such as Elisa test or whatever. My friends who are microbiologists tell me that mycoplasma is very hard to test for. Ask if they get many false negatives. I wish more vets who were familiar with this sort of thing would post here or at least write some articles in poultry magazines.