Chick gasping for air

[HuffleClaw]

Why are your guineas faces SO red?? It must be extremely hot there... wow.

 

[Brahmachicken240]

Why are your guineas faces SO red?? It must be extremely hot there... wow.

it’s actually freezing cold. Lol

 

[HuffleClaw]

it’s actually freezing cold. Lol

Oh. Well they’re just really red I guess

 

[Eggcessive]

Were the ones who became sick, different ones that became sick earlier the first time? Or were they having the disease symptoms for the first time? Unfortunately, bubbles in an eye and eye swelling with sneezing, are classic signs of mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG.) It is one of the chronic respiratory diseases (CRD,) which means that they always have it, and the symptoms may show up during periods of stress—molting, extreme temperatures, etc. The whole flock should be considered carriers and would probably test positive for the disease, although only some birds will get sick.

MG is considered to be pretty much everywhere in backyard flocks. Not everyone deals with it though, since many chickens seem to have good immunity against respiratory diseases. It is always good to have good coop ventilation overhead, limit dust or any wet conditions that promote mold growth, and prevent ammonia odors from soiled bedding.

 

[Brahmachicken240]

Were the ones who became sick, different ones that became sick earlier the first time? Or were they having the disease symptoms for the first time? Unfortunately, bubbles in an eye and eye swelling with sneezing, are classic signs of mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG.) It is one of the chronic respiratory diseases (CRD,) which means that they always have it, and the symptoms may show up during periods of stress—molting, extreme temperatures, etc. The whole flock should be considered carriers and would probably test positive for the disease, although only some birds will get sick.

MG is considered to be pretty much everywhere in backyard flocks. Not everyone deals with it though, since many chickens seem to have good immunity against respiratory diseases. It is always good to have good coop ventilation overhead, limit dust or any wet conditions that promote mold growth, and prevent ammonia odors from soiled bedding.

they’ve been sneezing on and off since March but the bubbles in the eyes and swelling only started last Friday mostly on the weaker younger chickens, one of the older hens is going through a hard molt and she had bubbles in her eyes too.
But after 3 days on medicine the swelling goes down and the bubbles are gone.

 

[Eggcessive]

So that sounds like they possibly had a virus first, probably infectious bronchitis, and then MG became a secondary infection. This is very common with respiratory diseases. When we get something in the flock, the best way to handle it, is to close the flock, and wait years for all birds to be gone, then wait for several weeks before adding healthy baby chicks.

 

[Brahmachicken240]

Only two hens that were sick earlier in March had bubbles and swelling around their eyes this time.

 

[Eggcessive]

But to understand MG and many respiratory diseases, once even one bird in flock is infected, they are carriers, then most of your flock later will test positive for whatever disease they have been exposssed to. Call your state vet or poultry lab to see how to seek testing of a few birds. Can you put your location in your profile? Here is a good article about MG:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

Another one that has the common diseases:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

And a link for most state poultry labs:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm