Chicken with cold symptoms

[MacCana]

I'm bumping this post because I will think some others will find it useful.
Another reason why is bc I'm dealing with something like this right now. They have clear runny noses only now & again, and usually only on one nostril at a time. It started 3 weeks ago & has spread through my entire flock. I am sending a rooster (the first adult to show signs) to a lab to see exactly what it is.
The only symptoms are the clear thin runny mucous that comes & goes, and they sound somewhat rattly at times. They have excellent ventilation- if maybe too much (10x10 dog kennel converted) and are on a well maintained deep litter terrain when cooped. Free range daily.
I do not wish to treat if they will be carriers of something. Their symptoms are so mild though, I am having a hard time convincing myself to just de-populate without knowing for sure what it is so I can know what I did wrong, and who brought it in. Growing up, I don't remember ever having this problem. So this has baffled me. And cost a lot of money when it initially began, and I didn't have the right resources to know what my options are in a case like this.
So my question to any of you is, is it remotely possible that a worm infestation of some sort could cause these types of mild symptoms & no clear progression (or not a fast one anyway)? I never have wormed my chickens you see. But I plan to be more cautious once I find out what I am dealing with & can make some decisions.

 

[Jane morrow]

This my first time on this site, I have 15 chickens , I gave been keeping for nearly a year
So I am learning as I go .
I have two chickens with 'colds' and ratting, I like the idea of treating them the natural way , but felt these two needed anti biopics around three weeks ago , but them do not seem any better ,
Any ideas on what to do now for them :/:/
Thanks

 

[MacCana]

Get them started on some tetracyline or oxytetracyline crumbles if you want to keep them. Your local feed store or TSC should have something to treat respiratory symptoms. Be aware though that now that you have this, your other birds will get it, and they will be lifelong carriers most likely. So you'll want to keep a closed flock. You won't be able to sell babies or hatching eggs in good conscience bc these will infect other people's flocks. But if you are having them just as your entertainment/pets and to provide eating eggs, then medicate them and keep them. The only other option would be to depopulate, treat the ground and start over.

 

[callen0912]

I'm dealing with this in two of my chickens out of no where. Glad I found this thread.

 

[featherdftdfan]

I just lost my Salmon Faveroll rooster to a what i thought was a cold. It started as a sneeze then a gurgling when he breathed and my husband said it turned into pneumonia. We gave him tyllan 50, was eating again because he stopped eating all of a sudden but it was too late. Now i get paranoid when i here any of my Cochin's or Faverolls sneezing.

 

[emhalloran]

I have a young golden laced Wyandotte hen and she made a very odd noise yesterday, almost like she was clearing her throat. I thought nothing of it. Today I went to put the chickens away and she made a weird noise again so I caught her and listened more closely. Her chest was making a gurgling noise when she breathed. Other than this she is healthy, eating, scratching with the others etc. The other chickens are healthy too.
I have no idea what to do, she is my favourite hen......I have been taking my rooster to a chicken vet lately due to a foot infection he has and is getting treatment so maybe I will ask her what I can do for my sick hen too.......

 

[dewdrp]

I too am having the same problem with one of my girls, just noticed it a couple days ago.

 

[dewdrp]

I would be interested to hear what the vet says

 

[emhalloran]

My Golden Laced Wyandotte hen had made a recovery and is back to laying eggs and all. I spoke to a bird vet about it. She told me that chickens often pick up respiratory diseases and appear to recover without any intervention. In many cases once the bird had recovered it will remain a carrier of the disease for life and is able to transmit it to other birds even though there are no symptoms. This is common in flocks where there are birds of different ages mixing and it is almost impossible to tell which birds a carriers and which aren't.
In most cases birds will survive and become carriers, but there is also the chance that some may die.
Antibiotics can help birds with severe symptoms.

I had no problems with respiratory problems in my flock until I introduced two new birds. I have had the Wyandotte recover and now I have a rooster displaying the same symptoms and am hoping he will recover.

 

[dewdrp]

thank you for the information. I have had my birds for quite a while now, so there are no new ones being introduced. I am giving them antibiotics and am hoping that will help.