Coughing hen

[Linda Ann]

We recently had to cull a coughing hen, Sometimes sounded like a sneeze. She had it for about two weeks off and on and then quit eating. The problem is she was one of 14, and two days ago one other one coughed one time I have separated her and she has not coughed or sneezed in The last two days. I’ve been treating all of them including her with Vetrx and Diced up garlic clove in their water. No one is coughing or sneezing including the separated hen. We do not have a farm vet in our area, my dog vet has no idea. How long should I keep her separate from the crowd if she’s no longer sneezing or coughing, again she only did it one time before we culled the other chicken, I’m hoping this is nothing serious I don’t know afraid I will lose all my girls.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Forget the vets if you can't find a good avian vet with poultry experience. Be ready to send the hen to your state poultry lab for necropsy so you know definitively how to proceed.
What state are you in?
What is the ventilation like in your coop (sq. ft. of openings)?

 

[Linda Ann]

Forget the vets if you can't find a good avian vet with poultry experience. Be ready to send the hen to your state poultry lab for necropsy so you know definitively how to proceed.
What state are you in?
What is the ventilation like in your coop (sq. ft. of openings)?

My coop is 8x6 ft, their attached run is 16x8 ft. The coop has 2 windows and a vent, windows are closed now for the winter. They free range most of the day over 3 acres, in Ohio. One of my hens is 12 years old, the rest are 2-5 years old none are recently added. No bubbling around the eyes, no runny nose nothing like that only one hand is quarantined right now she coughed/sneezed once. Then hen that we culled was about 4years old, She also had no runny nose no bubbling around the eyes just lots of coughing and sneezing not eating and drinking

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My coop is 8x6 ft, their attached run is 16x8 ft. The coop has 2 windows and a vent, windows are closed now for the winter. They free range most of the day over 3 acres, in Ohio. One of my hens is 12 years old, the rest are 2-5 years old none are recently added. No bubbling around the eyes, no runny nose nothing like that only one hand is quarantined right now she coughed/sneezed once. Then hen that we culled was about 4years old, She also had no runny nose no bubbling around the eyes just lots of coughing and sneezing not eating and drinking

Here is your lab.
Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Ohio Department of Agriculture
8995 East Main St., Bldg. # 6
Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068-3342
Phone: 614-728-6220

If you lose a bird you can send it to find out what is wrong. Then you'll know how to proceed. If you call, they may send you a FedEx label for shipping the "medical sample".

I detect a potential problem. Real chickens, other than seramas, silkies and the like, don't need windows closed in winter.
Chickens require big fresh air regardless of the temperature. The easiest way to introduce disease into your flock is to close windows. It isn't the temperature but the lack of fresh air that becomes the problem. Many times, I've had chickens live in trees all winter in well below freezing temps through rain and snow. None ever got a respiratory illness or died from cold. The only thing that killed them was predation.

 

[Linda Ann]

Here is your lab.
Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Ohio Department of Agriculture
8995 East Main St., Bldg. # 6
Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068-3342
Phone: 614-728-6220

If you lose a bird you can send it to find out what is wrong. Then you'll know how to proceed. If you call, they may send you a FedEx label for shipping the "medical sample".

I detect a potential problem. Real chickens, other than seramas, silkies and the like, don't need windows closed in winter.
Chickens require big fresh air regardless of the temperature. The easiest way to introduce disease into your flock is to close windows. It isn't the temperature but the lack of fresh air that becomes the problem. Many times, I've had chickens live in trees all winter in well below freezing temps through rain and snow. None ever got a respiratory illness or died from cold. The only thing that killed them was predation.

Thank you so much for the lab information and about the windows, they have only been closed about two weeks I will be sure and open them right away. My chickens are a mixed bag but they are all real chickens nothing fancy about them. I don’t know all the breeds I do know a couple of them are comets, Thanks again this forum is so helpful

 

[Myrshine]

While vets can be helpful to obtain antibiotics, most vets don’t get educated on chicken-specific diseases. Best way to find out what your girls have, is to get testing done. If you’re in the US, contacting your state veterinarian can test for you by a necropsy. Live testing is also available at Research Associate Labs (RAL). There are many different respiratory diseases that can cause coughing and sneezing. The 2 most common ones are called Infectious Coryza and Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). Infectious Coryza is easily defined by the foul awful fishy-like smell that the bacteria lets off. MG doesn’t come with an odor. Unfortunately both of these diseases are lifelong, chronic and make birds carriers for life, spreading and shedding the bacteria through their feces, feathers, dander, respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids. Antibiotics can help relieve symptoms when they appear.

 

[Linda Ann]

Thank you so much for your suggestions and advice. I will use my local AG dept for no live testing. Much appreciated!

 

[Myrshine]

Thank you so much for your suggestions and advice. I will use my local AG dept for no live testing. Much appreciated!

Good luck! Hopefully it’s nothing serious!