Croop cough?

[willcutts]

Need help! My girl started sneezing a few weeks ago. At first, it was just once a day? I thought it was just dust or just to clear her nose. Progressively got more frequent. Has now developed a gurglgy/congested cough. She is eating. Doesn't act sick. I have 2 others that have not showed any signs at all. Today I separated her and made a "croop tent" to use a vaporizer with Vet Rx in it. She has lost some weight but again she acts fine. Should I just take her to the vet or is there something else I should try first? These are my very first hens and I not very experienced with treating them or what to treat with but her cough today sounds "liquid" Please help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. It sounds like a respiratory disease such as infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma (MG,) coryza, or others. Some are viruses or fungus that antibiotics may not help, but bacterial ones can sometimes benefit from Tylan, oxytetracycline, or
gallimycin. Does she have a bad odor that can be common with coryza? Read this article about the common poultry diseases to compare what you are seeing: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[willcutts]

Update on Big Bertha. Finally gave in and took her to the vet. After doing a fecal, we discovered thread worms - there is a fancier name for them but my vet explained that that type of worm attacks the respiratory system and can cause them to cough like that. After 3 days of Panacur, the coughing has nearly completely stopped. So relieved! And I hope others read this so hopefully it may save a chicken! My husband was ready to "cull" as precaution. Never knew a worm could do that. Although my vet is an avian specialist, he is a wildlife vet, not farming so he wasn't positive on the incubation period to not eat the eggs. Anyone happen to know?

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks for the update, and I'm so glad that she has improved after the worming. Capillaria or capillary worms is the other name for threatworms. The egg withdrawal time that most people use for Panacur or SafeGuard is 14 days from the last worming. Good luck.