Does a chicken who has had Coryza ALWAYS carry the bacteria for ALL it’s life? Looking for some positive.

[Raeganmh02]

Hi all! This question has been on my mind for a long time. I have a rooster that got this disease two weeks ago. The rooster hardly had any symptoms, and I got him treated very quickly with antibiotics (he only had bad breath and mild labored breathing). He is all healed now after being on antibiotics for a week. I have done a lot of research, and found that some websites act like a chicken that has had Coryza will “maybe” be a carrier for “long periods of time”. Others say there is no hope. I’m looking for some personal experience and advice. Has anyone ever kept a chicken that had had Coryza and been successful with it? My hope is that the bacteria in my rooster never had time to really fester, and that I destroyed it quickly enough to possibly eliminate it for good. I plan to keep my flock in apple cider vinegar and also to add some copper sulfate one a month. Any advice form experience would be great!! Thanks!

 

[Aapomp831]

https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/coryza/

This is the most informative article I have found.

 

[Eggcessive]

Did you get him tested to actually find out if he has the bacteria that causes coryza? Many respiratory diseases can look similar and E.coli or other secondary diseases can smell bad as coryza does. Here is an article that shows the cause of coryza:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/infectious-coryza/overview-of-infectious-coryza-in-chickens

If your state poultry lab or local vet cannot test for coryza, you can get swabs from here to test your own bird for coryza or 7 other respiratory diseases:
http://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm
Their phone number is at the bottom of the page.

 

[Raeganmh02]

I was told that if the antibiotics I gave them (Oxytetracline) would only help them if they for sure had Coryza. Sure enough, the rooster and one other hen that had it were all healed up in less than a week! Upon seeing this, I decided not tI get them tested since the answer had pretty much been given. They also had all the symptoms of Coryza as well. I still have them separated, planning on culling the hen. The rooster is the best I’ve ever had (and the only one I’ve got) so I am hoping to keep him since he only had a very mild case of it. Testing around here is very expensive, unless I drive 10 hours to take in the test myself, I’m paying over $100 to mail and more to get it tested locally! Thank you for your help!

 

[dawg53]

Birds with Coryza are carriers for life. Here's a link, scroll down to Infectious Coryza (It's called "Infectious" for a reason).
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Myrshine]

Unfortunately all “recovered” birds remain carriers of the bacteria. It’s also chronic and will resurface within times of stress.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, if he had coryza, he will carry it for life and your whole flock will be at risk for developing it. It is just good to try and identify the exact disease. Actually, coryza is better treated with sulfa antibiotics, sometimes in combination with tylosin, oxytetracycline, or others. If he got better with only oxytetracycline, I would wonder if he had MG (mycoplasma gallisepticum.) In some states, getting a necropsy on a bird can be very affordable, if you take the body in. But not always. Each state is different. This list can help you locate your sate vet to ask about prices:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Raeganmh02]

That Is sadly what I thought. I just hate it! I feel for all the other chicken owners who have had to deal with this. It is not fun. I am planning on keeping my recovered roo long enough for him to fertilize some eggs for me to hatch out in spring. I may have to keep him separated until then since winter is a stressful season for them. I am Hoping to get a “heir” out of him since he was such a great rooster. Thank you all for your responses! I will do some more research on getting him tested.

 

[Eggcessive]

Another reason for testing is that MG (not coryza) can be transmitted in hatching eggs to offspring. If you cull the hen, get a necropsy. In OH and California, and a few states it costs about $25. But some states charge much more. Always explain that a necropsy is for a “back yard chicken,” which may cost less. Some will do 2 birds for the same price. With any respiratory disease, it is always best to close the flock to new birds or to bird going out of the flock.

 

[Raeganmh02]

I will look into it. I live in Indiana, and out vet said that it is very pricy here. I will try to contact someone from the department of Agriculture. Perhaps they would be able to give me the info I need. I am having a little trouble navigating https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm, but I will try to find some information about contacting a vet there. Is it free to contact and ask questions?