First 1 chicken with a cough... (and I think I am to blame)

[NapsWithChickens]

My girlfriend, Marilyn, has a cough running through her flock. It started with one and now at least 5 birds are coughing. She is dosing them with Sulmet, but is really worried that the cough will spread (she has a lot of birds) and that she'll lose them all.

I feel responsible because I gave her a hen that started this all. She started coughing soon after I gave her to Marilyn, so I have to assume that Eggetha was coughing/sick when I gave her to Marilyn - although I don't remember ever hearing her cough. I begged Marilyn to give her back immediately (She wouldn't, she likes Eggetha.)... and now Marilyn has 4 more birds coughing.

I spent the day out in my coops with my birds - waiting to hear a cough (not a one all day), cleaning out all the coops - replacing shavings, sprinkling DE, etc - ready to dose their water with Sulmet (which I have decided to do tomorrow anyway) and feeling really awful. Marilyn shrugs it off and says this stuff happens, but I believe that I am responsible for the problem.

Please - help me be part of the solution...

Suggestions? Ideas of what the cough might be indicative of? What else can she do?

Thank you in advance (and feeling like a crappy friend and a lousy chicken mom),
Laura

 

[NapsWithChickens]

Please... anyone?

 

[tnchickenut]

wet winter brings on more sneezing and coughs... so it may be just that. It may be worse. try some VetRX in the water and see if that clears it up... if not try visiting First State Vet Supply online and see what they have. They are very helpful chicken people.

 

[NapsWithChickens]

Thank you so much

- I'll check that out now.

 

[tnchickenut]

good luck! hopefully it is just a common chicken cold!

 

[speckledhen]

I hate to contradict Stacy, but chickens do not get head colds like humans do. They get respiratory diseases that usually make them carriers of it for life. Antibiotics will not change that. I have never heard a chicken cough in the years I've had them and have a strict cull policy if there is ever any respiratory disease here.
Now, the first thing I always check is the ammonia level at chicken-height. That will cause eye issues and sneezing, especially in winter when you close up coops more. If I ever suspect a respiratory illness here, first I will separate the symptomatic ones and observe them. If they have something caught in the windpipe, they'll wheeze to breathe around the obstruction, if an air sac is ruptured, they will make a sound like air escaping from a balloon, etc. If it's determined that the bird is actually ill, she will be culled because of the basic incurability of most chicken viruses. If a chicken has a strong immune system, it may be exposed to illness, but won't necessarily contract it.

 

[AHappychick]

I have to agree with speckled hen. First have her see if the amonia is to high. do they have runny noses too?

I would not treat all of yours with out knowing that there are really some sick birds in your flock maybe she would send one out for testing with the state?

You did not do any thing wrong but both you and her should practice good bio-security when getting new birds even from friends. You are not a bad chicken mom at all in fact you sound like a very concerned and loving chicken owner and friend.

Good Luck

 

[NapsWithChickens]

SpeckledHen -

Thank you for your input. I've forwarded both responses to Marilyn..

I wondered myself if they were coughing or sneezing and set about cleaning my coops immediately. The ammonia smells were stronger than I thought - and they were overdue for a good clean. Unfortunately their runs - which are covered - are a heavy clay soil and the poop just sits like slime on top by the end of the winter. I will get a rototiller and some sand in there - and they will be so happy again! (They have only one small dry dirt spot for dirt baths right now. They take turns... but they don't get luxurious long baths...) I am not adverse to culling... I just haven't had the need to yet....

Do you think that dosing their water with Sulmet is a good idea?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

If everyone was fine until a new chicken was introduced, it may be that the new chicken or your friend's birds are carriers of something. Stress will bring out a viral infection, and introducing new birds stresses everyone out. i can only speak from personal experience here. i've made the mistake of not quarantining, with disastrous results. Speckledhen is right, chickens don't get colds.

i would suspect Infectious Bronchitis or Mycoplasma Gallisepticum. Take a look at this chart here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pwhjQ6Yng877iz_JNiCN1IQ

i would suggest your friend take one of the sick birds to a vet to have some blood drawn or a tracheal swab, to determine exactly what you are dealing with. Exposed birds will recover from both of these (generally) but become carriers for life. So she would want to close her flock. You may want to take one of your birds in, too, to determine if it started with your flock.

Let us know how things go?

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I personally never think dosing with any antibiotic is a good idea with respiratory illness. I'd prefer to keep only birds with strong immune systems and cull the rest. The only things I use antibiotics for are the reproductive infections my hens seem to get at a certain age and the egg factory malfunctions.

I just want everyone to get down at chicken level, stir up the shavings and take a whiff to see how high the ammonia is at their height. Winter is when that happens the most because folks close down their ventilation too much to try to conserve heat.