Medical advice needed please!

[My3sonsss]

Respiratory issue in my flock of 30. About three so far. Two 18 month old hens and one 6 month old pullet. Five days of Denagard (16cc per gallon of drinking water) didnt really work. What do i try next? They are not on deaths door (yet), they are just sneezy and a little congested sounding. I am so afraid its going to get out of hand and/or spread to rest of my flock so im teying to be really proactive. Been going on about a week now.

Also, i dont know how to give shots so please dont suggest that. Id probably faint Lol

Coop is 12 foot by 16 foot and cleaned daily so overcrowding and/or unkempt living conditions arent the cause. They do free range most days on about 1 fenced acre. They eat an excellent diet (i think Lol) and also forage. I feed them local fresh milled feed and also supplement with garlic, flax, sunflower seeds and oats. Clean water daily. Did a round of elector psp a few weeks ago. No idea why or how they got sick.

 

[Folly's place]

Get a diagnosis, then you can have a plan moving forward. Your state veterinary path lab, or the next nearest veterinary path lab, will have help, testing information, and get answers for you. Call tomorrow!
Beyond that, good nutrition and less dust in their environment matters.
Bringing in birds or eggs from other flocks can bring in diseases, as can sick wild songbirds.
Mary

 

[Eggcessive]

I would agree that getting some testing such as a nasopharyngeal swab from your vet, state vet, or a commercial lab such as Zoologix would be good. There are a number of respiratory diseases, ranging from the most common, infectious bronchitis virus to mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG,) coryza, ILT, and a few others. If all you are seeing is sneezing and mild congestion, it could be infectious bronchitis. It lasts about 30 days, and you may see some wrinkled egg shell. My flock once got that, and it lasts about a month, eventually affecting most of the flock. They can remain carriers from 5 months to a year, so it is best not to breed or add chickens for a year after the last bird recovers. If you don’t the disease will continue to get passed along. IB virus can look like a mild strain of MG, but IB will not respond to antibiotics, such as Denagard, Tylosin, or tetracyclines.

 

[Myrshine]

Sounds like typical Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG) to me. Only way you’d know though, is to get testing done.

 

[My3sonsss]

I would agree that getting some testing such as a nasopharyngeal swab from your vet, state vet, or a commercial lab such as Zoologix would be good. There are a number of respiratory diseases, ranging from the most common, infectious bronchitis virus to mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG,) coryza, ILT, and a few others. If all you are seeing is sneezing and mild congestion, it could be infectious bronchitis. It lasts about 30 days, and you may see some wrinkled egg shell. My flock once got that, and it lasts about a month, eventually affecting most of the flock. They can remain carriers from 5 months to a year, so it is best not to breed or add chickens for a year after the last bird recovers. If you don’t the disease will continue to get passed along. IB virus can look like a mild strain of MG, but IB will not respond to antibiotics, such as Denagard, Tylosin, or tetracyclines.

Thank you so much! How do you treat IB?

 

[Folly's place]

IB is a virus, so not treatable. And MG stays in the flock, and transmits from infected hens to their eggs. Your birds might not have either, but you need to find out!
Mary

 

[Eggcessive]

When my birds had it, I separated the symptomatic 6, and they free ranged each day. There is no treatment, just supportive. Make sure they have good ventilation in their coop. Sneezing every few minutes is a big sign. If you should see bubbles or foam in an eye, or swollen eyelid, they are more likely to have MG or something else. Unfortunately, more of my birds, a couple at a time became symptomatic after the first 6 recovered. All made it, and I did not lose any or medicate them. IB virus can later be a reason that some hens have reproductive issues. If you should lose a bird, get a necropsy and testing by your state vet. Here is a list of state vets and how to take the body into the vet (keeping it cold, not frozen
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Here is a good link to read that includes the common respiratory diseases and symptoms:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044