Mycoplasma Gallisepticum / CRD / Respiratory (gurgling/rales when breathing; no other symptoms)

[RedDrgn]

RedDrgn, thanks for your update even though you still don't know what's wrong. I was thinking about you and your chicken over the weekend! Isn't that funny? Now I'm worried about other people's chickens! It's a sickness (this whole chicken thing) I tell ya! All my chickens are doing great right now - no sneezing, raspiness, or anything. Today is either day 7 or 8 of the chlortetracycline. I'll go to 10 days and then stop using it. We get our new chicks 2 weeks from now. The ones I have now will either go to the basement or garage before they get here. My husband hasn't even started building the coop yet - eeeeek! I plan on being very careful with biosecurity when the newbies get here. Eventually, they will all be together, but that probably won't happen until near the end of August. If they get sick, then they get sick. I'm so tired about worrying about everyone's health! I just need to relax and breathe...lol

Edited to add: Just to add to my worries - I think the second chick that got sick (my cochin) is a rooster (and he/she is only 4 weeks old)! I don't want a rooster, and I wouldn't even be able to give it away because of its potential for harboring some nasty respiratory disease!

Chickens are contagious - they train us all to flock together, too.

I'm happy that your flock is doing well now, too! Today is Persephone's last day on the antibiotic. She's doing well, but going a little nuts being isolated in the crate like she is. She heads for the door and clucks at us every time we're in the garage, and though we'll let her roam the garage a bit now and then, I feel so bad not being able to let her outside or with any other chickens.

Yeah, it's a trial, that's for sure. But chickens are like children in this regard; they never get sick when it's convenient.

Are you allowed to have roos? If you are, I'd recommend giving him a chance. Cochins have a decent rep as being mild roos, and roos really are a behavioral riot; language and mannerisms all of their own that really round out a group of hens. If he's got to go, though, you can still probably find someone to take him as a "food only" bird, or even to a flock that already has a history of some sort of respiratory issue (the more I read, the more I see how insanely common such flocks are). Either way, you had better get on your husband about that coop. Chickies grow FAST!

Did anyone ever get your test results back? This is killing me to find out what it was!

Yep! She's positive and I updated the OP with all info to date. The wait was killing us, too, but it isn't entirely over yet. We now have to decide what course of action to take now, and in the future.

Thank you so much for all the information. I'm going through the same thing with one of my hens. I had a couple of the neighbor's kids run after her when I wasn't looking and I believe that's what started it all. I also have three new 2-week old chicks that could have been the problem. My hen shows no other signs except for the breathing and no eggs. I was worried about the lack of egg production. I didn't know that it could be because she wasn't happy being isolated. So far I haven't done anything except keep her isolated and special treats along with her regular food. I'm always amazed at the number of "chicken experts" on this site. At the end we all have to do what feels right for us. When I first noticed the problem and started researching the site I was ready to put her down.

Pretty much anything at all that throws off a hen's routine could stop egg production.

When I first heard ours gurgling, I thought I was going to have to wring her neck that same day. The only thing that I knew about poultry and respiratory issues was that they were really bad and almost always lethal. What I've learned from this experience is that while that tends to be true, it's soooooo much more complicated than that when you're flock is just for fun and not for production/profit.

How is yours doing at this point? Did her symptoms improve without treatment? How quickly?

 

[scwheeler24]

Exactly, that's kind of what I replied on another post, only you did it much better. I am in the same situation as you.

 

[happima]

So, my Welsummer came back with positive results for Mycoplasma as well. She is seemingly healthy, eating, laying, but still gurgling. Dr said to keep her on tetracycline for another week. Wants to keep other antibiotics available to treat the flock should this issue hit the flock again.

Other chickens haven't come down with anything.

Very nervous about putting Rosie back with flock when/if she fully recovers.

When are you reintegrating?

 

[RedDrgn]

Exactly, that's kind of what I replied on another post, only you did it much better. I am in the same situation as you.

I hope you can get your situation figured out and resolved!

So, my Welsummer came back with positive results for Mycoplasma as well. She is seemingly healthy, eating, laying, but still gurgling. Dr said to keep her on tetracycline for another week. Wants to keep other antibiotics available to treat the flock should this issue hit the flock again.
Other chickens haven't come down with anything.
Very nervous about putting Rosie back with flock when/if she fully recovers.
When are you reintegrating?

Still gurgling? How long have you been treating her now? Today is day 14 of treatment (in water) with chlorotetracycline (Duramycin-10) for ours. The symptoms in ours were gone within the first three days of treatment, though we were advised and followed treatment for the full course.

We'll decide when/if to re-intergrate ours once we speak with the vet today. It could be as early as this evening. If our situation was like yours, though, I would not plan to re-integrate as long as she was showing symptoms. Even with ours being in good shape now, and even if we do send her back to the flock, we'll be keeping a close eye on her. Any signs of re-lapse and she's going to be pulled again and we're going to have to make some tough calls...like when is enough, enough.

If one bird is showing symptoms, then it's likely one or more flockmates already have and are carrying it. They're just asymptomatic (for now). But if the same bird(s) keep relapsing, we're going to cull. I don't think I'd be willing to run through this with any one bird more than once per year. Not much of a life for the chicken to keep getting caged up and loaded on antibiotics.

 

[Suzierd]

The question I have about MG is are they only contagious when their sick? (showing symptoms) I have read that they shed it periodically.

 

[RedDrgn]

The question I have about MG is are they only contagious when their sick? (showing symptoms) I have read that they shed it periodically.

No, they can be contagious at any time if they're carrying it. By the time a chicken shows symptoms, they've already been shedding it.

 

[Suzierd]

Thank you, so sorry your dealing with this.

 

[RedDrgn]

No problem and hopefully this'll all benefit someone else out there.

Hey, as they say, s*** happens. We're just relieved it's actually not something worse and that everyone is doing well so far!

 

[RedDrgn]

OP updated once again. The main "new" development is that, according to the Commonwealth of Virginia Veterinarian's office, a fraction of the chicken population in the world are natural carriers of mild strains of MG, which are part of their normal body flora. Of course, as with the natural flora of many other animals (including humans), it has the potential to cause problems if introduced into the body through an injury/other illness - much like bumblefoot, I suppose.

 

[MadHens]

Hey RedDrgn, I'm assuming all is back to normal with your flock now that you've got Persephone reintegrated. Since I didn't go the testing route that you did, I'll never know what my chicks had, but all appear to be healthy. They are 6 weeks old now and are living in the garage. I try to take them out for a few hours each day. I have an expandable playpen system outside (with no floor, so it just sits on the ground). They love being outside; I sit there with them so they don't get picked off by any predators. My husband finally had some time to start the coop and he's working hard on it. So far, he has the floor, walls, and roof trusses up. The coop will be 8' x 8', with a roof tall enough for a person to walk through. We haven't decided how big the run will be, but will probably be about 150 sq. ft. (we also raised the floor of the coop, so there will be another 64 sq. ft. under the coop).

We got our new chicks yesterday! They shipped from Ohio (My Pet Chicken) around 5:00 P.M., Monday, and the post office called me at 9:45 A.M. Tuesday! All 10 arrived safely - 2 Silkies, and 1 each of Buff Orpington, Faverolles, Red Star, Barred Rock, Dominique, Easter Egger, Speckled Sussex, and RIR. The new chicks won't meet the older ones for about two months. Will keep my fingers crossed that when I finally do integrate everyone, that the new ones won't get sick, but I'll worry about that when the time comes.

Hope all is going well with your flock!