Need help with diagnosis

[pborowick]

So we lost our silver laced wyandotte last night. She has had respiratory issues for the last week or so. We separated her from the rest of the flock and brought her inside.

I started her on Duramycin 10 on Tuesday (800 mg dose) in her water. She was still drinking and eating but not much.

What i need help with is what you suspect the problem may have been.

Here symptoms were:
Slept a lot
Lethargic
Gurgling sound when breathing
Occasionally she would stretch her neck and open her mouth
No discharge from eyes
No sputum coughed up
Some runny green droppings

I would like to get her in for a Necropsy if anyone thinks this is something serious. Money is an issue right now but I also don't want my flock to be a carrier of disease and will cull them all if I have to.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Not to sound pushy but I need to figure this out in the next hour or so.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Wyandottes7]

This does sound like she had a respiratory disease. As to which disease, its hard to know for sure. Most respiratory diseases have similar symptoms.

It doesn't really matter what respiratory disease your birds had. All (I believe, or at least most) respiratory diseases will make birds carriers. Some can be passed through the egg. Just because they are carriers doesn't mean they have to be culled, but it does mean that you shouldn't sell them to anyone else and probably shouldn't sell their eggs for hatching (the eggs are fine for eating).

If you send it in to a necropsy, you may confirm that it is a respiratory disease. You may also find out the exact disease.

 

[BantamLover21]

Many respiratory diseases are similar, but my best guess is that your hen had Infectious Bronchitis. That disease is relatively common, and is caused by a virus (so the Duramycin wouldn't have helped). It also results in gurgling/rattling, lethargy, loss of appetite, and difficulty breathing--all symptoms your hen had.

Another possible disease is Chronic Respiratory Disease (caused by Mycoplasma). However, CRD is not quite as common as Infectious Bronchitis. CRD causes swelling of the face, nasal discharge, and more severe respiratory distress. Therefore, I don't think it is as likely as Infectious Bronchitis.

I do not think it was Infectious Coryza, since that would have caused a bad smell and facial swelling; nor is Infectious Laryangotracheitis likely, since that would have caused bloody discharge and coughing.

Regardless of the cause of death, I'm sorry for your loss.

Hopefully, the rest of your birds remain healthy. Unfortunately, basically all respiratory disease result in exposed birds becoming carriers of the disease, so the rest of your flock may seem healthy but in fact harbor the problem.

 

[Eggcessive]

MG, coryza, ILT, or infectious bronchitis are all common respiratory diseases. Tylan 50 injection either used as a shot or given orally would work better if you see any more sick birds, since they won't usually drink enough medicines to help. Sorry for your loss. Here are some links to read about these diseases and a link for your state vet:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx

 

[pborowick]

Thanks for your help everyone, once again, great information. Definitely need to get some Tylan.

If i can get her to the university for a necropsy I will.

Any thoughts on what my options are for adding more birds in the future? Should I cull and start over or ????

The biggest thing for me is quality of life for the birds, if they are going to suffer and slowly die over the next year or so I would rather start over with a new flock. Sounds harsh but my interest is in the welfare of the birds.

Also, thank you for your kind thoughts, my girls are taking it kind of hard but this is a life lesson.

They are also talking about getting rabbits.........

we're already a funny farm, what's a few more...

 

[Eggcessive]

You may or may not see any more sick birds, but if you do, you can treat them for awhile then see how it goes into the winter. None may ever get sick again. If you do cull and start over, it would get rid of the disease so that you could clean, disinfect, and wait a couple of months so that nothing is in the environment. Then starting with hatchery chicks would be the way to hopefully not get any more diseases.