Need your help with this chicken. is this respiratory disease? * includes video*

[cmaranhao]

video below.

bought some chickens a week ago, from time to time I heard what sounded like a sneeze or cough but was not able to figure out which chicken did it.

Today I found this one like this, already isolated it from the others. the coop is well ventilated and it has wood shavings on it, 1 week old.

From time to time she waggles her head very fast left and right and makes higher pitch noises.

I read that it if chicken inhale dust it can do them harm. one day, with them all eating furiously, one of them was eating from the ground and there was feed (like powder) dropping on top of another from a feedder a bit higher than this chicken. do you think this can cause this problem?

I have already tried to give her water mixed with apple cider vinegar and terramicina (do not know the english name but this is can used for respiratory diseases in chickens).

any help?

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes the sick ones may be outside with some shade. The fresh air is good for them, and they won’t be so close together. Keep the ones showing symptoms together. Glad that the sickest one is recovering, but sorry that one more is getting sick. The nostrils will get dirty if they have any secretions. Be aware that most respiratory diseases make carriers of survivors, so they can give the disease to your other chickens. You really do have your hands full now treating your sick birds. I would try to get more antibiotics, especially oral one in case more become sick.

 

[casportpony]

I use Pedialyte or Gatorade because both have potassium.

 

[Eggcessive]

Since the OP is in Portugal, he may have a hard time finding those. Salt substitute is potassium. There is a homemade electrolyte recipe in this link:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-heat-stress-dehydration-and/

 

[Eggcessive]

Poor thing. She is really gasping badly. Is there any vet available to see her? Certain diseases, such Newcastles, ILT, or gapeworm might be a problem. She looks to be in such distress breathing, that I am afraid that she won’t be able to drink the medicated water or eat. She really needs to drink.

How much of the Terramycin (oxytetracycline) are you mixing in the water? I would be tempted to see a vet, or get an injectable antibiotic for her, plus fenbendazole (Panacur, SafeGuard) and worm her for 5 consecutive days. What worm medicines are available for cattle, goats, and horses where you are located? I can help with wormer dosage if I can see the product.

 

[Eggcessive]

Be very careful about going from her to your other chickens. If she should have a severe respiratory virus, it canbe spread to other poultry by the air, on your clothes, shoes, and hands. Is there a way to contact the previous owner?

 

[Eggcessive]

It is possible that your hen picked up this disease at the sale, being around other birds in pens. Things like viruses are very infectious, and it possible that the bird was not sick from the orignal owner at all. Many of the common respiratory diseases may take 2 days as in coryza, up to 5-10 days in other diseases such as MG, ILT, and some other viruses to cause symptoms. Here is a good list of common diseases to read about symptoms:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[cmaranhao]

maybe the 2 injections are already giving some results, she is able to breathe much better now:

either that or death is near. not eating or drinking but I might let her rest for now and will see how she is tomorrow.

 

[Eggcessive]

I cannot tell that much about the one on the right. You would be the better judge. They can spread the disease to your original flock, but they could be exposed already. It is always a hard decision to know what to do when you buy birds with a disease. Many people do cull sick birds to keep the disease from affecting other chickens. Are you seeing any symptoms such as watery eyes or bubbles in eyes, sneezing, or swelling around the eyes or face?

 

[cmaranhao]

called the veterinary, he said he could give me medical treatment to put in the water and we treat them all at once. I also asked a dewormer so we can also take care of that now for all of them. tomorrow I will not go to work so I will have time for this.

just went to the garage, the second bird is now worse than the first one. it really makes a noise like a cat doing its rom rom thing. the first bird is breathing normally.

all of the others are outside in the coop.

regarding the birds being carriers, I really do like to have my pets in good shape and it brakes my heart to see them sick.

do you think that even if they recover, they might get sick again? or if I treat all of them their immune system will be prepared for this type of situation? this is important information because I cannot cull them myself but if it means I am only delaying a problem by treating them now, I would prefer to cull them now (will ask the veterinary to do it for me) and try to avoid problems later.

this afternoon I was reading on "humanly ways to cull a chicken" and even that will be hard for me. from axe and kill instantly to dislocating the neck or gasing birds, I cannot do it.