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

[Eggcessive]

The rattling noise in the last video is rales, and can be normal with a respiratory infection when there is mucus in the airways. Overall I think your pullets are looking good. They should get over this sickness in a few weeks. As I said earlier, it could be infectious bronchitis or a mild strain of mycoplasma (MG.) In your first video in the beginning, that pullet looked very sick in severe respiratory distress. But they seem to be weathering this infection well, and getting stronger.

If you are dealing with IB, the chickens could be infectious for up to a year after they recover. If they have MG, they could be carriers for life. IB does not come back on them, but MG can possibly cause illness if they are stressed, such as during a molt, or in very cold weather.

Your set up looks very nice, and you are doing a good job taking care of them. I would recommend changing the food daily since it is wet. Keep us up to date on their progress.

 

[cmaranhao]

was refreshing this post in high anticipation for any comments so it was with joy I read yours! I am very happy you think they are recovering well and I have a good chance of getting away with all of them.

Tomorrow will change their feed because now it is late in the night and it is raining. I will keep posting the results since with all the information this topic has, together with the videos, it might help save a few chickens out there from of owners like me who find themselves clueless on what to do!

if weather was a bit dryer and hotter would probably be better. it is raining a lot and then sun comes out. this is creating a lot of bad smell in the coop, flies, humidity etc. but I am cleaning it up often to try and reduce the proliferation of bacteria at least.

about my setup, I started with the wooden coop alone that the older hens now have. they were free ranging all day until a goshawk killed one of my black stars. then I bought the "run" and installed the wheels so they have more or less fresh ground when they are inside but I let them out if I am on the backyard. finally I decided I wanted more chickens and bought the plastic coop which is bigger and can theoretically hold up to 12 chickens (although I have 13, it is a bit crowded once they all go inside).

I still have some ideas to make the run a more fun place for them, will keep modifying and improving. always thought chickens as a stupid animal but all of a sudden I really like them and I feel relaxed just watching them peck around and run for bugs, do their little things. such beautiful animals!

remembered one question: what kind of medicine/vitamins/dewormers/etc you think a chicken owner should ALWAYS have? I am asking this so I can be prepared for an emergency. I live in Europe so a lot of the brands might not be available here.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am glad that your new pullets seem to be getting better. Your other hens may get sick as well, but if you get them started on the antibiotics, they may get along okay. You can try to keep the 2 groups apart until everyone seems healthy, and that may lessen the spread. But the survivors will still be carriers for a time. It is nice to see someone who enjoys having chickens as well as we do. So glad that you joined us on this forum.

Most antibiotics are not approved for poultry. However, if you have a respiratory infection, tylosin, oxytetracycline, tiamulin, or Baytril would be good to have. If only one, I would get Baytril (enrofloxacin.) For worming, fenbendazole, a goat and cattle wormer is very good. In Great Britain they use Flubenvet or flubendazole in the feed for 7 days. For vitamins, human vitamin B complex is good to use in food, but in an emergency, you may want to get a vitamin that also contains electrolytes (sodium, potassium, glucose, etc.)

 

[aart]

I found out that if I put the medicated water in their food they eat a lot more

Medication in water instead of injected or in addition too?

 

[cmaranhao]

today I had to isolate another white chicken that was very sleepy and rattling from the throat, gasping for air. she was getting bullied and was not eating or drinking so I put her in the dog crate with her 2 buddies. I hope they get well since they are separated for a few days already.

the one that got injections seems to be fine, the other is still rattling from the throat.

@Eggcessive, trying to find those suggestions you gave me over here but no success until now. will keep searching.

@aart, the one that started getting the injections is also drinking. last injection was today, now they only have the medicated water (2 more days) but at this point, and from what I am observing, they will need more time to fully recover.

more questions:

I have seen what seems to be a bit of blood coming out of their nose in 2 chickens. should I do something more to help them?

is it ok to feed the eggs from the medicated chickens to them?

what species of chickens are these? the white ones, the brown one and the 3 browns with the white dots? you see them all right here at the start (the end of video shows the sex links black star and browns).

 

[Eggcessive]

There may be some drug residue in the eggs, so I would only feed them to the chickens being medicated. The only breed I recognize are the speckled sussex—the brown spotted ones.

 

[aart]

@aart, the one that started getting the injections is also drinking. last injection was today, now they only have the medicated water

Same medication?....which I assume is an antibiotic...dosing should be carefully applied, getting to little may cause issues.

 

[cmaranhao]

I know. I am going to ask to the veterinary more so I extend the treatment. They seem to be improving a bit but the medication will end tomorrow, no way they will be fine by then.

 

[cmaranhao]

today was a good day, did not heard a single sneeze, did not see no one gasping for air and all eaten and drank well.

so I decided to join the 10 pullets back together.

one odd thing, I had a very small egg from my older hens. this never happened, in fact I have never seen an egg this small. shell and color are normal, it is just the size. do you think this is related with the respiratory disease?

 

[aart]

one odd thing, I had a very small egg from my older hens. this never happened, in fact I have never seen an egg this small. shell and color are normal, it is just the size. do you think this is related with the respiratory disease?

Had she been laying previously, before the disease hit?
Was she also medicated?
Is there a yolk inside egg?
Probably a....
Fairy, fart, wind, rooster eggs are usually from a tiny piece of tissue breaking loose from the reproductive tract, or an immature ova(yolk) and the body forms an egg around it. Color can be darker than 'normal' as the pigment coating released has to cover a much smaller area so is thicker. Can happen with any age layer, but more common with new or older layers.