New chicken has rattling breathing

[shannon84]

I recently got a new hen about a year old I only waited a week and a half to put her in with existing flock, she’s have loud rattling like breathing and sneezing, she acts normal and clear eyes and nostrils but the breathing is really loud. I gave her tylen 50 orally yesterday. I got two doses in her and I had this same respiratory issue with my old flock this past spring, I treated them with the Tylan 50 for 5 days and the bounced back fine. I mean identical symptoms. I’m worried of course and freaking out. Am I doing the right thing? Don’t want to lose her and hate to hear her breath. Really upsetting to me.

 

[Eggcessive]

Your old flock are probably all carriers of a respiratory disease, possibly MG, even the ones that have not shown symptoms yet. Any new birds that you add may develop symptoms. It can take only days of exposure for symptoms to show up. MG vaccines are available for new birds. MG can be spread in hatching eggs or from carrier birds. It would be good to keep Tylan available for any future outbreaks, and you can find the powder for the water here:
https://www.jedds.com/shop/tylan-soluble-100-g/

Presently it is out of stock, but check back later.

 

[shannon84]

Your old flock are probably all carriers of a respiratory disease, possibly MG, even the ones that have not shown symptoms yet. Any new birds that you add may develop symptoms. It can take only days of exposure for symptoms to show up. MG vaccines are available for new birds. MG can be spread in hatching eggs or from carrier birds. It would be good to keep Tylan available for any future outbreaks, and you can find the powder for the water here:
https://www.jedds.com/shop/tylan-soluble-100-g/

Presently it is out of stock, but check back later.

Thanks @Eggcessive i think I’m dealing with MG for sure. Thankfully I have the tylan 50 here from the outbreak I had this past spring. I’m giving it to her orally twice a day. Is that plenty enough and do I do this 3 or 5 days do you recommend? Thanks for the reply!

 

[shannon84]

Oh is there a egg withdrawal period? I’ve been throwing them out.

 

[Eggcessive]

There is a one day egg withdraw after the last dose of oral tylan, and if giving it by injection, it is a 7 day withdrawal time after the last dose. Tylan 50 dosage is 0.25 ml (1/4 ml) per pound given 3 times a day for 3-5 days.

 

[shannon84]

Ok, it would be hard to do it 3 times a day. How does people administer to a big flock? Do they have to catch each chicken? I only have four chickens and its overwhelming. Is there a easy good safe way to catch a chicken?

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes it can be hard to do, but it works better. Tylan can even be given up to 4 times a day. I would do the best you can, since it is only one bird.

Does she have any bubbles in an eye, or any eyelid swelling or other symptoms? Have you checked her crop to see if her crop might be full and she is sounding rattly due to food coming back up into her throat? It would be good to check her crop first thing in the morning to see if it has emptied overnight, or it is full and puffy or hard.

 

[shannon84]

The other new hen is showing symptoms now. So it’s definitely respiratory. They are so fast and that rooster lures them away from me. So I’m having to be extra creative in catching them. Very flighty chickens. This old man farmer uses a hook device to catch them by the foot. But that doesn’t seem safe?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would catch them off the roost when they have gone in for the night. Then separate the sick birds in a large dog crate with food and water. Then you can treat them as needed. Leave the dog crate in the coop with the other chickens to keep them from being bullied later. Or, if you want to make sure that it doesn’t spread more, separate the two. MG doesn’t spread quite as easily as infectious bronchitis, which goes comp,etely through a flock over several weeks.

 

[shannon84]

I’m so glad you mentioned that, I swear I’ve been so scattered brain lately, I do have a tiny temporary coop set up next to the permanent headquarters. I’ll just put them in that for now. Only problem is my rooster will go into a panic attack . I guess he’ll get over it?