New layers sick?

[Mkgcc]

Hello! My four new layers are about 2 - 2.5 months old. One has been sneezing for a month now and another has been sneezing for a couple of weeks. Now it looks like my roo is sick. He’s making a weird wheezing noise and keeping one watery eye closed. (One of the hens has also had an occasional watery eye.) What could be causing this? I don’t want to integrate them into my flock until I get them back to full health. Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hopefully others will chime in. I'm sorry that you ended up with sick birds.

Not to be harsh, but personally I would cull the 4 new birds, especially if there's an existing flock that seems healthy and has no history of respiratory illness.

Looks like the bird in the photo has respiratory disease - which one, hard to know without necropsy. Mycoplasma is fairly common but so are a few others. Here's info about diseases https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PS044

Respiratory diseases are contagious and most make birds carriers for life. Disease is spread through dust, dander, feathers, shared equipment, bird to bird, etc. Disease like Mycoplasma can be passed along into hatching eggs.

If you feel you want to keep them, then of course, you can treat symptoms, keeping in mind that your existing flock may contract the illness either through you spreading it or through integration. For Mycoplasma, Tylan/Tylosin can be used to help with symptoms. Viral disease like Infectious Bronchitis, it would have to run it's course, but an antibiotic like Tylosin may help with secondary infection.

Is there a bad odor about the face or from the mucous?
What's the inside of the beak look like?

General care for the eye would be to flush with saline, remove bubbles/water/pus and apply Terramycin eye ointment to help with infection.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about having sick birds. I agree that I would not add these new birds to your existing flock, or the whole flock may be carriers of this disease for life. Take them back if possible.

Did you get them from a breeder, swap meet, or poultry sale? Birds get respiratory diseases, such as mycoplasma (MG) from other carriers and through hatching eggs. Coryza and MG symptoms can show up within 2-10 days after exposure. If you have a heathy chicken near a sick bird, they can be easily infected.

 

[Myrshine]

It is most likely Infectious Coryza or Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG) or known as Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD) as these are the 2 MOST COMMON respiratory illnesses in the poultry world. While both are easily manageable, they are unfortunately lifelong and chronic, making all infected birds carriers as well as spreading the bacteria off to their offspring. An easy way to find it if it’s caused by Infectious Coryza, would be to smell around the eyes and nares for a foul fishy-like smell. MG doesnt have a smell to it. So, it’s best to keep a closed flock to prevent spread to other flocks. Antibiotics such as Tylan 50, LA-200, Penicillin, Denegard or Amoxicillin can help ease symptoms.

 

[Mkgcc]

Hopefully others will chime in. I'm sorry that you ended up with sick birds.

Not to be harsh, but personally I would cull the 4 new birds, especially if there's an existing flock that seems healthy and has no history of respiratory illness.

Looks like the bird in the photo has respiratory disease - which one, hard to know without necropsy. Mycoplasma is fairly common but so are a few others. Here's info about diseases https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PS044

Respiratory diseases are contagious and most make birds carriers for life. Disease is spread through dust, dander, feathers, shared equipment, bird to bird, etc. Disease like Mycoplasma can be passed along into hatching eggs.

If you feel you want to keep them, then of course, you can treat symptoms, keeping in mind that your existing flock may contract the illness either through you spreading it or through integration. For Mycoplasma, Tylan/Tylosin can be used to help with symptoms. Viral disease like Infectious Bronchitis, it would have to run it's course, but an antibiotic like Tylosin may help with secondary infection.

Is there a bad odor about the face or from the mucous?
What's the inside of the beak look like?

General care for the eye would be to flush with saline, remove bubbles/water/pus and apply Terramycin eye ointment to help with infection.

Thank you for your response! Since we have still not introduced them to the rest of the flock, they haven’t been able to spread it yet to my layers. If respiratory diseases are carried for the duration of the chicken’s life then I definitely don’t want that to be passed on to my others. I hate the idea of culling this batch - they are my favorites since my very first group of hens - but if it’s going to be an ongoing problem then I’m not sure I have many options