One pullet in flock with on again off again sneezing and rales but no other symptoms

[nminusyplusm]

One of my five 8 month old pullets has had a sneeze that comes and goes, twice accompanied by rales. She is the only one and she has no other symptoms. Her eyes are clear. No discharge anywhere. She always has a good appetite, is active, scratching, dust bathing, preening and yelling at me demanding treats.

She was kind of the runt when I got her as a chick, had pasty butt on the first day which I cleaned but she was fine after that. And although she was small, she had a voracious appetite, a talent for hunting and had no problem stealing all the best stuff from her flock mates. She grew up to be the biggest and the alpha.

Sometimes she goes days without sneezing, other times it seems like she'll do it every few minutes. At its worst, she was making noise either exhaling or inhaling, not sure which.

The first time I heard it I treated her with VetRX and she was fine the next day and breathing normally. The sneezes crept back maybe a week later with a few here and there but no further abnormal breathing noises.

About a week and a half ago she started making noises again so I treated her with 1/2cc of Tylan 50 orally for 5 days. She sounded back to normal on day 2 but since this was an ongoing problem I continued for another few days hoping to finally knock it out if it wasn't viral. It seemed like maybe it was gone for good until today, when the semi-frequent sneezing came back, maybe every 10 minutes for a couple hours in the late afternoon.

Could this be IB? What could she have that hasn't yet affected the others? Or is she just a "sneezer"?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

No, it's not IB. That would have spread quickly through the flock.

It sounds like chronic respiratory disease (CRD), which is usually brought on by a latent infection of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). It is contagious to others, but many birds show no symptoms. Once infected, a bird is infected for life.

It is sort of chicken asthma with stressors causing flare ups. It can be controlled with good hygiene, removal of dust factors, and prevention of anything that causes stress (over crowding, change in food, predator scares). Weather changes often bring it on, which of course you can't control.

Antibiotics such as Tylan are helpful for bad flare ups, but it will always be present in their system. Many birds live a long life with it with only mild flare ups. It does make them more susceptible to other respiratory infections, so careful monitoring is important.

You should not sell an MG infected bird and should assume your other birds as potential carriers. The industry keeps an all in/all out stance for MG.

This is not a big deal if you are a small, backyard keeper. Simply do not give away any bird. You can continue to add to your flock knowing that you will expose any new bird.

Lofmc

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-infection-in-poultry

http://www.agriinfo.in/?page=topic&superid=9&topicid=115

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...tion-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens/

 

[nminusyplusm]

Thank you! Unfortunately I live in a dust bowl but it's a little bit better since I mulched with gravel. And I'm ok with never selling a bird.

 

[nminusyplusm]

Also, do you think she might have caught it from quail that wander through my yard past the run? There was one confused male that seemed rather intent at getting an interspecies date undaunted by hardware cloth...

 

[V Dutchuk]

Here's a question along the same line. Went up to lock the hen house doors this evening and found one of my favorites wheezing on the perch. She has dried exudate, fever (according to her hot wattles and feet) and constant wheezing, although the speed and strength of the wheezing varies. Also, she may have a history with CRD. When she was a little chick she developed a bubbly eye and was just weaker than the rest of the bunch. For a week I slept sitting on the couch with her on my lap (she became my little TV buddy) while I dripped gruel made from chick starter and electrolytes onto her lips. She made it and this was about 5 years ago or so but was I a Baaaaaad Chicken Mommie for saving her life?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Also, do you think she might have caught it from quail that wander through my yard past the run? There was one confused male that seemed rather intent at getting an interspecies date undaunted by hardware cloth...

Yes. That is possible. See Merck manual. Even wild birds can catch and spread.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Here's a question along the same line. Went up to lock the hen house doors this evening and found one of my favorites wheezing on the perch. She has dried exudate, fever (according to her hot wattles and feet) and constant wheezing, although the speed and strength of the wheezing varies. Also, she may have a history with CRD. When she was a little chick she developed a bubbly eye and was just weaker than the rest of the bunch. For a week I slept sitting on the couch with her on my lap (she became my little TV buddy) while I dripped gruel made from chick starter and electrolytes onto her lips. She made it and this was about 5 years ago or so but was I a Baaaaaad Chicken Mommie for saving her life?

How so?
You nursed her to health, and she is now an older chicken of 5 years...which is old for many chicken breed, and her age makes her prone to viruses and infections.

True CRD would flare from time to time as it is chronic respiratory disease. MG is simply a precursor. Not all birds with MG will develop CRD.

Give her tlc support again, consider Tylan if you suspect an MG flare up.

Small holders commonly have some birds that are carriers as testing is not standard for the informal back yard keeper...which is why selling and trading is always risky...so keep a closed flock....birds in but no birds out.

LofMc

 

[V Dutchuk]

How so?
You nursed her to health, and she is now an older chicken of 5 years...which is old for many chicken breed, and her age makes her prone to viruses and infections.

True CRD would flare from time to time as it is chronic respiratory disease. MG is simply a precursor. Not all birds with MG will develop CRD.

Give her tlc support again, consider Tylan if you suspect an MG flare up.

Small holders commonly have some birds that are carriers as testing is not standard for the informal back yard keeper...which is why selling and trading is always risky...so keep a closed flock....birds in but no birds out.

LofMc

I wish I had seen this sooner but I haven't been on in a couple of weeks. She recovered btw. kept her inside for a few days but the wheezing was gone the middle of that night. Thanks Also, what are rales

 

[nminusyplusm]

Also, what are rales

Glad to hear your girl got better!
Rales is an abnormal breathing sound. This is a much more extreme version than my chicken has ever had:

 

[Eggcessive]

Rales is a rattly sound during inspiration or taking in a breath, usually from mucus in the airway.