poultry viruses

[happymorrows]

I have two sick birds. I contacted a vet at the NC State poulty science center. She thinks it is most likely a resp. virus. I have done some reading on poultry viruses, and they all seem awful, and the bird usually ends up as a carrier, so basically my flock would always be infected. Is this true of ALL poultry viruses? Is it always one of these bad ones, or are some of them treated, and then gone? I asked her this too, so will let ya'll know what she says but I am sure I won't hear from her until Monday. I am sure there are a few people on here who know a lot about viruses. I am just so worried about my chicks.

 

[dawg53]

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I'm not all that familiar with all the viruses. However, fowl pox is a virus and it usually disappears on its own around 30 days or thereabouts after going through the flock, chickens are immune to that particular type of the virus afterwards. Fowl pox is normally trasmitted by mosquitos. Infectious bronchitis is a virus that runs through the flock as well. Deformed eggs and watery whites are common, sometimes there's internal damage preventing a hen from laying. In time, the hens recover and begin to lay again...but are slow at laying thereafter. It will be a closed flock too. There are more dreaded virus's that chickens can get that probably the owner would have to cull. I think avoiding bringing in new chickens to an existing flock would be a major cause for the introduction of most viruses. Mosquitos carry alot of deady viruses as well...encephalitis, west nile, and a few others I cant think of right now.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have a few interesting links for you that I have bookmarked- if you are interested:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
(with diagnosis charts at the bottom)

http://compepid.tuskegee.edu/syllabi/pathobiology/pathology/avianmed/
this one appears to be a professor's page?


http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/contents.htm
try looking for the three articles:
"my chicken has a cold- part I, II, and III"

 

[dawg53]

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Thanks ChickensAreSweet...I had that first one written down and forgot about it lol.

 

[happymorrows]

Those are great resources. Thank you so much for sending them. They cover all the major diseases. I guess my question is though, are those all the diseases chickens can get? Are those the only options? Could my chicken have a lesser virus not listed? The diagnosis chart at the bottom is pretty cool, but my chicken's 3-4 symptoms are x'd on every disease, making diagnosis difficult.

 

[dawg53]

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Most likely you'd have to send one of your chickens to the poultry science center for complete diagnosis and evaluation. I dont know what the procedures would be for that. Sorry.

 

[happymorrows]

I am trying to get some tests from my AG department to get a kit to swab the chickens and send back to their lab. I will pass on info if this process works for diagnosing poultry disease

 

[happymorrows]

A better way to word my question may be, are all chicken respiratory infections chronic?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

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Thanks ChickensAreSweet...I had that first one written down and forgot about it lol.

Lol, I probably have it bookmarked because you posted it somewhere!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

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Sorry I can't help more!