Pullet's eyes are watery and closed, nose runny, silently does a gasping for air gesture, often lethargic

[Chickenlittle2903]

My 8 week old pullet has a runny nose since the day before yesterday. She keeps both her eyes closed most of the time and even when she does open them, they open partially and are watery. You can't see the orange portion of a healthy chicken's eyes in her eyes. A few days ago the part between her nose and eyes (she had this on both sides of her face, one after the other returned to normal). Happening for like a week. She also kinda opens her beak and bobbles her head upwards, in need of air or so. She's lethargic mostly, but not all the time. She's eating and drinking fine. She's taken water with sugar a few times in the last few days. But this isn't improve her condition, only energizes her for a bit. She's my only chicken of now after another died so isolation is irrelevant. From what I could know from Google, it seems to be a respiratory disease.What should I do? Is there some medicine I can give her. Please help.

 

[FeatheredFriends&Horses2]

My 8 week old pullet has a runny nose since the day before yesterday. She keeps both her eyes closed most of the time and even when she does open them, they open partially and are watery. You can't see the orange portion of a healthy chicken's eyes in her eyes. A few days ago the part between her nose and eyes (she had this on both sides of her face, one after the other returned to normal). Happening for like a week. She also kinda opens her beak and bobbles her head upwards, in need of air or so. She's lethargic mostly, but not all the time. She's eating and drinking fine. She's taken water with sugar a few times in the last few days. But this isn't improve her condition, only energizes her for a bit. She's my only chicken of now after another died so isolation is irrelevant. From what I could know from Google, it seems to be a respiratory disease.What should I do? Is there some medicine I can give her. Please help.

Could you please post pictures of her? Make sure you get pictures from every side of her and closeups of her face.

 

[Myrshine]

A video or pictures would be helpful, though I'm pretty sure it's MG.


In my experience and research, this looks like classic Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD), or most commonly known as Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). MG is a bacterial infection of poultry, affecting all different species of birds. This disease is most commonly given from infected parents to the offspring, as the MG bacteria can be transmitted vertically into the eggs of developing embryos, making any chicks that hatch, always infected and sick with the bacteria. So please don’t ever breed from your sickly infected flock to sell or giveaway chicks/hens/roosters to anyone. You can freely choose to hatch for yourself, but you should not ever sell and or giveaway any extra roosters as you’ll just be giving someone else your flock’s disease, causing them a devastation. MG is a permanent lifelong chronic disease- meaning, that you can treat or have the symptoms go away, but whenever the bird gets stressed again, the symptoms will keep coming back or get worse. All birds (even recovered birds) remain lifetime long carriers of the MG bacteria, spreading and shedding it through their feces, feathers, dander, respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids. This is a serious permanent lifetime disease of poultry and is incurable, but treatable with antibiotics. Since MG is caused by a bacteria, antibiotics can help keep symptoms at bay until the symptoms resurface whenever birds become stressed again. Keep in mind that over-use and/or misuse of antibiotics also creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making the disease harder to treat than before. It’s critical in any livestock animal, especially poultry, to get any sick or symptomatic birds tested to find out which specific disease they have as soon as possible. That being said, most choose to cull all birds, disinfect and start over fresh. If you’d rather not, then the other option is to keep a closed flock- no new birds into your flock and no birds leave your sick flock. If you choose to start over, always quarantine any new birds that you decide to bring into your flock, 30 day quarantine isn’t always enough, therefore, it’s best to do a 60 day quarantine AWAY from your healthy birds, in another area.





Here's more information about MG:

• https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

• https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/protecting-your-flock-what-you-need-to-know-about-mg-ms/

• https://afarmgirlinthemaking.com/respiratory-conditions-poultry-mycoplasma-in-chickens/

• https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ahw/animal_health/documents/backyardpoultry/Mycoplasma Factsheet.pdf

• https://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D9107.PDF

List of testing and necropsy labs for poultry & other animals:

• List of US Poultry Labs - https://www.heritageacresmarket.com/poultry-necropsy-labs/

• List of Poultry Authorized Labs (NIPIP) - https://www.poultryimprovement.org/documents/AuthorizedLaboratories.pdf

• Zoologix PCR testing for livestock (poultry, equine, bovine, avian, etc) - http://www.zoologix.com/avian/index.htm

• USDA Diagnostic Tests - https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou..._Lab_Information_Services/SA_Diagnostic_Tests

• Research Associates Lab (RAL) - http://www.vetdna.com/test-type/avian-bird

• Poultry Health Services Diagnostic Tests - https://www.poultryhealthservices.com/lab/tests/

Since I am NOT a veterinarian, I can NOT officially diagnose your birds- but I CAN give you this suggestion as this is what it COULD BE. I also can NOT offer antibiotics or medications until you get testing done to know what it is exactly your flock has. Do NOT go to ANY avian veterinarian as they know NOTHING about poultry diseases and health- it is also a waste of your money! Get testing done from one of the links above!





I wish you good luck and I hope your birds get well soon!