Respiratory illness

[ashleysavage88]

About 10 month ago a had some hens and all was great for about 3 month. I then introduced some more and after a week pr so they started to display signed of respiratory infection and unfortunetly i lost them all. I bleached, detoled washed and clean everything 3 times, their coop is covered so nothing can get in. After 6 month once the freezing weather went i decided to get some more. 2 week later they are all showing signes of respiratory infection again and i cannot figure out where it has come from.

Can anyone please help?

 

[dawg53]

Where did you get your birds from?

 

[Eggcessive]

Did you have any surviving birds or other fowl? The best way to have no respiratory disease occurring is to depopulate all fowl, and get healthy day old chicks. If you buy birds already started from breeders, or especially swaps or sales, you may reintroduce a disease. Any survivors of respiratory diseases except for infectious bronchitis, are carriers for life, and the whole flock should be also considered carriers.

 

[ashleysavage88]

Did you have any surviving birds or other fowl? The best way to have no respiratory disease occurring is to depopulate all fowl, and get healthy day old chicks. If you buy birds already started from breeders, or especially swaps or sales, you may reintroduce a disease. Any survivors of respiratory diseases except for infectious bronchitis, are carriers for life, and the whole flock should be also considered carriers.

There was no survivors from my original flock and the new hens came from a well known breeder. Within 2 week they were showing signs.

 

[Eggcessive]

Even a well known breeder can have birds who have been exposed to respiratory diseases, and even if they have never had symptoms, can be silent carriers. Have you called the breeder? If they suggest antibiotics, I would be suspicious. Antibiotics may help treat symptoms if it is caused by a bacteria. Wild birds can also be carriers of diseases. Here is a good link to read about common diseases, that include the 6-8 common respiratory diseases, such as MG, coryza, bronchitis, ILT, and others:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[ashleysavage88]

Even a well known breeder can have birds who have been exposed to respiratory diseases, and even if they have never had symptoms, can be silent carriers. Have you called the breeder? If they suggest antibiotics, I would be suspicious. Antibiotics may help treat symptoms if it is caused by a bacteria. Wild birds can also be carriers of diseases. Here is a good link to read about common diseases, that include the 6-8 common respiratory diseases, such as MG, coryza, bronchitis, ILT, and others:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

They all came from the breeder at the same time. No signs for the first 2 week then al of a sudden they had it. I just think because i jad it before it may have laid dorment somewhere maybe? The only other thing could be from wild birds but noone else on the alotment have this issue.

 

[Eggcessive]

Most respiratory diseases last a few days in the environment once the chickens are gone. Some can last a little longer in frozen droppings on the ground. I would get a necropsy with testing by your state poultry vet on one or two sick birds, to see what they have. That is the best way to know what is happening, and how to proceed. MG is very common in backyard flocks. Some people handle it by closing their flocks, and either treating symptomatic birds with an antibiotic that treats MG or by culling sick birds. There is an MG vaccine available for new birds or chicks. What part of the country are you located? Are their other poultry in the area?

 

[ashleysavage88]

Where did you get your birds from?

They were from a breeder

 

[dawg53]

Some diseases such as MG can be passed through the egg to chicks, if they survive. Then if they survive, they are carriers for life. I would start by looking at the breeders flock for answers. Unfortunately not all breeders are reputable breeders, we see that quite often in the emergency forum.
Also there are various incubation and course times for various diseases in the environment. For example; MG has an incubation period of 4 days to 3 weeks. MG can be carried on your clothing, hands, shoes, vehicle tires etc.
However, MG can only stay in the environment for 3 days after infected birds are culled.
Other poultry diseases have various incubation and course times longer than MG.
It's best to order chicks from reputable hatcheries.
I agree with @Eggcessive in having a necropsy performed on your sickest bird to determine exactly what you're dealing with. You can contact your local extension office or state department of agriculture for more information. Or you can ship a bird to the Georgia poultry lab in Tifton, Ga.
https://www.gapoultrylab.org/