Respiratory Illness

[morelja]

Hello,

I have a flock of layers, 19 to be exact and appears that some, not all have some sort of respiratory issues. I can here them when they are perched or laying in the nest, like they are congested. Egg production is down to 9 a day and yes, some of the eggsare wrinkly. I think it could be INFECTIOUS BRONCHITIS (IB), but not all the hens seem to be infected. They are also going thru a molt, which could explain decrease in production. How can I be sure it is IB and not something else.
I presently have 6 other groups of new layers, which have not been in contact with this group and don't want to risk infection. But,,,yes here is the but, we have two beautiful Orpington Roosters with the infected group and really would hate to have to put them down.
Any ideas or thoughts would help.
Jamie

 

[dawg53]

By your description with the wrinkled eggs, I agree with you that it could possibly be Infectious Bronchitis. I recommend that you get your sickest bird tested. You can contact your local extension office or your state department of agriculture to find out how to go about doing this. They might do it for free or for a small fee. Then you'll know for sure what you're dealing with.

 

[bigchicken56]

Try giving your chickens an antibiotic from your local feed store. My hens had the same problem and i gave them Duramycin 10 which is a type of antibiotic. I recommend treating them two times, now, then next month to make sure the sickness is totally gone. I'm not sure about the wrinkly eggs, that might be from stress from their sickness. Hope your hens feel better soon.

 

[Eggcessive]

You really need to know what you are treating before you start treating with antibiotics. Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a virus that won't respond to antibiotics. Duramycin is for mycoplasma (MG) or CRD which is one of many respiratory diseases, and may help if it is MG, but it would be helpful to know what they have first. DAWG53 is right in advising you to get a diagnosis. Here is a link for some info on different diseases: amerpoultryassn.com/respiratorydisease.htm

 

[morelja]

I went in tonight and removed the worst sounding hens and put them down. I have now noticed that my new araucanas that have not been in contact with my outside flock have the same raspy congested sound when the breath. I do not know if I can get one tested around our place, I will call the vets tomorrow to find out. I have already placed them on a five day regimen of antibiotics with no change,,,,I am thinking that this will infect all my chickens and turkeys,,,,this really does suck. We spent all summer hatching and buying the breads we wanted and first they got infected with lice and now this. Not fun anymore.

 

[Eggcessive]

Many chickens will recover from these respiratory illnesses, but if your flock is closed that is okay. With IB, it is the mildest respiratory disease, although some can die, but it has probably already spread throughout your flock. I would just keep trying to get an answer, but you may need the body of a chicken that has died for a necropsy to get those results. If you find out what they have, then you can vaccinate any new chicks that you add to your flock, and they should be okay.

 

[bigchicken56]

If you put down another one of your chickens try to get it to a collage that is willing to test it. Most colleges will do it for free. Like Eggcessive said you need to have a knowledge of what your hens have before you treat them. Make sure your coop is clean and is free from moisture such as the waterer leaking onto the floor or something like that. The moisture harbors and breeds bacteria and viruses that your hens can get. Good luck.