Respiratory infection???

[Quacking Pigeon]

So long story short many years ago my parents got me some heritage breeds of chickens from this place. When we brought them home they died in the first few days, then after getting more from the same guy, some survived and others died eventually leading to all our chooks carrying a respiratory illnesses that kills them off in numbers some times in the year, and if any new birds are brought in they are highly likely to get sick and die a few days or weeks after. Symptoms include the following: gasping for air, sneezing, coughing, ill stance, light weight, fluffed up and sudden death.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Pyxis]

Certainly sounds like a respiratory disease. From what you have described with the sudden death and fairly high mortality, I'd guess Infectious Laryngotracheitis. Other possibilities are coryza or mycoplasma, maybe ornithobacterium rhinotracheale. There are other possibilities too. The only way to determine for sure which it is would be to have testing done. Next time you have one die, you could send it off to a lab for a necropsy, if you want to know which disease it is.

They're not able to be cured. As you have found, they will always carry it, they will have symptom flare ups, and they will infect all new birds. The only options to get rid of it are to either close the flock (no birds or eggs out, no new birds in) and treat flare ups (if possible, since if it's a virus there's not really a way to treat it) as they happen until the flock naturally dies off of old age, or cull the entire flock and start over with new birds from a disease-free source.

 

[Eggcessive]

When all birds die off, disinfect your coop and equipment, and wait a few weeks to a month before adding new healthy birds. I would get day old chicks from a hatchery for the best chances of good health. Sorry that you have been dealing with this disease. Here is a good article to read about the common diseases of chickens and their symptoms:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

Certainly sounds like a respiratory disease. From what you have described with the sudden death and fairly high mortality, I'd guess Infectious Laryngotracheitis. Other possibilities are coryza or mycoplasma, maybe ornithobacterium rhinotracheale. There are other possibilities too. The only way to determine for sure which it is would be to have testing done. Next time you have one die, you could send it off to a lab for a necropsy, if you want to know which disease it is.

They're not able to be cured. As you have found, they will always carry it, they will have symptom flare ups, and they will infect all new birds. The only options to get rid of it are to either close the flock (no birds or eggs out, no new birds in) and treat flare ups (if possible, since if it's a virus there's not really a way to treat it) as they happen until the flock naturally dies off of old age, or cull the entire flock and start over with new birds from a disease-free source.

Would ducks be able to catch it? So far my ducks have been extremely healthy. And thanks for the information. I’ve been told by a few different people that there’s an antibiotic or something that can treat it or something but I’m not sure.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

When all birds die off, disinfect your coop and equipment, and wait a few weeks to a month before adding new healthy birds. I would get day old chicks from a hatchery for the best chances of good health. Sorry that you have been dealing with this disease. Here is a good article to read about the common diseases of chickens and their symptoms:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Thanks.

 

[Eggcessive]

As far as chicken diseases go, if you read the link in post 3 it tells what types of poultry can get certain diseases. The most common ones we see in chickens are infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma gallisepticum, coryza, and ILT. Of those, MG is the only one apparently that ducks can get. MG and coryza can be treated by antibiotics, but they are chronic diseases, and all chickens will remain carriers for life.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

As far as chicken diseases go, if you read the link in post 3 it tells what types of poultry can get certain diseases. The most common ones we see in chickens are infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma gallisepticum, coryza, and ILT. Of those, MG is the only one apparently that ducks can get. MG and coryza can be treated by antibiotics, but they are chronic diseases, and all chickens will remain carriers for life.

Thanks. My ducks are perfectly fine and have shown no issues. I have had the odd duck die, but that was from one bloodline and it was just weak, paralysed, light and didn’t eat or drink. And it just happened out of nowhere, and killed the bird after a matter of days. It’s been years since any of my ducks have died from something like that, and all birds from that bloodline I don’t have anymore.

 

[Eggcessive]

Well, for instance if there was MG in a chicken, and there were ducks around, then those ducks, whether they become sick or not, can actually be carriers of MG with new chickens coming in.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Would ducks be able to catch it? So far my ducks have been extremely healthy. And thanks for the information. I’ve been told by a few different people that there’s an antibiotic or something that can treat it or something but I’m not sure.

A lot depends on what you are dealing with. If it's MG (Mycoplasma) symptoms can possibly be managed with an antibiotic like Tiamulin (Denagard). Of course this is no cure, but it may help with outbreaks like you see. Sadly as long as birds are alive, they are passing the illness and remain carriers as you have found out since that adding new birds, those get sick and sometimes die too.
It would be a good idea to find out what you are dealing with, get some testing. Speak with your vet or contact your dept of agriculture to find out how to do that.