respiratory issues... any hope?

[thisoldcoop]

I've lost one laying hen to this so far. She gasped horribly at the end. I am from Ontario and have access to powdered antibiotics which are added to water from the local Co-op (oxytetracycline HCI). The whole flock has been treated twice. The hen who died was the worst, but two others are also wheezy, asthmatic-sounding and somewhat "sputtery". I also have a young rooster who has a "rattle" as well.

I think the six laying hens were all quite well when I bought them, but four young birds from a different source were part of the flock, and one died, so maybe she was the carrier? Will I end up losing the other two who are wheezing? I read about various antibiotics that people talk about on this forum, but I don't think I can get them here. (Unless there is someone from Ontario who knows differently, please let me know).

There is no discharge from their beak, no goopy eyes, they still lay, but sound like they have asthma. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Eggcessive]

Some things in the environment such as ammonia odor in the coop from droppings, dust from bedding, and mold from wet spills or conditions, can raise the risk of respiratory infections due to the sensitivity of the air sacs.

Respiratory diseases can occur from viruses (infectious bronchitis, ILT,) bacterial (MG, coryza,) and fungus or mold (aspergillosis,) so antibiotics may or may not be effective. Tetracyclines are drugs that will treat MG. But the chickens need to drink enough of the medicated water to help. Fungus cannot be treated, except to remove any mold conditions. Viruses will run their course over several weeks.

Other drugs available from a vet for bacterial diseases are tylosin, tiamulin, or enrofloxacin. Sorry that you dealing with this. Some diseases are chronic and may come back, many make the whole flock carriers. The best thing to do is to close your flock to new birds. Once all birds are gone, wait a few weeks or months, then get healthy baby chicks from a hatchery. Here is a good link about the diseases above:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[thisoldcoop]

Thanks, I actually found that link when I was reading other posts and my best guess would be either infectious bronchitis, or infectious laryngotracheitis (especially the one that already died, due to the gaping motions she was going through). I've not even dealt with a vet because I suspect the cost will be ridiculous, however, I can give it a try and see if I can pick up some other antibiotics at the vet office without the vet actually seeing the bird(s). For the little three month old bird that died initially, we dosed her with an eye dropper but obviously were either too late, or it wasn't responding to the antibiotics we were using.

 

[thisoldcoop]

Should also say that their coop was completely rebuilt by husband and basically "brand new" with great ventilation and wood shavings as bedding. Birds are out in a run during the daytime, closed up in the coop at night.

 

[Eggcessive]

ILT, according to most links I have read, frequently causes bloody mucus to be produced when coughing, and may be noted when they shake their heads getting it on the walls of the coop and equipment. They also have a “pump handling respirations” by arching the neck. If you are ‘t seeing those, you may be dealing with IB or MG. The only disease I have seen personally is possible IB in grown chickens. They only sneezed every few minutes, and had some slight clear nasal drainage. Viruses will just run their course.

 

[thisoldcoop]

I did not see this with the little three month old, she just hunched up and died (was being picked on horribly by the bigger birds in a short amount of time before I could isolate her). The laying hen (an adult bird of about 7 or 8 months) was exhibiting the pump handle neck thing and open mouth gaping. I did not see any blood, however. I agree that the other ones (I hear it in two of the laying hens) likely have infectious bronchitis. I don't think they seem as bad as the first one, but I'm not sure if they are going to get worse and die as well. I really hope not. They are eating, scratching around, laying, acting like normal chickens with a breathing problem. Thank you for your reply!

 

[Eggcessive]

As long as they are foraging and acting normally, they may be fine. Most respiratory diseases can have secondary infections, and some may go to have air sacculitis, where the infection enters the sir sacs and can spread to other parts of the body. Most of the time you would not know that unless you had a necropsy done through a poultry center. Wishing you good luck that the remaining hens recover. With bronchitis, they may remain carriers for up to a year after the last case, and it would be good to not hatch or add chicks until that year is up, or the disease will keep coming around.