Sick Chicken

[LynnPG]

I live in the North East and it has been raining for Months. Wednesday I had three eggs, Thursday I only had two eggs and today I only had one egg. So I was wondering what in the world is going on. I found my Lavender Orpington has two bubble eyes and is sneezing. There is no mucus. Please tell me this could be weather related, otherwise I'll have to cull the flock. I have her isolated, and I'm hoping the others won't be infected or sick.

Back in December we had bubble eyes, sneezing and mucus. Cull the whole flock. bleached the coop, hen house and aired out the hen house. End of February restocked with baby chicks (four weeks old). We had them at 3 days old, but had them in a brooder.

Please tell me this is weather related, and I won't have to cull the flock.

 

[BlueShadow]

Honest, without more information, I really can't say. What you say certainly describes a respiratory disease. How big is your coop? How many birds? How is the ventilation in your coop? Do the birds go out? Do they get wet when they go out? Were the chicks vaccinated against any respiratory diseases? Chickens tend to be fairly healthy animals, so if your setup is reasonable for them, my guess leans toward it being a contagious disease rather than the weather affecting them. But that is just a guess.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry you are having trouble.

Did you have any testing/necropsy performed on your previous flock?
What are your chicken keeping goals - just backyard chickens, selling/trading/giving away hatching eggs, chicks, started pullets, etc.?

Bubbly eyes accompanied by sneezing, does sound like a respiratory disease. There are many with similar symptoms, so without testing, we can only guess as to which one. Mycoplasma, Infectious Bronchitis, Coryza and ILT would be some of the most "common".

Since you culled your previous flock due to illness, then it would be wise to sacrifice one of your "new" birds to have testing performed, this way you know what you are dealing with. It sounds like either your source of birds are bringing in the problem or you have encountered an illness that is hard to eliminate from your environment - either way it's best to find out before you cull.

At this point, try offering supportive care, add poultry vitamins to the water, give them extra protein like egg, tuna or meat. Try to keep the eyes flushed with saline. Antibiotics can help with secondary infections due to respiratory illness, but if you think you need to send a bird in, then don't treat that particular one, so your results aren't "tainted".

Contact your state lab(s) to see if they can assist you. There is also independent testing that can be performed - sometimes they will test mucous swabs that you send in.

I'm sorry

State Labs
Diagnostic Laboratory New Bolton Center
382 West Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348-1692 Phone: (610) 444-5800
Fax: (610) 444-5387
Diagnostic Laboratory Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802 Phone: (814) 863-0837
Fax: (814) 865-3907
Diagnostic Laboratory State Veterinary Laboratory 2305 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110 Phone: (717) 787-8808
Fax: (717) 772-3895

Independent lab testing:
http://www.zoologix.com/

 

[LynnPG]

Weird, she has no bubble eyes or is she sneezing today. My eight year old daughter told me she had that hen on a bench swing, swinging with her. I think she got motion sickness. I know my hens are molting.

All my hens are vaccinated.

 

[LynnPG]

Wrong, she has bubbles on her eyes

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Weird, she has no bubble eyes or is she sneezing today. My eight year old daughter told me she had that hen on a bench swing, swinging with her. I think she got motion sickness. I know my hens are molting. All my hens are vaccinated.
Wrong, she has bubbles on her eyes

What specific vaccination(s)?

Molting is a time of stress, this can bring out symptoms of respiratory illness.

 

[LynnPG]

What specific vaccination(s)?

Molting is a time of stress, this can bring out symptoms of respiratory illness.

I ordered my chicks from mypetchicken.com mareks was the Vaccination

 

[LynnPG]

Weird because last time a respiratory started was with my only lavender orpington, and this time again is my new and only lavender orpington. I got them booth from my pet chicken.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Certain diseases like Mycoplasma can be transmitted through parent stock and the incubation process, but the only way to know for sure what you are dealing by testing.


http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044