Sick Flock

[Mikaylamiles13]

5 of my chooks are sick but I can't work out what's wrong. They are sneezing a bit, and sound congested/flegmy. They are not wheezing and coughing, no mucus coming from nose, no watery or blistery/bubbly eyes, not lethargic, no bad smell, eating and drinking fine, no discoloured comb or anything else, literally just sneezing a bit and one of them (my rooster) sounds so flegmy that when he breathes it sounds like a snotty child, almost like a purr.
I have googled and googled and googled and can't seem to find what it might be. My vets said it would cost a fortune to do testing, which I'm not really prepared to do, they seem fine otherwise, but everything I google suggest that chickens don't get colds and that they only get respiratory illnesses. Ive purchased some antibiotics (waiting for them to arrive), but I was just wondering if anyone could enlighten me on what it could be? As they don't seem to have any other symptoms of these respiratory illnesses.
Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Chicken dont always show every sign for respiratory infections. I had 6 who showed horrible symptoms, 2 who were a little flemy, and 6 who showed zero symptoms. They all are carriers for MG now, a respiratory infection.

And it's TRUE, chickens dont get colds.

 

[Mikaylamiles13]

Okay so they most likely do have a respiratory illness and am i best to just treat with Antibiotics?
Are they only contagious when theyre showing symptoms or are they also contagious when theyre healthy?

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

When I had a chick with respiratory illness, it only showed two symptoms.
Sneezing, and gargled\wheezing sound. You are definitely dealing with a respiratory illness.
I am not sure how a respiratory illness would be treated, as I had to cull the symptomatic chick. I gave all my other birds VetRX as a preventative and none of them have shown symptoms, but as Mamatoomany stated above, they are all carries now.
I hope it works out for you, I will be watching this thread.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Okay so they most likely do have a respiratory illness and am i best to just treat with Antibiotics?
Are they only contagious when theyre showing symptoms or are they also contagious when theyre healthy?

If it's a respiratory illness then they are carriers for life. I o ly treated the birds who were really bad (swollen eyes shut, discharge from the nose and mouth, rattled breathing) the others I let get better on their own.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

they are all contagious, non-symptomatic, and symptomatic birds.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I treated with tylan 200 (what my tractor supply had) 0.06ml per pound 3x a day for 5 days. It says injectable but I gave it orally. If they stop eating or drinking then you'll need to force feed. I would make a wet mash and put it in their beaks and they would swallow. Be prepared to be pooped on a bunch as they had diarrhea

 

[Mikaylamiles13]

How devastating. So any that aren't showing symptoms are they potentially immune? And if I were to incubate eggs laid by a carrier hen and rooster, would the chicken become carriers too?

 

[Mamatomany123]

How devastating. So any that aren't showing symptoms are they potentially immune? And if I were to incubate eggs laid by a carrier hen and rooster, would the chicken become carriers too?

They arent immune. Theyll be carriers also some just dont show symptoms. Any hatched eggs will produce a carrier chick. Those eggs cannot be sold for hatching, along with any birds. No new birds in and no old birds out. Some choose to cull the entire flock and start over. Some choose to close their flock and let the chickens live out their days.

 

[Mikaylamiles13]

They arent immune. Theyll be carriers also some just dont show symptoms. Any hatched eggs will produce a carrier chick. Those eggs cannot be sold for hatching, along with any birds. No new birds in and no old birds out. Some choose to cull the entire flock and start over. Some choose to close their flock and let the chickens live out their days.