Sick isa brown - sneezing, coughing and runny nose

[fruitcrisps1416]

Hi everyone,
My isa brown Honey started sneezing yesterday, I gave her a warm bath today and I noticed she also has a runny nose and cough. Asides from this she is eating and drinking normally.

Any ideas on what this might be?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It looks like Honey has a respiratory illness.
Mycoplasma, Infectious Bronchitis, ILT and Infectious Coryza are some of the more common respiratory diseases that chickens can get.

She's sick, so don't give her another bath. If she is soiling herself, just clean that up if you need to and make sure she is well dried afterward. Use a hair dryer if you need to.

If you have vet care, that is the best option. I don't know if you have any antibiotics available at your feed store, but if you do let us know what you can get. Look for Tylan50 or one the "cyclines".

Where and how do you keep your chickens? Coop/run? How much ventilation do you have in there?
Look around and see if there is any mold or mildew - sometimes that can also cause some respiratory symptoms too.

Something that you do need to know, if she has a respiratory illness and gets better, she will be a carrier of the disease. Your other chickens are also carriers even if they don't get sick since they have been exposed to her. Here's some reading about chicken diseases http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Eggcessive]

Great advice from Wyorp Rock. Chickens suffering from respiratory illnesses may chill and sometimes need extra warmth. Bathes can make that worse. Keep her nostrils cleaned off with water or saline, so they don’t get caked up with feed. Sometimes they can get a blocked nostril. Does she have any bubbles or foam in her eye?

 

[Saaniya]

Hi everyone,
My isa brown Honey started sneezing yesterday, I gave her a warm bath today and I noticed she also has a runny nose and cough. Asides from this she is eating and drinking normally.

Any ideas on what this might be?
View attachment 1590288

Your chicken having Respiratory Infection might be CRD
Why you bath her .. bath will make her more sneeze and runny nose
Even in humans you should place her in a warm place clean her nose with a QTip
&
Give her Baytril
Add some fresh oregano in her feed with garlic

 

[fruitcrisps1416]

Thank you for the advice everyone I've had a read of all the information provided and her symptoms do seem to be consistent with CRD.

I will be taking her and all my other chickens to an avian vet soon. I've also inspected their coop and enclosure, there doesn't seem to be any sign of microbial growth but I will give it a good clean today.

Honey is fairly new to our flock, I contacted the seller for advice but they didn't respond. I spoke to my friend who also bought chickens from them and she said that her chickens have the same problem. Apparently she went back to the seller's property and found out that the chickens are bred and kept in a tiny, dirty cramped shed (with no windows) and are only taken out to free range before customers come. She has reported the seller to the council.

However I haven't seen this myself and I have no solid proof that Honey's condition is related.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is unfortunate that the breeder sold you sick birds. Mycoplasma (MG) and other chronic respiratory diseases can make the whole flock carriers for life. Others, such as infectious bronchitis can make them carriers for up to a years. You should close your flock to new birds. When all your birds are eventually gone, if you wait several weeks, you can start over with new chicks and be free of the disease. But if one bird is left, the new birds will be exposed. Here is some reading about common diseases including MG, coryza, ILT, and infectious bronchitis, some of the respiratory diseases:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the advice everyone I've had a read of all the information provided and her symptoms do seem to be consistent with CRD.

I will be taking her and all my other chickens to an avian vet soon. I've also inspected their coop and enclosure, there doesn't seem to be any sign of microbial growth but I will give it a good clean today.

Honey is fairly new to our flock, I contacted the seller for advice but they didn't respond. I spoke to my friend who also bought chickens from them and she said that her chickens have the same problem. Apparently she went back to the seller's property and found out that the chickens are bred and kept in a tiny, dirty cramped shed (with no windows) and are only taken out to free range before customers come. She has reported the seller to the council.

However I haven't seen this myself and I have no solid proof that Honey's condition is related.

I'm sorry that you ended up with sick birds. I'm glad you are able to seek vet care.
Keep us posted.

 

[fruitcrisps1416]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate the advice and support

I had to go to work today but my boyfriend took Honey to the avian vet. She's being hospitalised and monitored overnight. Apparently Honey is one of five chickens that were rushed to the vet today with signs of respiratory illness but is in a better condition compared to all of the other chickens that were brought in today.

The vets believe she has been ill for a least 2 weeks and is only showing obvious symptoms now. She advised a deep clean of the coop and enclosure but believes that the chickens, while now carriers, will probably not show severe symptoms. Turns out she also has mites and something stuck in her crop, which may have added to her feeling weak and appearing worse than what she is.

Anyway she is being treated with antibiotics and they will give us a report of her progress tomorrow. If her conditions gets really bad she may need to stay another night and they will need to run more test. If this happens it will end up costing around $2000 (covered by VetPay) but she was already in a pretty bad state today so if she gets worse I'm thinking maybe it's fairer to just put her out of her misery.

I have just found out that the seller is being investigated by an animal welfare organisation so the vet will provide me with a full report of her condition to give to them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad you were able to get Honey to the vet and she is getting treatment.
I hope she gets better soon, please keep us posted on her progress.

 

[fruitcrisps1416]

I'm happy to report that Honey is doing a lot better now. She is off her meds and on probiotics now. She still sleeps indoors and is isolated from the rest of the flock but we have given her her own space outdoors to hang out in during the day.