Sneezing, Coughing Chickens & Some 'Passing Out'

[Mary Herb]

I'm writing because 4 of my 5 chickens are sick with runny noses, a cough and frequent sneezing.

They live together in a 20 x 20 fenced in coop and since they've been sick (almost 3 weeks) I have not been giving them free range. I rake their coop regularly, give them fresh water daily and change their food out frequently too. We go out about 2x a day to give them treats (fresh chopped veggies)

1 is about a year and a half old, Maggie (Plymoth Rock). She is currently laying but she displays the symptoms above

1 is about 4 months old, Blue. Blue is an Indigo Blue Brahma. Blue concerns me the most and I've uploaded a video of her strange behavior. She nestles down to the ground suddenly with her eyes closed and she sort of drifts into a passed out state / her head moves around. She has the least amount of energy among the group.

2 are about 5 months old, Orange Sunshine & Sunny, Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons. They're both showing the signs of a cold. Orange Sunshine was demonstrating the same odd behavior that Blue is still doing but she seems to be much better. These two are sisters but Orange Sunshine is noticeably more scrawny than Sunny.

Lastly, we have a 4 month old Americauna and she seems to be the healthiest of the group! Have not seen her sneezing or coughing and she has lots of energy for running around & hunting.

We live in Southern California and it is starting to get warmer outside. Today, Blue was not looking good towards the end of the day so we gave her a bunch of fresh water and greens and she perked up. Now everyone is nested in the coop for bed.

The cold symptoms started almost 3 weeks ago and we have been giving them Tylan 200 mixed in with cold scrambled eggs for 10 days. They seemed to be getting better but have taken a few steps back over the last 2 days.

We also put duramycin in their water and rub diluted VetRx on their beaks and sometimes squirt it down their throat when they'll let me.

Do you have suggestions on alternative care? I am considering giving them the Tylan by injection or with an eye dropper strait down their throat for a more direct dosage.

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

Well here is some ideas
(1) Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Synonyms: MG, chronic respiratory disease (CRD), infectious sinusitis, mycoplasmosis
Species affected: chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, peafowl, and passerine birds.

Clinical signs: Clinical symptoms vary slightly between species. Infected adult chickens may show no outward signs if infection is uncomplicated. However, sticky, serous exudate from nostrils, foamy exudate in eyes, and swollen sinuses can occur, especially in broilers. The air sacs ma...y become infected. Infected birds can develop respiratory rales and sneeze. Affected birds are often stunted and unthrifty (see Table 1).

There are two forms of this disease in the turkey. With the "upper form" the birds have watery eyes and nostrils, the infraorbitals (just below the eye) become swollen, and the exudate becomes caseous and firm. The birds have respiratory rales and show unthriftiness.

With the "lower form", infected turkeys develop airsacculitis. As with chickens, birds can show no outward signs if the infection is uncomplicated. Thus, the condition may go unnoticed until the birds are slaughtered and the typical legions are seen. Birds with airsacculitis are condemned.

MG in chicken embryos can cause dwarfing, airsacculitis, and death.

Transmission: MG can be spread to offspring through the egg. Most commercial breeding flocks, however, are MG-free. Introduction of infected replacement birds can introduce the disease to MG-negative flocks. MG can also be spread by using MG-contaminated equipment.

Treatment: Outbreaks of MG can be controlled with the use of antibiotics. Erythromycin, tylosin, spectinomycin, and lincomycin all exhibit anti-mycoplasma activity and have given good results. Administration of most of these antibiotics can be by feed, water or injection. These are effective in reducing clinical disease. However, birds remain carriers for life.

Prevention: Eradication is the best control of mycoplasma disease. The National Poultry Improvement Plan monitors all participating chicken and turkey breeder flocks.
This would eem to be why you have had it for sooo long.
Glenda L Heywood Cassville Missouri

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

This is my WET MASH PROBIOTIC RECIPE which has helped thousands of chickens for decades
For this problem I recommend my wet mash probiotic with yoguart be given.
I prefer to use the wet mash probiotic that includes chicken feed, yoguart and milk with applesauce
because chickens will eat the yoguart completely in the wet mash where as some chickens will not just eat yoguart ans it gets on their beaks, of which then they throw it away when cleaning the beaks
as you will notice if standing too close to them eating the yoguart

So read on down where I give the recipe
some advice for helping the chicken get over the sickness

I would suggest and advanced case of E.coli.

With all that is noted here is some good help that I have found to work for the health of the chicken

you mention sneezing and coughing behavior that denotes they also have a gut problem

So here is what I would do at this time to help them get to feeling better

This is for single bird
I would start with the Vit E and Vit B complex and selenium tablet with wet mash

A) chickens do get some upset in the gut with E.coli and then it goes to a nervous disorder
natural probiotic wet mash with Vit E and Vit B complex and selenium added immediately
basically the chicken has some nerve damage from the E.coli do this immediately
need neurolodigal vit E and Vit B complex for E.coli and the nervous disorder Also the apple cider vineager unpasteurized like Braggs or Heinz in water

(1) 2 tbsp acv per gallon of water till chickens are well and then 2 times a week for life
for one chicken use 1 tbsp of ACV
1 pint of water

(2 immediately give the chicken 1000 mg capsule of liquid Vit E by cutting the end of the capsule and taking the vit E liquid and mix in wet mash probiotic

(2-B) total amt of capsules equals the total amt of chickens fed vit's multiply amt of recipe times amt of chickens fed it and the amt of vit's times amt of chickens given them

(3 also need to crush a vit B complex pill in tabsp and add tsp of water to it
put it in the chickens wet mash after it is disolved also do the same for the selenium tablet.

(3-C) then give this to the chicken five times a week for two weeks should see much improvement

after the chicken has eaten the wet mash probiotic clean wet feeder and restock dry crumble feed.

(4 Do both Vit's twice today then for 7 days till you see some improvement in the chicken

(5 today I would see if the chicken will eat a wet mash with the Vitamins E and B complex

(-B) THIS IS FOR ONE CHICKEN
natural probiotic wet mash
2 tbp of dry crumbles
1 tsp flax seed meal (the kind people take)
6 tbp of milk sweet, sour or buttermilk
1 tbsp of non flavored yogurt
2 tbsp of apple sauce
put it on top so the chicken can smell and see it
mix good and put the
vit E liquid as directed in the wet mash
and crumble the Vit B complex tablet in a tabsp and add to the wet mash
add crushed selenium tablet and add to wet mash mix good.
**BESURE AND MIX VIT'S VERY GOOD IN WET MASH***

(6 Do this twice a day for 7 days to see if the chicken is better
then do this once a day for another week then once a week for a while
this should give the nervous system some stability and cure the bad E.coli in the gut
(6-A) they should clean it up in 20-30 minutes
this will help them get good gut flora
also put 2 tbsp of ACV in gallon of water and keep giving them this water for a week straight
then give it 3-5 times a week for life
Glenda Heywood Cassville Missouri

 

[Kiki]

I'm writing because 4 of my 5 chickens are sick with runny noses, a cough and frequent sneezing.

They live together in a 20 x 20 fenced in coop and since they've been sick (almost 3 weeks) I have not been giving them free range. I rake their coop regularly, give them fresh water daily and change their food out frequently too. We go out about 2x a day to give them treats (fresh chopped veggies)

1 is about a year and a half old, Maggie (Plymoth Rock). She is currently laying but she displays the symptoms above

1 is about 4 months old, Blue. Blue is an Indigo Blue Brahma. Blue concerns me the most and I've uploaded a video of her strange behavior. She nestles down to the ground suddenly with her eyes closed and she sort of drifts into a passed out state / her head moves around. She has the least amount of energy among the group.

2 are about 5 months old, Orange Sunshine & Sunny, Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons. They're both showing the signs of a cold. Orange Sunshine was demonstrating the same odd behavior that Blue is still doing but she seems to be much better. These two are sisters but Orange Sunshine is noticeably more scrawny than Sunny.

Lastly, we have a 4 month old Americauna and she seems to be the healthiest of the group! Have not seen her sneezing or coughing and she has lots of energy for running around & hunting.

We live in Southern California and it is starting to get warmer outside. Today, Blue was not looking good towards the end of the day so we gave her a bunch of fresh water and greens and she perked up. Now everyone is nested in the coop for bed.

The cold symptoms started almost 3 weeks ago and we have been giving them Tylan 200 mixed in with cold scrambled eggs for 10 days. They seemed to be getting better but have taken a few steps back over the last 2 days.

We also put duramycin in their water and rub diluted VetRx on their beaks and sometimes squirt it down their throat when they'll let me.

Do you have suggestions on alternative care? I am considering giving them the Tylan by injection or with an eye dropper strait down their throat for a more direct dosage.

Welcome to BYC Mary.
Just to clarify...you have been giving them Tylan for 10 days and they are not getting better?

Have you wormed them?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry you are having trouble.
Did these chickens come from the same place? How long have you had them?
What is your dosage of Tylan200 and how are you administering it?

It sounds like they have one of many contagious respiratory diseases that chickens can have, without testing, there's no way to know which one, but we can "speculate".

Antibiotics will not cure respiratory diseases, but can help with any secondary infections associated with illness. Infectious Bronchitis and Mycoplasma are fairly common diseases that chickens can have.

Do the best you can to keep the mucous cleared, provide plenty of ventilation and watch to see that they are eating and drinking well. Provide them with extra protein - either with chick starter, flock raiser or by giving egg, tuna, beef liver, etc. in addition to their normal feed.

If you have vet care or could have some testing performed that would be best.

FWIW - I find it interesting that ONE bird is seemingly healthy and not affected. Again, this is speculation - if these birds came from different sources, then it's possible she is your carrier bird that introduced an illness to your flock. Birds that recover from illness will also be considered carriers as well.

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

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

well a carrier bird
simply means it has to be disposed of as
the carrier will continue to sluff off the disease germs to the rest of the flock.
I would give thought to that as the flock will not get well till the disease it erraticated.
your safest way is to have the sick bird tested at a vet to determine the accual disease.

 

[Mary Herb]

Thanks for the input! I'm so grateful for your replies.

Today, I decided to squirt 1.5 ml Tylan200 in their mouths directly. I'm not sure if this is too much or too little or if I can give 2x a day.

I also put vitamin e liquid and crushed selenium tablet with applesauce and plain yogurt into a mash with their dry crumbles. Tomorrow I'll add flax seed and vitamin b - I didn't have those today.

Separately, I gave them tuna fish. They gobbled everything up and then ran around as I threw down chopped up dandelions.

Tomorrow, I'm planning to repeat but am curious if you think I should put duramycin or apple cider vinegar in their water. Which do you think would be more beneficial?

To answer someone's question about where they came from - the four young birds came from a ranch about an hour away from me. The owner has been responsive to me over text and email and has offered that I could bring them back for her to take a look at them. The older bird, that is laying came from my mom who raised her since she was 2 days old. She's always been healthy and a good layer.

Speaking of this -- can I scramble up her eggs and feed them to the flock, even though she is taking the Tylan?

Thanks for your advice! Interested to hear what you think might be the best dosage of Tylan (if oral is good or if I should even consider doing injections?) and who I should consult next, the previous owner who raised them (until they were 2 and 4 months old) or a vet with chicken experience.

Best,
Mary

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for the input! I'm so grateful for your replies.
Today, I decided to squirt 1.5 ml Tylan200 in their mouths directly. I'm not sure if this is too much or too little or if I can give 2x a day.
Tomorrow, I'm planning to repeat but am curious if you think I should put duramycin or apple cider vinegar in their water. Which do you think would be more beneficial?
can I scramble up her eggs and feed them to the flock, even though she is taking the Tylan?

It would be best to consult an avian vet if you have one available.

To be honest, I would try giving the correct dosage of Tylan200 first to see if there is any improvement. I would give them plain fresh water and leave off the vinegar and Duramycin. Unless they have an infection antibiotics won't really make a difference.

Tylan generally has a one day withdrawal period (egg throw away period). Normally anytime you are giving antibiotics, it would be best to throw out the eggs.

Tylan 200 can be given orally or by injection. The method you choose is a personal preference. To me if you can give it orally, that would be best, you reduce swelling/tenderness at the injection site.

Weigh each bird to get the correct dosage. "Tylan 200 has 200mg per ml, and the dosage should be at least 5mg-20mg (or 0.025-0.1ml) per pound given 2-3 times daily, according to Plumb's Veterinary Handbook." (info given by @Eggcessive who has the handbook)

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

Do as the other lady said on medication and not using the eggs while medicating
as for using the wet mash probiotic recipe as I explained and using it after theyare well.
Just do away with the vitamins and then once a month give the vitamins in the rcipe.
I am so happy you fed them what you had.
The gut get E.Coli and needs replenishing with the recipe and vitamins.
You should see some improvement by next week.
As for water just clean water and no ACV till they are off medication.

 

[Mary Herb]

Awesome!

Thank you for this comprehensive reply on how to help them.
Everyone is perking back up now that I am giving approximately 1 cc of Tylan200 orally and also giving them extra protein (tuna) and plenty of treats. Last night I gave them the vitamins again in a wet mash (applesauce, vitamin e, selenium) and they gobbled it up - I figure it can't hurt at this point.

We stopped putting duramycin in their water and are just giving them fresh water daily - they are all drinking and eating regularly. I will say their poop is runny & not normal. My guess is the Tylan200 is rough on their system.

Last night they had runny noses and were sneezing so I spent lots of time with them to monitor them & clean off their beaks and make sure the airwaves were clear. This morning their beaks were less runny - but I'll see how they look after work today.

We have a aviary vet appointment on Thursday and are going to take the sickest & smallest bird.

I will keep everyone posted on the diagnosis - hopefully what I learn can be of use for someone else in the future