Sneezing, swollen eyes, and wheezing - oh my!

[altadena_chicks]

My 9 month-old Brahma hen (part of a flock of 25 hens that includes other Brahmas as well as Buff Orps, Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, and Barred Marans) has been sneezing for the past week, and now has swollen eyes and is wheezing. Reading the respiratory disease symptoms pages, it sounds like Infectious Bronchitis, but none of the other hens have it.

Could it just be the common cold for chickens? Should I worry?

 

[Jenski]

When you say swollen eyes, do you mean her face is swollen ~ like around the eyes, or where the facial sinuses would be? If so, it might be coryza.

Is there nasal or other discharge? If so, what color?

While you are working on a diagnosis, you may wish to separate the ill hen immediately and place her in a location that is warm and free from drafts. Provide plenty of fresh water and food. Vitamins and/orelectrolytes are a good idea too.

Can you post a picture of her face?

 

[Badhbh]

I never did find out what mine had when they had the same symptoms. I put them on Tylan injections for 3 days, and MOST cleared up. There are still 2 with runny noses though, and they're going to need another round of shots

They STILL aren't laying though- I thought they'd be recovered by now, but I guess not.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

.

 

[altadena_chicks]

I can't use Terramycin because these are all egg-laying hens. Isn't that correct?

I isolated her in a small coop with food and water and will keep an eye on her and the other hens. I'll also order some vitamins and try to get some photos to post. Thanks!

 

[bkterry]

i had a chicken bring coryza into our flock and we are dealing with it right now. aureomycin is an inexpensive water soluble antibiotic that is supposed to be good with crd. from what i've heard chickens who recover from the severe symptoms of crd and/or coryza because carriers of the disease for life.

 

[jmc]

Terramycin soluble is notoriously ineffective. Don't waste your money.
Separate bird immediately is the good move.
Many simply immediately cull birds that show definite respiratory illness after quarantine. You need to come up with what seems right for you. I have never read an authoritative source that says respiratory diseases--period--are curable. In other words, the patient remains ill as long as it lives and can transmit the disease to others. This includes diseases such as Coryza, Laryngo. also.

The best treatments if you go the route of antibiotics, would be to use injection. This is the only way to be certain that the bird(s) you want treated are really getting treated. With water solubles, the bird must drink a certain amount of water each day to get the proper amount of med. That is very hard to provide, unless maybe it is hugely hot outside and your bird is driven to drink lots of water.

Gallimycin is approved for use in poultry, but as with Terramycin soluble or Tylan and other antibiotics, you must toss the eggs for a while before you can eat them; and even then, the withdrawal period is not known for sure, because studies re. withdrawal times have not been adequately done with chickens. The egg industry simply kills any sick birds, so they don't bother with treating..........

Unfortunately, Gallimycin is also powder. Tylan is injectable. But if you're gonna do antibiotics or just cull, is a policy you must think out for yourself. Treatment can easily cost more than a whole flock.........

Good luck

 

[altadena_chicks]

I discovered just now that several chickens in the flock, including the hen who is now separated and most severely affected, have black nodules on their crests and in some cases on their faces. Some of these are bloody. I feel quite sure now that this is Avian Pox:

http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/disviral.htm#fp

When I did a Google image search on "Avian pox chicken," I found many images that look like what my chickens seem to have.

According to this description there is no cure, no preventive measure, and nothing to do now but wait. Mortality is low.

I guess the question is - when I get my next flock, do I need to have them vaccinated for this now that it is present in the run?