Sneezing

[Mrs White]

Hey guys, i have a question. At the end of March I picked up four pullets at a swap meet, quarantined for over a month to watch said girls. When I thought we were in the clear, (being that everyone seemed healthy) I added one of my chickens in as a pigeon test. For about a week I watched to see if anything had changed and everyone still seemed good. So the big day came I released them into my flock. Within a day I had sneezing and wheezing, I immediately quarantined the chicken (an older hen in the established flock, not one of the new pullets) that had the wheeze after a few days didn't notice anyone else had a wheeze and they all seemed healthy.

So here is the question, the wheeze is gone, but we have sneezes. They all do it. They eat and drink and are healthy (looking) feathers are colorful and none are missing. I have read so many things online about CRD, or gapeworm. I am so clueless on why they would be sneezing, there is no discharge, and their eyes are booger less. What in the sam hill could this be? I've also seen a couple of them lift their heads up like they are singing opera, but honestly it's so hot I'm not sure if their panting and I'm imagining things...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you clarify - the "pigeon" was the one that started sneezing?

Without testing, it would be hard to know the cause of the sneezing. Infectious Bronchitis comes to mind since you are seeing stretched out necks. Stress from integration, dusty bedding/feed and heat could have exacerbated the symptoms.

If you have a vet, getting a fecal float to check for Gapeworm is always a good idea - but usually with gapeworm your birds would not be eating/drinking and they would be gasping, coughing and shaking their heads.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would tend to agree that infectious bronchitis might be the problem, especially since they all are affected and sneezing with no eye or nasal drainage. IB sneezing will occur every few minutes, not just occasionally. If it were me, I would just make sure all are eating and drinking. Give them some probiotics or a good brand name plain yogurt mixed into some food a few days a week. When the last one seems well, then mark it on your calendar to not hatch or add new birds for a year, since IB can make them carriers for 5 months up to a year. If not, you will continue to see new birds get sick and keep it going. If you should lose a bird, I would get a necropsy, where they can test for any diseases. With many of the respiratory diseases, they can be complicated by secondary infections, which can include mycoplasma (MG,) ILT, air sacculitis, and others. IB can be a secondary infection as well, in other diseases. Antibiotics will not treat IB unless there is a secondary disease.