sneezing

[redchicka]

Hi Chicken Lovers,

I need some advice. I have a mixed flock of chickens. None of which have symptoms of being sick but they all seem to sneeze more than what I think is normal. Has anyone had this issue and what can I do for them?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[nuttinfancy]

Hi and

Tell us a little more about your chickens and their coop/run. Age of chickens? Any new additions? Do you use hay or shavings? Do they have a dirt floor? What type of feed do you give them? Sometimes it can be dust problems or ventilation issues but sneezing may be the start of a respiratory disease.

 

[redchicka]

They are all free ranging chickens and they have been all together since the fall of last year. Those were the last birds I hatched. I normally used all shaving for them, however I have switched to using some hay/straw since it has been so so cold and very muddy this year. They get fed all Blue Seal Poultry feeds. Thanks so much for all your help!

 

[nuttinfancy]

It could very well be the hay. I would recommend to just keep an eye and ear on them and see if any other symptoms appear. It may help to change the straw/hay as often as you can because wet hay will mold and could cause them to get sick. I appreciate the rains but I think we have had enough for now! I'm ready for a drier, sunnier spring!

 

[HoneyMelon]

I have a very similar situation with my chickens. I actually was ignoring the sneezing because everything else with my chickens was so normal, but because of a totally different situation with 2 new chickens that I had in quarantine, I had the Maryland State Vet come out to my farm to do testing. He went ahead and swabbed all of my chickens and my chickens that I had since they were very young all together tested positive for MS or Microplasmic synervy (sp?). They were the ones with the sneezing.
I was told that MS is so common and most backyard flocks actually have it but because our chickens live such stress free lives they seem to do well with it. It does lower their immune system and lowers production, but most backyard flocks would never really notice the loss in production.
Basically I was told to keep my chickens living stress free and make sure everything was always clean, especially the roosts, not to change up their life much and they should live normal lives. If they started showing more symptoms (like a severe cold) I could dose with tetracycline to reduce the symptoms but they would never be cured.
I was told not to be crazy with bio-security when I left my farm because really everyone else probably had it (except for true commercial chickens).
Funny thing-- my flock recently kicked out a rooster-they were mercilessly picking on him - and his sneezing became awful. I pulled him from the group and he lives separately with another rooster and his sneezing has really stopped since he is now used to not living in the flock.
Hope this helps.

 

[nuttinfancy]

I have a very similar situation with my chickens. I actually was ignoring the sneezing because everything else with my chickens was so normal, but because of a totally different situation with 2 new chickens that I had in quarantine, I had the Maryland State Vet come out to my farm to do testing. He went ahead and swabbed all of my chickens and my chickens that I had since they were very young all together tested positive for MS or Microplasmic synervy (sp?). They were the ones with the sneezing.
I was told that MS is so common and most backyard flocks actually have it but because our chickens live such stress free lives they seem to do well with it. It does lower their immune system and lowers production, but most backyard flocks would never really notice the loss in production.
Basically I was told to keep my chickens living stress free and make sure everything was always clean, especially the roosts, not to change up their life much and they should live normal lives. If they started showing more symptoms (like a severe cold) I could dose with tetracycline to reduce the symptoms but they would never be cured.
I was told not to be crazy with bio-security when I left my farm because really everyone else probably had it (except for true commercial chickens).
Funny thing-- my flock recently kicked out a rooster-they were mercilessly picking on him - and his sneezing became awful. I pulled him from the group and he lives separately with another rooster and his sneezing has really stopped since he is now used to not living in the flock.
Hope this helps.

Unfortunately, MS=Mycoplasma Synoviae can really be awful for chickens. I have experience with that. I had 5 totally free ranged birds and had hatched 9 from them and had them penned. When they were about 9 months old, I saw a swollen eye in one of my hens. A day later and my favorite roo was snotty and sick. A few days later a hen died, the roo got better and another hen was sick. I hand fed and watered and doctored those chickens day and night. It went through that pen like wildfire and killed 3 total. Every few days someone was sick, even though we pumped them full of antibiotics. A couple of the others never got sick though. The 5 free range had never even sneezed but they had it before I got them and it took a while to show itself in their offspring. I had the Vet come out and get a dead one to necropsy and was told it was MS. He said I could cull or keep a closed flock (no chickens in or out). I want to eventually sell chicks and eggs so I had to make a choice and I culled my flock.~~loved my chickens dearly and it hurt to lose them but it was best as they were suffering anytime it flared up.
I do hope that everyone that knows their birds have this will use bio-security and not bring it to me at the feed store or other places and would never sell a sick bird to anyone.