I have two chickens very sick with severe respiratory distress. I took my bantam rooster to the vet tonight. You could hear him wheezing and gurgling from across the room. He was severely dehydrated and his comb was dry and laying to the side. He was started on Cipro antibiotic and a blood count was done. We elected not to have a culture and gram stain done. The cost of those two tests was $230. The vet said most likely whatever bacteria was found would be covered by the Cipro. The upside is that the vet did some research and found that a Poultry Respiratory Panel is available. It involves taking a swab from the bird's throat and sending it to an outside lab. Results are available in 3 days. She did not know what it costs but estimated it to be "several hundred dollars." We chose to go that route because this test can detect and differentiate these 7 respiratory diseases in chickens:
Avian Influenza
Aspergillus
Infectious Bronchitis
Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Infectious Choryza
Ornithobacterium Rhinotracheale
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum
My research today pointed to one of these 7 diseases and we need to know which one it is. Some of these diseases cannot be eradicated from your flock and will continue to infect new birds. The flock must be closed or destroyed. I have read how many people struggle with sick birds, after sick birds, after sick birds. If I am going to cull my flock I want to know for sure we have one of the diseases that cannot be eradicated any other way. So my little $5.00 OEG Rocky is kind of like the canary in the coal mine. He was swabbed tonight and we should know in three days.
Until then, I have antibiotic for both sick birds and Lactated Ringers solution to give them SubQ to try to re-hydrate them. I am a nurse so I should be able to handle it with my husband helping. They are both very sick and the vet feels that Rocky's chances of making it are 50/50 at best. Right now they are both tucked away in their isolation cages in the shed. I probably won't get much sleep but I don't want to keep going out and turning on the light to check on them. They need their rest. There is not much more I can do for them at this point anyway. God willing, they will get better after the meds and we will find out that they do not have one of the dreaded diseases and we can get on with our hobby farming. Until then, I'll keep trying.
Will post updates if anyone is interested.
Mary
Avian Influenza
Aspergillus
Infectious Bronchitis
Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Infectious Choryza
Ornithobacterium Rhinotracheale
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum
My research today pointed to one of these 7 diseases and we need to know which one it is. Some of these diseases cannot be eradicated from your flock and will continue to infect new birds. The flock must be closed or destroyed. I have read how many people struggle with sick birds, after sick birds, after sick birds. If I am going to cull my flock I want to know for sure we have one of the diseases that cannot be eradicated any other way. So my little $5.00 OEG Rocky is kind of like the canary in the coal mine. He was swabbed tonight and we should know in three days.
Until then, I have antibiotic for both sick birds and Lactated Ringers solution to give them SubQ to try to re-hydrate them. I am a nurse so I should be able to handle it with my husband helping. They are both very sick and the vet feels that Rocky's chances of making it are 50/50 at best. Right now they are both tucked away in their isolation cages in the shed. I probably won't get much sleep but I don't want to keep going out and turning on the light to check on them. They need their rest. There is not much more I can do for them at this point anyway. God willing, they will get better after the meds and we will find out that they do not have one of the dreaded diseases and we can get on with our hobby farming. Until then, I'll keep trying.
Will post updates if anyone is interested.
Mary
