Urgent respiratory or gape-worm? Going thru brood!

[BrahminChick]

Hi everyone!
I am asking here to confirm if the chickens have gapeworm or some other respiratory sickness - because what started as symptoms observed for a week and a half in one of the old Rhode Island hens has now spread to my favorite little chicken Judy, whose showing vastly different set of symptoms, as well as my rooster Hei Hei and I’m afraid it’s spreading all too quickly through the brood which right now has 3 new chicks and 2 ducklings in the mix as well. I don’t want to be dosing them all with dewormer only to have them get stressed or have compromised immunity because they had something else.

Rhode Island Red had these symptoms:
- droopy comb
- weird high pitched sneeze?cough?screech? sound every hour or so
- sticking neck out as if gasping for air
- shaking head / neck vigorously
- this hen was still highly active, eating drinking no discharges or pasty vent. just looked thinner.

2nd one:
Recent 2-3 days;
- pasty vent
- disoriented has been in coop all day; usually is the biggest lover of free ranging and the last one to go back into coop in evening usually with me having to carry her inside - today even me bringing her out didn’t work she ran back in and kinda looked lost inside.
- gasping for air/ head shaking / high pitched sneeze.

Rooster today;
- weird cough/sneeze/sound
- gasping for air and shakes head.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

sound every hour or so

Is vet care an option?

A video of them would be good - upload to youtube and provide a link.
How old are the ones that are "sick"?
Where are you located in the world?

Since it's occasional - take time to determine when and/or what they are doing when they sneeze. Do you notice a sneeze after they have been eating/drinking or dust bathing?

Make sure crops are emptying overnight.
Look everyone over for lice/mites.

Photos of birds, their eyes, their housing, etc. may be helpful.

 

[BrahminChick]

Hi Wyorp thanks for the reply!
I’m In Los Angeles by the San Gabriel valley, I will try to get a video soon I’ve been asking a clove of garlic to their water for the time being while I try to figure out what this is and what to give them. surprisingly haven’t seen the newer affected ones coughing as much but always try to run outside to get a video when I hear the high pitched sneeze .
It’s definitely not a dust or environmental allergen as I’ve heard the cough sneeze while they are just relaxing or just walking about normally - the sound is very creepy high pitched gurgling cough is the best way to describe it, usually followed by vigorous neck / head shake. It is summer so initially I didn’t notice the gaping due to heat but saw the first one head shaking & making those noises which led me to research.

 

[BrahminChick]

 

[BrahminChick]

 

[BrahminChick]

@Wyorp Rock here you go! One taken this morning and the other just now as I went to close the coop. My partner said he heard her making crying noises at night - not sure as I was asleep and didn’t hear them. I’ve purchased VetRX delivering tomorrow until I can pinpoint if they need dewormer (SafeGuard?) or some other care! Vets are not an option these are my partners grandmas chickens and she left to an old age home and we’re caring for a huge lot Atm.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would lean toward respiratory illness.
You can try Tylosin to see if that makes a difference. You would have to order it online. Here's one place that sells it https://www.jedds.com/shop/tylan-soluble-100-g/

The VetRx won't hurt, but it may not make that much of a difference. Try and see, it's sort of like Vick's Vap R Rub for birds.

De-worming may not be a bad idea, but this doesn't really look like Gapeworm to me. Safeguard (Fenbendazole) can be given with antibiotics, so no worries there. Just in case you need dosing for that if you decide to de-worm, it's 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days. This dose will take care of most worms that poultry can get including Gapeworm, but excluding Tapeworm.

 

[BrahminChick]

I would lean toward respiratory illness.
You can try Tylosin to see if that makes a difference. You would have to order it online. Here's one place that sells it https://www.jedds.com/shop/tylan-soluble-100-g/

The VetRx won't hurt, but it may not make that much of a difference. Try and see, it's sort of like Vick's Vap R Rub for birds.

De-worming may not be a bad idea, but this doesn't really look like Gapeworm to me. Safeguard (Fenbendazole) can be given with antibiotics, so no worries there. Just in case you need dosing for that if you decide to de-worm, it's 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days. This dose will take care of most worms that poultry can get including Gapeworm, but excluding Tapeworm.

Thank you so much! So surely not worms? I looked up gasping for air and began thinking it’s Gapeworm! Would you be able to say what type of respiratory illness it most resembles so I can go research and read up on it? Or would anyone else?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much! So surely not worms? I looked up gasping for air and began thinking it’s Gapeworm! Would you be able to say what type of respiratory illness it most resembles so I can go research and read up on it? Or would anyone else?

Couldn't say 100% that worms are not an issue, hence the info on dosing if you decide to de-worm as well.

There are several respiratory illnesses that can look alike. Two of the more common ones are Mycoplasma and Infectious Bronchitis.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

De-worming may not be a bad idea, but this doesn't really look like Gapeworm to me. Safeguard (Fenbendazole) can be given with antibiotics, so no worries there. Just in case you need dosing for that if you decide to de-worm, it's 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days. This dose will take care of most worms that poultry can get including Gapeworm, but excluding Tapeworm.