Wheezing Chickens(video) - Respiratory Panel NEGATIVE - What else?

[TwitchChic]

My two buff orpington have been wheezing since March. No other symptoms, only these two chickens. I sent in throat swabs to Zoologix to do their Poultry Respiratory PCR (tests
influenza, Aspergillus, infectious bronchitis, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious
coryza, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale and Mycoplasma gallisepticum) all came back negative.

(You can read my long post about it here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wheezy-chickens.1246854/ )

Here's a video, try to ignore the rooster's chatter lol The honking noise IS the hen.

My question is, could the test have given me a false negative? I didn't swab well enough or something? Or is something else going on here? Could it be genetic issue with the buffs? Worms? Heart conditions? It does get worse the more they move around.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Do they have nasal discharge?
@KikisGirls @casportpony @azygous

 

[TwitchChic]

Do they have nasal discharge?
@KikisGirls @casportpony @azygous

Nope. Maybe I'm worrying over nothing?

 

[TwitchChic]

If you read my long post from a couple weeks ago, I did have a 3rd Buff who died back in March. I noticed her just standing near the coop, breathing rough. She did not have nasal or eye discharge, but when I picked her up, she had this nasty smelling liquid seeping out of her beak. I put her in a small dog kennel and went inside for a few minutes and she aspirated before I got back with her water. Everything pointed to sour or impacted crop, but that's the same time I noticed these two were wheezing as well.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Nope. Maybe I'm worrying over nothing?

Maybe. I didn’t hear any wheezing in your video. Are the Buff Orpingtons sneezing?

 

[casportpony]

My question is, could the test have given me a false negative? I didn't swab well enough or something? Or is something else going on here? Could it be genetic issue with the buffs? Worms? Heart conditions? It does get worse the more they move around.

Yeah, I'm not sure. . Maybe call them and ask about the difference between the PRC test and running a culture and sensitivity test.

 

[casportpony]

If you read my long post from a couple weeks ago, I did have a 3rd Buff who died back in March. I noticed her just standing near the coop, breathing rough. She did not have nasal or eye discharge, but when I picked her up, she had this nasty smelling liquid seeping out of her beak. I put her in a small dog kennel and went inside for a few minutes and she aspirated before I got back with her water. Everything pointed to sour or impacted crop, but that's the same time I noticed these two were wheezing as well.

Did she die?

 

[TwitchChic]

Did she die?

Yes

 

[TwitchChic]

Maybe. I didn’t hear any wheezing in your video. Are the Buff Orpingtons sneezing?

No more sneezing than normal (after drinking water, dust bathing, etc). The honking noise is the wheezing getting louder. When she's not running around like that it's more of a classic wheezing noise.

 

[casportpony]

Yes

I am so sorry. .
Contact these people and ask about having a necropsy done. Don't worry if you aren't close enough, they can tell you how to pack and ship deceased birds and will probably let you use their FedEx account number.
https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/