Young Pullet with possible URI

[Just Rosie]

Hello all,

I purchased a blue silkie pullet from my local feed store about 2-3 weeks ago. They didn’t tell me her age but based on her size I’m assuming she’s about 3-4 months old. I bought her by herself, with no other chickens to put her with.

About a week later, I picked up another silkie pullet from a breeder I know. I only bought her to keep the other little pullet company. (These were both unexpected buys, which is why I only bought one at a time.)

Yesterday, I noticed the blue pullet was breathing through her mouth. I don’t know for sure, but I think she is also sneezing (I’ve never seen or heard a chicken sneeze). I thought maybe I had been holding her too tight or stressing her out, but she’s still doing it today.

I listened to her heart and lungs, and I don’t hear any crackles, just a slight wheeze. She has no ocular or nasal dishcharge. She is bright, alert, and responsive. As far as I know she is still eating, but it is hard to tell as both chickens spend most of their day in their coop. (They have done this since I put them out there.)

The other pullet is asymptomatic. The breeder did not mention any illness, and I expect he would. I’m not sure what the incubation period for these types of illnesses is in chickens.

The feed store girl I purchased the blue pullet from told me today that she was culling all of her roosters because she had gotten a free chicken that she’d put with the rest of them. Turns out it was sick (I don’t know with what), and infected her other chickens. I am honestly not sure if this chicken was exposed. I didn’t ask because I hadn’t connected the dots.

Whatever this is, it seems mild. Stools still seem normal, she’s BAR, and there’s no discharge. I’m just worried I’m going to expose my chicks, so I’m trying to be cautious about handling them.

Should I put her on an antibiotic? I have access to common (and some uncommon) dog and cat antibiotics such as amoxicillin, clavamox, cephalexin, cefpodoxime, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, etc. I would just need a dosage, as I don’t currently have access to a chicken vet, just small animal vets.

Any other tips would be great! Thanks so much.

 

[Eggcessive]

Most respiratory diseases make the survivors carriers for life (except infectious bronchitis which is up to a year.) It is worrisome that someone at the feedstore also has sick birds. So now it would,be hard to tell if the disease was brought in by the second silkie, with the first one, or if the feed store clerk might have exposed them on her shoes or clothes. Here is a link about common diseases including mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG,) infectious bronchitis virus, infectious coryza, and ILT virus:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044Most diseases can infect chickens in 2 to 10 days. Here is some info on MG and coryza and how long it takes to show symptoms after exposure:
https://thepoultrysite.com/disease-...tion-m-g-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickenshttps://thepoultrysite.com/disease-guide/infectious-coryzahttps://thepoultrysite.com/disease-guide/infectious-bronchitis-ib

 

[Just Rosie]

Thank you so much for the resources. I’m still having a hard time diagnosing her, as she really only has 2 symptoms, maybe just one, the gasping for air and possible sneezing.

If it is infectious, and they’re carriers for life, what is the recommendation? I would really hate to cull her, as she is a sweet little thing. Is it like herpes in cats, where many are carriers but only infectious when an “outbreak” occurs?

 

[Eggcessive]

Most people who have a chronic respiratory disease in a chicken usually close their flocks to birds coming in or going out of their flocks. They should not visit others with healthy birds. With most of the common respiratory diseases, the disease disappears when all chickens (and other poultry) die off. MG and coryza die in 3 dayson equipment, shoes, etc. some of the viruses can linger a couple of weeks. The gasping and sneezing sound more like a virus. Those can go on for a month or so. IB is the most common one.

 

[Just Rosie]

Well,
My intentions are to breed and sell chicks. I was not planning to keep her anyway, I just wanted some pet quality layers while my better quality chicks are growing.

So I guess what I’m asking is, should I just cull the bird? It is my understanding the mycoplasma exists everywhere but stress triggers it to become pathogenic in a bird. The same goes with the other respiratory infections: they may be life-long but the birds may only be sick when stressed.

But to me, I feel like if it’s possible it’s a lifelong disease that sheds, I wouldn’t want to continue the spread of that disease. And I definitely intend to breed and sell (my chicks have not been exposed).

What would you recommend doing?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you try to get some testing, by calling your state vet on Monday? Your local NPIP might be able to test for MG or others. Infectious bronchitis is more common, and chickens remain carriers for up to a year. The national lab, Zoologix will send you swabs to test your own chicken for various respiratory diseases. It is pricey, but you can get a diagnosis in a week. Here is a link:
https://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm
It would not be prudent to raise and sell chickens or hatching eggs if MG was in the flock. It can pass through hatching eggs, and other poultry may be carriers as well. There is always a risk of buying a carrier when obtaining birds from a breeder. Be careful with biosecurity and handwashing with your chicks.

 

[Just Rosie]

I ended up contacting both Zoologix and my local NPIP lab (?) turns out, Georgia offers free disease testing, so they will be coming out Thursday to test her.

The good news is, by what I’m describing, they don’t think it’s MG. The semi-bad news is, based on what I’m describing they may not be able to diagnose it. But to me, that’s not too bad, because maybe it truly is just a common cold or something.

Her gaping has improved, sneezing has seemed to worsen, but still no discharge or swelling. I’m not giving her anything in case it affects testing, but once they have the samples they need, I’m going to start her on a round of Baytril and add some supplements into her water.

Thank you for advising me to contact my NPIP, as if I hadn’t have found out about free testing, she may well have been euthanized by now. She’s not out of the water yet, but I have high hopes it’s not a life-long issue and that she’ll make a full recovery!

 

[Eggcessive]

That is good information. Many people in other states don’t seem to get any help with testing. Chickens don’t get colds, but they can get a variety of bacterial and viral diseases. Infectious bronchitis virus causes frequent sneezing, and usually spreads quickly through the flock. MG, can spread to others, and can be treated with Baytril, Denagard, Tylosin, and Doxycycline. Baytril is banned in chickens, but if you use it, make sure to wait a month or more to eat her eggs. Dosage of 10% Baytril Liquid is 0.05 ml per pound (or 0.25 ml for a 5 pound chicken) given orally twice a day for 5 days. It tastes bad and most recommend to not put it in the water. ILT, coryza, and ORT are other common respiratory diseases.

 

[chickengrapes]

I'm really interested in knowing what the outcome was for your chick? How did the testing go? Was there a diagnosis?