# Heavy breathing



## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Yesterday I noticed my Easter egger was breathing thew her mouth with her mouth slightly open. She is molting and she did have some water coming from nose- mouth slightly. Her wings where also a little droopy when she was roosting but I don't know if she just does that when she roosts or not. I've heard occasional sneezes from most of them and some have drippy noses at night. Today I noticed my hen Lila is breathing like that with her mouth barely open to breath threw. All my other hens and even those too seem healthy otherwise. A few weeks ago my Easter egger had some little watery bubbles in her eye that went away.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It sounds like you have something moving through your flock and with chickens that's never a good thing. You've had too many negative things going on lately which may have been the start of it. The only way to know for certain what you're dealing with is finding out what your state will do to diagnose. Some will do it at no cost, others at a large cost. 

Did you recently bring any new birds in?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Possibly Infectious Bronchitis (IB) or a mild strain of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG.) I agree with Robin; contact your local extension office or state agriculture department and find out how to get your sickest bird tested. It's the only way you'll know for sure what you're dealing with. Good luck.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Thanks,
About 9 months ago I had a sick hen who the vet said (he was not the experienced avian vet that I had help my other hen) he said it may be bird flu or Marek's. He was very worried it could be but it turned out that she had cancer and none of my other birds got sick. Beucase of how the vet reacted last time to a cancer problem in my old hen Frenchie I'm little worried that if I get one of my hens tested there reaction may be something bad. 

I did not bring any new birds in since like 2 years ago but on thanksgiving i visited family who have 7 chickens who seemed to be healthy. I did hold them and play with them and about a week later I got some good muck boots to were only out to my hens. Before then I had been wearing not the shoes that I wore to the other chickens coop. But I think it may have been those hens...

Will my hens be okay?! In very worried about them and what's mycoplasma galliseptium and infectious bronchitis. Are they deadly? Or are they treatable. Thank you!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Take a few minutes and read the two links to help you understand what the illness' are and what to look for.

When dawg mentioned the sickest bird he's not referring to taking the bird to the vet but allowing the state to take it to test. That is the only way you will get definitive answers to what may be moving through your flock.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/poultry/infectious_bronchitis/overview_of_infectious_bronchitis_in_poultry.html

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma_gallisepticum_infection_in_poultry.html

Throwing things at them and not knowing what you're treating is a waste of money and not helping the birds even though it may feel like it. Knowing what to treat, if possible, is what will do the most for them.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

If your vet suspected bird flu, you would have had an army of people in white jumpsuits at your door.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Take a few minutes and read the two links to help you understand what the illness' are and what to look for.
> 
> When dawg mentioned the sickest bird he's not referring to taking the bird to the vet but allowing the state to take it to test. That is the only way you will get definitive answers to what may be moving through your flock.
> 
> ...


Oh ok I was thinking to bring the bird in. I'll try to get contact with the local avian vet to ask them how to contact the state vet, or could I have the local bird vet test them?
Which one is more common IB or mycoplasma galliseptium?


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

seminolewind said:


> If your vet suspected bird flu, you would have had an army of people in white jumpsuits at your door.


Oh...
He just said maybe a weak strain, but when he checked her he took a sample of the stuff in her crop, I think she had some type of growth in her crop not the flu. The vet did call a few days after bringing her to the vet though. But it turned out to be cancer.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

MG is the one most often seen but it could depend on the geographical location and what is circulating through bird populations. I've been out too long but it might be possible for a throat swab to be done. If not, the bird that goes to the state will be sacrificed and a complete work up will be done looking for the infectious organism responsible for the flock illness.

You can look on the internet for the state vet in your state. Most are very good at helping you understand what might be going on and what steps are needed to make informed decisions. 

And even though it's an awful thing to face it really is the only way to move forward if you want to have a healthy flock and be able to add birds or sell birds to others. With most infectious respiratory diseases you will not be able to bring in any new birds without them becoming sick too. You can't rehome birds at all and can not visit with others that have chickens unless you are absolutely certain you're not carrying the virus' to their birds.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Wyandotter said:


> Oh...
> He just said maybe a weak strain, but when he checked her he took a sample of the stuff in her crop, I think she had some type of growth in her crop not the flu. The vet did call a few days after bringing her to the vet though. But it turned out to be cancer.


Not all flus in all states are reportable. There are many strains, our own flocks can have flu and we never know it because they display no symptoms.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

If I keep a closed flock can I treat the virus with a antibiotics and bring no birds in or out at all. I'd feel terrible about bringing one of the birds in and never getting her back.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Antibiotics do not treat virus'. Doing that is why some many bacteria are now resistant to antibiotics. 

Yes, they can get a secondary infection but without knowing that it exists that is just tossing stuff at them that does more harm than good.

Talk to your state vet, that is the first and most important step to take before doing anything else.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

I saw in one of your links that it can help birds to give them electrolytes and keep them warm. I don't think I'll be able to contact the state vet or even the vet since it's Christmas.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

All my birds seem very healthy but one of my hens yawned a lot. One of my other hens yawned like 7 times in 2 minutes. Is that normal?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

A yawn by itself is no big deal, it's when they appear to be yawning and stretching their necks way out repeatedly that something might be wrong.

If your birds are showing respiratory signs then your flock is not healthy. There should be no drainage at all, there should be no working to breath. Especially not in multiple birds. 

You will not be doing them any favors by trying to pretend that nothing is going on. Obviously you suspect that there is.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

Yawning 7 times in 2 minutes wouldn't worry me, but yawning all day long could mean that she has something going on in her throat, like an infection or maybe capillary worms.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

She doesn't yawn all day just like after she was dust bathing or sitting. Actually they had both been dust bathing before they yawned a lot.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

Can you take any of them to a vet? A vet could swab their mouth and/or draw blood and test for MG, MS, IB, etc.


-Kathy


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Sometimes birds yawn to adjust their crop or gizzard which is normal and is usually mistaken for gapeworm or respiratory disease. When a respiratory disease is involved as I suspect in your situation, there is mucus build up in the trachea causing them to yawn and/or stretch their necks to include head shaking to try and dislodge the mucus to breathe normally. If it's serious enough, you'll hear wheezing and gurgling.
Infectious Bronchitis (IB) is a virus, antibiotics will not treat it. Telltale signs of IB are wrinkled eggs and watery whites when an egg is cracked open. Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG) is a bacterial disease and there are many antibiotics that can treat it. However, birds that survive the disease are carriers for life and will spread it to other birds.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

I've had no wrinkly eggs or watery whites so I think it's Mycoplasma Gallispticum or something. Can I use oxytetracycline?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Wyandotter said:


> I've had no wrinkly eggs or watery whites so I think it's Mycoplasma Gallispticum or something. Can I use oxytetracycline?


Yes you can use oxytetracycline. I think Casportpony has the dosages in her profile. Keep in mind that sick birds dont drink as often as a healthy bird.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

dawg53 said:


> Yes you can use oxytetracycline. I think Casportpony has the dosages in her profile. Keep in mind that sick birds dont drink as often as a healthy bird.


For some reason it seems like my birds actually drink a lot. Is that strange for sick birds? Thank you.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

It depends on what they're sick from.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

I guess I will start the antibiotics tommorow. Thanks everyone, I'll keep ya'll updated on my flock and about how they're doing.


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