Myco & Infectious Bronchitis

Sue

Sue

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Had some bad news today from the result of the blood tests done on my Maran when she was taken in for her coughing and sneezing. The tests have come back positive for Myco and Infectious Bronchitis!!! She was treated for 5 days with the antibiotics along with 2 other hens that were showing symptoms. She is still sneezing a bit. She was supposed to be vaccinated against both. The vet didn't say she should be treated again for the symptoms that remain or whether she is going to be doing this for the rest of her life. I need to read up on both conditions, but if anyone has any advice from experiencing these diseases, I would be very grateful to hear your comments. Should I be doing anything more in their management to protect her from becoming ill or worse? She isn't showing any signs of being ill (other than the sneezing), she is eating very well and appears happy, as are the others. There are five hens living together and although two haven't shown any signs yet, I suppose they are at risk - they are the two younger ones I introduced in September last year (also vaccinated). I wanted to try and reintroduce Potty Dotty and the Legbar next year, but will I be putting them at risk if I do? They already live within sneezing distance of them anyway. Someone has obviously decided that they are not going to make keeping hens easy for me!!
 
Hello Sue. There is an article on Myco in the latest Practical Poultry. It doesn't really say what it is though, just it comes with droopiness, bubbly eyes and sneezing. No cure as such, just TLC and antibiotics can help stop infection setting in. Maybe some supplimentals, like a tonic. Worth buying a copy to read up on. Generally if your hens are healthy it isn't much of a problem.

The IB she already had if she had been innoculated. It's just a flare-up of the original innoculation strain because she is run down. She will be susceptable to them for 12 months after innoculation and is contageous at that time (it's ILT flareups that are a problem as they are for the life of the bird). The virus can travel up to 1500 metres in air apparently in that period. The others probably had caught the mild form of IB from her and recovered.

We had a hen called Elisa twho sneezed a lot but was otherwise healthy and laying well. I called her 'honkey' because in time her nasal passages enlarged and she used to 'honk' rather than 'cluck' -oh, and she smelled terrible.
 
Hi Chris, why did Elisa smell terrible? Such a pretty name to be known as 'honkey'!!

She hasn't had the bubbly eyes or any other signs of being unwell other than the constant sneezing. My problem is now knowing when to give more antibiotics as she hasn't actually stopped sneezing yet and one of the others is still wheezy. I told the vet this, but he didn't say I need to give more abx. I have some left so could give her another 5 days. Do you think I should contact him again to get a clear answer? She has definitely improved, but not stopped completely. I'm changing their food to Garvo and they have ACV. The vet gave me a tonic to put in their water which seemed to improve their appetite. I dread the thought of having to give antibiotics on a regular basis, it's such a problem getting them to take it!
 
As you've been to the vet, I'd contact him to get an answer re. the antibiotics.

It's quite unusual for anyone other than commercial breeders to vaccinate their birds and as you've got pure breeds I'm surprised they've been vaccinated unless he/she is a breeder of large numbers of birds annually. Not that it makes much difference as if she's got the infection, she's got it.
 
Rosie used to get really upset when I called her 'honkey'. Same when I called Daffodil 'stinky'. Caused by ILT resulting mucus from the nose spread onto the feathers.

We have a policy of keeping Antibiotics to emergencies only. Like us, she must finish the course but I know Baytril does wreck the digestive system and it needs restarting with probiotic yoghurt or better still Beryl's probiotic for chickens (vet recommended).
 
Chuck, the breeder breeds a very large number of birds, all pure or rare breeds. When I say large, I mean thousands annually.

Chris, she wasn't given Baytril this time as it hadn't worked the first time. It was Denagard. There is no egg withdrawal period with it.

Another question - she's now got dirty bottom feathers! Should I wash it off, cut it off, or just leave it for now as the temperature is dropping today. I don't really want to cut if off as she's just grown a nice new set of feathers. Haven't got anyone to help me blow dry her until the weekend and it's too cold to leave her outside wet. Don't really want to stress her by taking her away from the others for too long to bring her into the house to dry and that's probably not a good idea anyway with the temperature changes. Can't think what to do for the best!
 
Hi Sue. Basil has a dirty bottom as well. We've held off cleaning it until we can blow dry him because it is too cold. He has nice new feathers so we won't cut them off. But they do stain unfortunately. I'd say therefore don't separate her and don't leave her wet. Suspect the dirty feathers arise from the antibiotics. She needs probiotic day after the course finishes and a week later. Basil's bum is dirty because he sleeps on a shelf, crows, poos yellow in the morning and then sits back on it -he needs a perch.
 
Thanks Chris, I'm just going to go and try to clean her up a bit with some loo roll! Have tried to catch her several times this morning, but didn't manage it - one last try and if not, I'll leave her until the weekend when I can get some help washing and blow drying her. I'll give her some Beryl's as well.
 
Hi Sue, try not to worry too much...consult the vet and ask him re: his advice and a further course of anti-biotics.
One thing to consider, is that depending on the type of blood tests taken, and what type of vaccination programme used, the tests can be difficult to interpret and read a kind of "false positive." With extreme challenge this can also trigger disease even in vaccinated birds.
 
I don't understand why she has got BOTH these diseases when she was vaccinated against both! What is the point in vaccination?
 
I guess it's playing the percentages Sue. If in the rare event she contracted a severe strain of IB that would be it, as opposed to the more frequent risk of a flare up of the original mild strain from which she would recover.
 
Sorry Sue, I probably didn't make myself clear! If she was vaccinated against both, then some blood tests depending on what they are testing for may show as positive. This just means there are antibodies being produced against Mg and IB not necessarily meaning they have the disease itself or if they do, it won't be with "full blown" symptoms.
Has she been laying normal eggs Sue?
 
Yes, she has been laying normal eggs and she is the most frequent layer - she lays most days. The blood tests were carried out by 'The Chickenvet' lab, and they knew she was vaccinated so I assume they can tell the difference, but I don't know. The only symptoms she's had are the sneezing, coughing and at one time she had a clear nasal discharge, but not for long. She hasn't appeared ill in herself at all, has been eating very well and apart from a very heavy moult, she has been her normal self.
 
i have 3 that are sneezing but all are eating fine and laying and i am in 2 minds wether to get antiboitics { without making that seem like i'm being cruel } just that i have had mine on them before with the sneezing an wheezing and i have still ended up losing the 1 that was the worst and she was injected as well and the others still sneezed for quite a while after the course was finished with doing my lot now it will probably cost me at least £90 as one lot of baytril was nearly £45 the last time and i have more birds now .
 
We have a policy of one lot of antibiotics only. If the problem flares up again and we have eliminated all the external causes that's it. We don't give antibiotics without good reason in the first place any more, so if they seem fine otherwise we let them sort it out themselves and they do. It's difficult but cost and long term welfare are significant considerations for us. Sometimes a bird is just frail anyway and it's obvious they are always going to be ill with one thing or another. The majority of our birds have never had treatment. The remainder have had one course of antibiotics from our inital ILT and IB epidemic. They are all apparently very healthy and I hope they stay that way. But its a very difficult decision Karminski. However I will add if Bottom was ill we would throw everything we could at him -after all he's a pet.
 
mine always get the stuff they need to keep them healthy wether its tonic , spice , garlic etc etc but i do have my concerns about using to many antiboitics especailly after the last time even if it was a few years ago { touch wood been good since then } and back then i was like god thats a lot of money which seems to of been wasted . if any of mine do ever seem to ill then they go to the vets to be p.t.s anyway and i am sure there have been times when i've been looked at in a strange way by the vet as if to say are you sure but i would not take them if i wasnt sure .what makes it differcult as well at the mo is some of mine are still moulting or starting to and this weather is certainly not helping one little bit and its going to get worse if this cold spell hits hard like what they are saying .
thought i was going to lose my little bantie sooty { shes my all time baby and fav } but finally she has stopped sneezing and is almost though her moult but i worry about her as shes so tiny but i think the moult just took it out of her completely .
 
Moulting does take it out of them Karminski. Bad enough in warm weather. We've got a Blue Laced Wyandotte gone 'light' now. She's moulted partially and has been bullied off two feeders first thing in the morning so started eating feathers off the floor. Last two nights she's tried sleeping in the nest box and I picked her up tonight and crop empty and weighs nothing compared to the others. So she's got to be isolated, checked throughly and spoilt for a bit to get her out of her feather habbit and make her eat proper food to fatten her up, as the weather is turning bad soon they say.
 
Karminski, I wonder whether Baytril was the right antibiotic for your birds that were sneezing? The vet I took them to the first time gave Baytril, but this time I went to the Chickenvet and he said Denagard or Tylan would be his choice for these symptoms. Baytril is a broad spectrum antibiotic and Denagard and Tylan are more targeted to this type of condition apparently. Maybe if you do go back for more antibiotics you could check with your vet whether a different one should be used. The consultation and 5 days antibiotics for 5 birds only cost me £32 + vat. I thought that was very reasonable. They are still sneezing occasionally, but much better than before the treatment.
 
fingers crossed yours is ok , mine gets extra cuddles each night when shes down and she loves it lays on your chest like a puppy and goes to sleep i could take her anywhere like that and she wont move .
 
i very well may be calling them tomorrow will jot the names down and ask about them :D
 
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