Why is my Chicken Coughing? Common Chicken Illnesses and Treatment

Written by Betsy Russon in Animals

Anyone who has raised or bred chickens has no doubt encountered your feathered pals exhibiting that horrible hack or sneezing accompanied by gooey, and drippy crust that can invade their entire respiratory system. These are just a few of the symptoms your chicken may experience when infected with a respiratory illness. The most common respiratory illnesses can be combated right at home with home remedies and over the counter products, but some, depending on the severity of symptoms will require you to take further action, including seeking veterinary assistance.

Though respiratory illnesses are perhaps the most common ailment your backyard brood my encounter, here, we will talk about additional symptoms that accompany common respiratory illnesses, as well as several other illnesses that commonly affect backyard foul, including:

  • Infectious coryza
  • Chronic Respiratory Disease: (Mycoplasma Gallisepticum or Infectious Sinusitis)
  • Newcastle disease
  • Aspergillosis
  • Infectious bronchitis
  • Fowl pox
  • Avian influenza
  • Bumble foot
  • Thrush
  • Mites
  • Marek’s Disease
  • Lymphoid Leucosis
  • Botulism

1. Infectious Coryza

Infectious Coryza, or Coryza (the medical term for the common cold) is a fairly common respiratory disease in chickens also known as “roup”, catarrh, or IC. In the US, it is most common in flocks found in California and the southeast, although there have been outbreaks in the Northeastern United States as well. Unlike some other respiratory illnesses that can ravage your flock, Infectious Coryza is more easily treated, and unlikley to leave lasting symptoms in stronger, adult birds. The mortality rate for chickens infected with Infectious Coryza is roughly 20% in most flocks. Though named for the common cold, Coryza is much more serious in birds than a cold is in humans and is most often accompanied by a catarrhal infection of the upper airways and affecting the sinuses.

Chickens become carriers of Infectious Coryza through exposure to Avibacterium (haemophilus) parallinarum bacteria which belongs to the Pasturella family. The infection is transmitted by direct contact, airborn droplets, and contamination of drinking water.

Signs and Symptoms of Infectious Coryza: If your chickens are exhibiting any or all of the following symptoms, they may be infected with Coryza.

  • Facial swelling, including wattles eyes, and cheeks (may cause eyes to swell shut)
  • Discoloration or paleness of the comb
  • Discharge from the nose and eyes
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Decreased appetite
  • Not laying eggs
  • Diarrhea

Treatment of Infectious Coryza: Like most bacterial infections, Infectious Coryza can be treated by antibiotics. Now this is where things can get tricky. Because the incubation period of Infectious Coryza is 2-3 days, your entire flock may become contaminated in less than a week. It is important that your bird, or flock is treated with the proper antibiotic, prescribed by a veterinarian. Treatment with the wrong antibiotic may cause more harm than good, including ulcers, and future antibiotic resistance. Typically, a veterinarian will run a PCR test, or a catalese test to confirm (and to rule out other serious respiratory ilnesses), and if it is Infectious Coryza, prescribe erythromiacin, streptomycin, or a form of sulfonamides according to availability.

Home Remedies: It is suggested by some backyard poultry folk that (in the case where veterinary help is not available), other naturopathic remedies may help your chickens recover. Specifically, these folks suggest grapeseed extract and colloidal silver.

Keep in mind, that even if your birds overcome the illness, they will remain carriers of Infectious Coryza for the rest of their lives, and may have both recurrences and relapses, and infect other chickens you add to your flock.

2. Chronic Respiratory Disease: (Mycoplasma Gallisepticum or Infectious Sinusitis)

Mycoplasma Galliseptieum (MG) is a bacteria-like organisim that causes respiratory diseases in chickens and is also known as Chronic Respiratory Disease, or CRD. There are several types of Mycoplasmosis, which are, by definition any disease caused by mycoplasma bacteria. (Mycoplasma is about the same size as a virus, but unlike a virus, can multiply outside of a living cell).

Many people confuse CRD with Coryza, as the symptoms are quite similar. Diseases caused by mycoplasmosis can be difficult to properly identify without lab testing, as they often occur in combination with bacteria and other viruses. The disease can also infect turkeys, pheasants, chukar partridges, peafowl, pigeons, pigeons, quail, ducks, geese, and other birds.

  • Symptoms of Chronic Respiratory Disease: Symptoms of CRD include:
    • difficulty breathing
    • coughing
    • sneezing
    • rales
    • nasal discharge
    • swelling of the infraorbital sinuses
    • discharge from the eyes (conjunctivitis)
    • decreased growth rate
    • decreased egg production
Rooster with serious eye infection

The mortality rate for chickens with CRD is quite low, however it can complicate matters if the bird is infected with another respiratory condition, such as bronchitis. It is also important to note that infected chickens can transmit the disease to other chickens through the air, feed, water or environmental contamination, even after they become asymptomatic or recover (carriers), or to their offspring through eggs or breeding. Birds may remain asymptomatic for months until stressed, causing the infection to manifest.

Treatment for Chronic Respiratory Disease: Most strains of CRD can be treated with a number of broad spectrum antibiotics including tylosin, tetracyclines, and others, but not to penecillin. We have had outbreaks of CRD in our own flock. Instead of going to the veteranarian each time, we have found that isolation from the flock, as well as a topical application of a tetracycline (Terramycin) found at most feed stores to the sinuses and eyes will clear up an infection within a week. We used to be able to buy Terramycin over the counter in larger doses, that could be administered to the entire flock via water, but regulations have halted the administration of such drugs (in large quantities) without a prescription from a veterinarian.

3. Newcastle Disease

Newcastle disease is a viral disease that effects the respiratory, nervous, and digestive system of birds and poultry. Much less common than Infectious Coryza or Mycoplasmosis, Newcastle disease is extremely virulent, and often onset is so rapid that infected birds can die without showing clinical signs. Mortality rates of birds infected with Newcastle disease vary, but can be as high as 100% in unvaccinated flocks. (In 1898, a strain of Newcastle disease wiped out all the domestic fowl in northwest Scotland). The disease has various strains for which clinical symptoms vary.

  • Clinical Signs of Newcastle Disease: Birds infected with Newcastle disease will show different signs depending on whether the virus they have caught had a prediliction for respiratory, digestive, or nervous systems. Typical respiratory and digestive symptoms involve coughing or sneezing, (rales) or gasping for air, nasal discharge, greenish watery diarrhea, and swelling around the eyes and neck. Nervous symptoms involve, tremors, slugishness, drooping or paralyzed wigs, circling, twisting of the head and neck, stiffness, and clonic spasms.
  • Treatment and Prevention: Chickens may be vaccinated against Newcastle disease in a variety of ways, most commonly, through mass application in drinking water or by spray. Many countries and provinces have compulsory vaccination requirements for Newcastle disease in commercial poultry.

4. Aspergillosis

Aspergillosis (also known as brooder pneumonia, mycotic pneumonia, or pulmonary aspergillosis) is a fungal infection that is brought about by the spores of Aspergillus fungus commonly found in the environment such as soil, grains, and decaying vegetables.

The symptoms of an Aspergillosis infection in chickens includes gasping for breath (in younger birds), and in some cases (typically in older, more mature birds) may bring eye lesions, as well excessive thirst, weakness, and lack of appetite. Though the affection rate for Aspergillosis is quite common, the mortality rate is quite low generally, (about 10%) but is often higher in younger birds or chicks. It is transmitted by inhalation in areas with a high spore count.

Aspergillosis infections can easily be avoided by keeping your chickens’ environment dry and clean, and properly ventilated, (especially the brooding pens for young chicks), and keeping the environment as stress free as possible. It is also important to clean and disinfect feeders and water sources regularly, and avoid any moldy litter, feed, or dusty conditions when possible.

5. Infectious Bronchitis

Infectious bronchitis is the most contagious viral respiratory disease in chickens. It is caused by a coronavirus, and manifests through symptoms of coughing, sneezing, and rattling sounds in the throat. Young chicks are most susceptible, and can be severely affected, although chickens of all ages and breeds are equal candidates for infection. Mortality rates in young birds can reach as high as 30%. Lower mortality rates (10%) occur in more mature birds.

Though Infectious Bronchitis typically affects the upper respiratory tract, it can also affect the female reproductive tract, and some strains can affect the kidneys, leading to acute nephritis. The virus is spread through airborne transmission, feces, or contaminated material or equipment, and exists in various strains throughout the world. In adult birds, infection can lead to a heavy drop of egg production, and misshapen thin shelled eggs of poor quality.

Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Bronchitis: To prevent incidence of Infectious Bronchitis, it is important to maintain an environment that has good ventilation and optimal temperatures for your fowl. Good ventilation will reduce the concentration of airborne pathogens, and remove excess moisture and toxins from the air.

There are a number of vaccines that can be used to immunize your flock against various strains of Infectious Bronchitis, and chicks can also gain immunity from immunized mothers. Vaccines, (both live and inactive) are typically applied through drinking water or as a spray.

It is important to note that the disease can be transmitted over very long distances by airborne transmission, so vaccination is often a good choice for breeders situated close to other poultry farms or operations.

6. Fowl Pox (dry and wet)

Fowl pox is a rather common virus in backyard chickens that have not been vaccinated. It can affect most types of poultry, including chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pheasants. It is typically spread through mosquitos, who ingest the virus when they feed on infected birds. The virus then spreads when the mosquito feeds an a healthy bird. The virus is also spread through contact with the abrasions that form on the skin of infected birds. Additionally, as scabs from pox lesions shed from infected birds, other birds may ingest the virus and become infected.

Signs and symptoms of Fowl Pox include cutaneous infections in the form of lesions. Dry Fowl Pox will result in raised, wart-like sores, or lesions on unfeathered areas such as the comb, head, vent, or legs, and last for 1-2 weeks. Infected birds will display ruffled feathers, and lethargy, and may reduce egg production. Wet Fowl Pox involves canker-like lesions internally, such as in the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. These lesions may lead to death if the trachea is completely blocked by lesions.

There is no effective treatment for foul pox, though where fowl pox is prevalent, vaccination can prevent its introduction to your flock, (typically given to chicks between 12-16 weeks of age) and maintaining an environment where mosquito occurrence is controlled.

7. Avian Influenza (Also Known as Bird Flu HPAI H5)

Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu is a viral disease that affects both wild birds, and domestic birds, including backyard chickens. There are two forms of the virus, known as low pathogenicity, and high pathogenicity. The more common of the two is low pathogenicity avian influenza and is rather harmless, causing poultry to display typical flu-like or cold-like symptoms. High pathogenicity avian influenza, on the other hand, though quite rare, is extremely contagious and mortality rates typically reach as high as 90% in infected poultry.

Luckily, since US poultry records began, high pathogenicity avian influenza has only been identified in the US four times: in 1924, 1983, 2004, and 2015. Each time, it was quarantined and eventually removed.

The only way to confirm if a bird is infected with high pathogenicity avian influenza is through laboratory testing, though symptoms include: decrease of activity, blueness of head area, wet or watering eyes, excessive flock huddling and ruffled feathers, decrease in egg production, coughing, fluid buildup in the comb or wattles, legs bleeding underneath the skin, and sudden death.

8. Bumblefoot

Bumbefoot, or ulcerative pododermatitis is a bacterial infection or abscess that causes inflammation on the feet of chickens. The infection is typically caused by Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria. Bumblefoot is a common infection among backyard poultry brought about when a chicken scrapes, cuts or injures the bottom of one of its feet while scratching or walking on rough surfaces, or standing on perches with splinters or rough edges. These small scratches are susceptible to infection or contamination hiding in the soil or foliage, and are typically part of the normal microbial environmental flora.

Once infected, the effected area of the chicken’s footpad will become red and inflamed. If left untreated, the infected area may spread to the joints and tendons. In severe cases, the infection may lead to death.

  • Diagnosing Bumblefoot: Chickens are prone to lots of adventure, spending their days hopping up and down from hay bales, fences, rocks and machinery foraging for food. They even spend their sleeping hours perched on roosts several feet above the ground. During these activities your chickens may injure themselves with a rough or awkward landing causing leg strain, broken bones, or sprains. There are several types of injury that may cause limping. If you notice one of your flock limping, resting, or spending excessive time standing on one foot make sure to do a thorough inspection before jumping to the diagnosis of bumblefoot.

To determine if it is bumblefoot, examine the chicken’s foot closely. During the early stages of bumblefoot, the chicken will develop a reddish inflamed area between the toes on either the top or bottom of the foot. This redness will increase as the infection rages on, as will the inflammation often causing a portion of the chicken’s foot to appear swollen or engorged. Left untreated, the infection will next turn dark brown or black, and may appear as a scab on the top or bottom of the chicken’s foot. At this point, a chicken will avoid using the foot as they will be experiencing a good deal of pain.

  • Treatment of Bumblefoot: Obviously the best way to treat bumblefoot is prevention. This can be done by providing a diet of healthy nutrients for your flock that is low in uric acid, and allows them to maintain a healthy weight, and by keeping their environment safe and clean. Though you will never be able to completely disinfect your dirt, keeping a clean and dry environment will retard the growth of excessive bacterial organisms in the soil. Additionally, helping your chickens maintain a healthy diet will keep your chickens from gaining excessive weight, which adds pressure to the footpads.

In spite of the best preventative measures however, your chickens may still experience bumblefoot, and need treatment. Depending on the stage at which you discover the infection, your treatment options may vary.

  • Early Detection: If you detect the infection early enough, you may be able to effectively halt its progression with a simple treatment at home with Epsom salts and honey. First, fill a medium sized basin with warm (almost hot) water and Epsom Salts and soak the infected foot for 5-10 minutes. Then, carefully dry the foot and apply generous amount of honey, which will act as a natural antibacterial agent. You may also use Vetericyn (available at most agricultural stores), and cover with a layer of gauze, and then wrap tape, or vet wrap. To be extra cautious, keep the infected chicken separated from the rest of the flock for a day or two to ensure she does not become a victim of her curious and at time cannibalistic flock. This process should be repeated once a day for 2-3 days, while progress is monitored.
  • Late Detection: If the bumblefoot is detected later in the infectious stage (after a hardened scab has formed), you may choose to involve your veterinarian. If you have a local veterinarian who treats chickens, they will likely conduct a wound culture to identify the most effective antibiotic to treat the infection. Additionally, because the foot of the chicken is such a low blood flow area, the wound will likely require debridement, or removal of the infected tissue and wound cleaning. This type of treatment is obviously best completed by a veterinarian, under sterile conditions, however, many poultry owners choose to treat bumblefoot at home with the use of a scalpal and either hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol for disinfectant.
    • Removing the infection yourself: If you opt to remove the infection yourself, it is recommended that you get another individual to assist. Though not complicated, the “surgery” can be daunting to one not accustomed to performing minor surgeries. The surgery consists of using a scalpal or biopsy punch (we highly recommend the biopsy punch) to excise the scab and remove the underlying infected core. The core can often become hardened and attaches to the scab, making it a little easier to remove. After removing the scab, drain the pus from the wound, and flush with betadine anticeptic solution or peroxide. There are numerous homemade youtube videos and articles about bumblefoot surgery you can look up if you attempt this route. Again, remember that once the wound has been debrided, and the infection removed, the chicken will need to be kept clean, by wrapping it in gauze or sterile fabric. Additionally, it will be necessary to keep the chicken you have treated separate from the rest of the flock for a few days to avoid picking. It will be much easier to maintain that the wound area stays clean and dry if you keep the chicken in a separate box or pen (such as a brooding pen), until she has healed.

9. Thrush (Also Known as Candidiasis, and Moniliasis)

Thrush in poultry is caused by a fungal yeast that affects the gastrointestinal or alimentary tract. It is contracted by chickens and other birds from eating moldy feed or contaminated water, or after being treated with antibiotics. It’s symptoms typically include a runny nose, and yellowish or white cheese-looking substance in the croup, throat, roof of mouth under the tongue and eyes, causing breathing problems. It also causes crusting of the vent area, decreased appetite, droopy feathers, and lethargy.

Treatment for Thrush: If caught early enough, most cases of thrush can be treated effectively with over the counter antifungal creams or ointments. At our home, we have had success with Vet Rx and Nystatin, rubbed onto the sinuses, beak and eyes of the affected bird. Typically, the ointment is applied twice a day, and the symptoms will improve slowly but surely within 4-7 days. Remember that it is important to isolate the affected bird from the rest of the flock. (Where available, copper sulphate is also an effective treatment).

Prior to administering the Nystatin, it will be important to remove any crust, bloat, or mucus from the bird’s airway’s or blocking its vision if possible. The cheesy thrush can be a bit more difficult to remove, and may require the administration of Vet Rx first, to loosen mucus and thrush, (then waiting a few hours). Be sure to keep a close eye on your feathered pals as they go through this treatment, as signs of labored breathing may reveal an airway blockage that will need removing. Subsequently, you can try using a pair of tweezers or even a small bulb syringe to grasp the cheese-like thrush for removal. We typically go through this mucous removal routine twice a day. Removal of the mucous and crust will allow the bird to breathe more freely while the antifungal does it’s work. (Note: the cheese-like thrush infection is often accompanied by small maggot-like worms. Though this is disgusting, it is rather common, so don’t let it dissuade you from treating your bird).

10. Mites

Poultry Mites are rather common external parasites that are more of a pest than anything else to your backyard chickens. They are introduced to the backyard scene through rodents or other animals, and are rather common in even the cleanest of coops. Mites are more prevalent during warm weather (Spring and Summer) although some types can survive in cold temperatures as well. The two most common external parasites in backyard chickens are mites and poultry lice. (Note: Poultry lice are not the same as human head lice, and people cannot contract lice from them).

Northern fowl mites and Red Roost Mites are two of the most common poultry mites. Mites are tiny, eight-legged pests that can either live on the chicken, attaching to feathers, or the skin itself, or in the coop (most commonly in the nesting boxes). Mites can come in numerous colors, typically red, grey or dark brown, and feed on the blood of the chicken. Poultry Mites cause a problem for chickens as they bite and chew the chicken’s skin to extract blood from the host, causing discomfort, feather loss, and in some cases, anemia or even albeit rarely, death.

Signs that your flock may be Infested with Mites: Typical signs that your chickens might have a mite infestation include (but are not limited to): scabs near the vent area, eggs on the feather shafts and feathers, and even visible detection of mites on the chicken’s skin. Another sign may be that your chickens seem reluctant to enter their coop at night, or stop using the nesting boxes. If that is the case, there is a possibility that the coop may be infested. Additionally, during an infestation, you may notice that your flock seems to be preening a bit more, or pecking and biting at the feathers under their wings and around their vents a bit more than usual.

Hens enjoying summer dust bath

Treatment and Prevention of Mites: The best general rule to keep mites at bay is to keep a good area of dirt or sand available for your backyard pals to take dust baths in, and clean out the coop on a regular basis. Typically, the dust baths that chickens take in dry patches of dirt or sand in your yard will be sufficient to protect them from mite infestations, however in some hot and humid areas (or during long wet spells) where mite populations flourish, the mites may become rampant.

There are numerous home remedies recommended by backyard coop owners that can be used to help keep your mite problem from getting out of hand. Those include spraying your coop with a mixture of 1 TBS dawn dish soap, 1 cup vegetable oil, and 2 cups water (mixed well), once or twice a week; or treating your coop’s floor and nesting boxes with food-grade diatomaceous earth (note, many backyard poulty folk do not like to use diatomaceous earth for this purpose, as it has been linked to be harmful for bees, and even to cause respiratory problems for chickens), boquets of wormwood (artemesia); or spraying your chickens directly with a mixture of garlic juice.

Other poultry owners use control agents such as chemical poultry sprays, and garden and poultry dusts with active agents such as Permathrin, or Pyrethrum dust, or Spinosad). Our preferred method for treating poultry mites is poultry veterinarian recommended Elector PSP, which can be purchased online, or at any veterinarian supply store.

11. Marek’s Disease

Marek’s disease is essentially a herpes infection in chickens (and turkeys in close association with chickens). Marek’s virus kills more chickens than any other disease, and is so common that you can probably assume that your little flock is infected, though your chickens likely don’t show any symptoms. It is highly infectious, easily transmitted, and very common worldwide among boiler breeds.

Marek’s is a viral neoplastic disease that can affect chickens in a number ways. A neoplasm is an abnormal growth of tissue that is outside of the scope of (or uncoordinated with) regular growing tissue. The abnormal tissue commonly form a mass or tumor. Though Marek’s continues to be a major threat to the poultry industry, in most areas of the world it is kept under control through a combination of vaccination and biosecurity practices to reduce early exposure.

There are six syndromes that can occur after infection with Mareck’s disease, and their symptoms can often overlap. These syndromes have various manifestations, including neurological, visceral, and cutaneous. In neurological manifestations chickens experience transient paralysis in legs and wings as well as eye lesions. These symptoms are often called “floppy broiler syndrome”. In visceral manifestations, affected birds experience tumors in various internal regions including the heart, ovaries, muscles, or lungs. In cutaneous manifestations, chickens develop tumors on their feather follicles.

Most backyard breeds will never manifest active symptoms, unless exposed to highly stressful situations such as crowding, moving, or predators. Chickens infected with Marek’s may exhibit various signs or symptoms, including:

  • Paralysis of legs wings and neck
  • Vision problems
  • Discoloration of pupils or iris (typically grey in color)
  • Lack of appetite
  • Sudden death
  • Twisted neck
  • Weight loss
  • Raised skin around feather follicles
  • Lesions

There is no treatment for Marek’s disease, however, as stated above the disease can be prevented through vaccination, and is kept in check largely by boiler breeders through biosecurity measures and vaccinations. Another method for prevention is brooding new chicks away from other adult birds for several weeks, as the first few weeks of life are the most critical time for infection.

12. Leukosis

Like Marek’s disease, Leukosis causes tumors in chickens and can have equally devastating effects. Leukosis usually affects chickens just reaching maturity, and involves the development of neoplasms most likely to cause Lymphoid Leukosis or osteoptrosis (which is the thickening of the leg bones). Also like Marek’s, Leukosis, not only develops into tumors, but also infects the white blood cells which lowers a chicken’s ability to fight other infections.

Signs and symptoms of Leukosis may involve:

  • initial cough
  • diarrhea
  • weight loss
  • listlessness
  • thickened and bowed legs

Like Marek’s, there is no treatment for Leukosis, and affected chickens will die if not euthanized. Unlike Marek’s, however, Leukosis cannot be prevented through vaccination. If you believe your flock is infected with Leukosis seek veterinary help immediately.

13. Botulism (also known as “Limberneck”)

Botulism is a rare bacterial infection that occurs worldwide and is caused by a bacterial toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. Chickens may become poisoned with botusism toxins after eating or pecking at toxic organic matter such as the carcasses of dead animals or plant waste. Though the botulinum bacteria commonly lives in the intestines of chickens, it does not become toxic until it multiplies in the carcasses of the dead plants or animals.

Once poisoned with the botulinum toxin a bird will gradually become paralyzed from the feet up, often looking dead for hours before actual mortality. As paralysis progresses through the body the chicken’s wings will droop, and its neck will go limp, eventually paralyzing the eyelids, lungs, and heart.

Though the disease is rare, it’s mortality rate is high once infected. Treatment for botulism in chickens involves the speedy administration of an antitoxin by a veterinarian, or simply by squirting a mixture of cool water and epsom salts into the bird’s crop. As with most chicken illnesses however, the best manner in which to treat, is to prevent the occurrence of the botulinum toxin through practicing good sanitary measures.

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