Here you will find signs, symptoms, treatments (best buys), photos, video, and prevention for Infectious Coryza also called roup, cold, and coryza is a respiratory disease that affects chickens, pheasants, and guinea fowl. It is commonly found in game chicken flocks but can be spread to any flock that is exposed to it.
Symptoms of Coryza
Photo Courtesy of Ranger News. (May 4, 2007). https://www.theranger.co.uk/News/Infectious-Coryza_32.html
Symptoms of Coryza in chickens may not be obvious in early stages other than your chicken may seem listless, depressed and just sitting around rather than usual active behavior. Major symptoms of Coryza in chickens and other poultry are:
Swollen Face
Bad smelling, thick discharge from nostrils and eyes
Loss in egg production
Rales-Labored breathing/rattling sound while breathing
Stunted growth
Loss in egg production
Paleness
Crusty eyes or eye lids sticking together
Diarrhea
(Butcher, Jacob, Mather, 1999)
Swollen Face
Bad smelling, thick discharge from nostrils and eyes
Loss in egg production
Rales-Labored breathing/rattling sound while breathing
Stunted growth
Loss in egg production
Paleness
Crusty eyes or eye lids sticking together
Diarrhea
(Butcher, Jacob, Mather, 1999)
Photos of Infectious Coryza in Chickens & Turkeys
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Mortality Rates & How Long Coryza Lasts
Mortality (Death) Rates-Usually less than 20 percent. If left untreated can go as high as 50 percent. Coryza can last from 2-3 days if no other infections such as mycoplasmosis are present or as long as 2 to 3 months depending on virulence of the pathogen (Butcher, Jacob, Mather, 1999).
How Chickens, Pheasants & Guinea Fowl Get Coryza
Bird to bird contact-Water and feed dishes, contact with infected birds.
Introducing infected birds into the flock-new birds should be quarantined and observed for signs of disease and parasites for at least 30 days prior to introducing them into your existing flock.
Poultry shows, Bird swaps, & Live Bird Sales- Can put your uninfected show birds at risk due to the fact that irresponsible or unknowing bird owners bringing infected birds showing no symptoms to the shows.
Birds who recover from Coryza remain carriers of this organism and may shed it throughout their lives and when they do other birds in the flock can become infected.
Airborne respiratory droplets
Contaminated feed
Contaminated water
Scroll down for treatments and more information.
Introducing infected birds into the flock-new birds should be quarantined and observed for signs of disease and parasites for at least 30 days prior to introducing them into your existing flock.
Poultry shows, Bird swaps, & Live Bird Sales- Can put your uninfected show birds at risk due to the fact that irresponsible or unknowing bird owners bringing infected birds showing no symptoms to the shows.
Birds who recover from Coryza remain carriers of this organism and may shed it throughout their lives and when they do other birds in the flock can become infected.
Airborne respiratory droplets
Contaminated feed
Contaminated water
Scroll down for treatments and more information.
Treatment Options for Coryza
Preferred treatment-Water soluble antibiotics or antibacterials such as Sulfadimethoxine (Albon®, Di-Methox™)
Alternative Treatments
Sulfa-Max®
SulfaSure™
Erythromycin (gallimycin®)
Tetracycline (Aureomycin®)
Warnings
Do not use sulfa drugs which are not FDA approved
Do not use on pullets older than 14 weeks of age
Do not use on laying hens
Antibiotics reduce the disease but does not eliminate carrier birds from shedding and spreading the disease.
Alternative Treatments
Sulfa-Max®
SulfaSure™
Erythromycin (gallimycin®)
Tetracycline (Aureomycin®)
Warnings
Do not use sulfa drugs which are not FDA approved
Do not use on pullets older than 14 weeks of age
Do not use on laying hens
Antibiotics reduce the disease but does not eliminate carrier birds from shedding and spreading the disease.
Shop Infectious Coryza Treatments-Best Buys
How to Prevent Coryza in Your Flock
Good coop management
Vaccinate birds or purchase vaccinated birds "(Coryza-Vac) is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) on the back of the neck. Each chicken should be vaccinated four times, starting at 5 weeks of age with at least 4 weeks between injections. Vaccinate again at 10 months of age and twice yearly thereafter" (Butcher, Jacob, Mather, 1999).
Wash food and water dishes every couple days (preferably with bleach), rinse well and dry in the sun.
Wash roosts, walls and floors
Change bedding regularly
If you use the deep bedding method make sure all bedding is removed and coop is cleaned well and start with fresh bedding
Quarantine new birds before introducing them to your flock
Wear a clean apron, clean shoes, clean gloves, and face mask while cleaning your chicken coop. Wear separate ones for different coops. If one flock is infected you could transfer the infection with your shoes, gloves, or clothing by wearing the same ones to another coop.
Do not allow people to drive on your property or near your flock (many poultry diseases can be spread from tires on vehicles which have been on infected property).
Sprinkle Food grade DE on chicken feed once every two weeks (Motherhen).
Vaccinate birds or purchase vaccinated birds "(Coryza-Vac) is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) on the back of the neck. Each chicken should be vaccinated four times, starting at 5 weeks of age with at least 4 weeks between injections. Vaccinate again at 10 months of age and twice yearly thereafter" (Butcher, Jacob, Mather, 1999).
Wash food and water dishes every couple days (preferably with bleach), rinse well and dry in the sun.
Wash roosts, walls and floors
Change bedding regularly
If you use the deep bedding method make sure all bedding is removed and coop is cleaned well and start with fresh bedding
Quarantine new birds before introducing them to your flock
Wear a clean apron, clean shoes, clean gloves, and face mask while cleaning your chicken coop. Wear separate ones for different coops. If one flock is infected you could transfer the infection with your shoes, gloves, or clothing by wearing the same ones to another coop.
Do not allow people to drive on your property or near your flock (many poultry diseases can be spread from tires on vehicles which have been on infected property).
Sprinkle Food grade DE on chicken feed once every two weeks (Motherhen).
Featured Video: Coryza in Chickens, symptoms & Signs
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Facts
"Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) was first described in turkeys in the United States in 1905 but has since become the most economically significant mycoplasma in the poultry industry. MG is worldwide in distribution and represents a disease of concern for a variety of commercial poultry operations. As commercial poultry operations in the United States grew over the last century and moved to more vertically integrated confinement operatios, MG became a significant economic concern. Economic issues of MG are due largely to potential for large death losses, increased condemnation at processing plants, and reduced egg production in commercial egg production facilities. Additional costs can be incurred from MG vaccination, depopulation of affected flocks, and surveillance programs. MG incidence in the United States has been greatly reduced since the disease was added to the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) 50 years ago. Cases of MG in backyard flocks in Indiana have become more frequent in recent years. This could be due to increased surveillance methods or an actual increase in MG transmission as more backyard flock owners trade birds at "swap-meets" and through online trading websites" (Wilson and Wakenell, 2012). https://www.addl.purdue.edu/Newsletters/2012/Summer/Mycoplasma.aspx
References: G. D. Butcher, J. P. Jacob, and F. B. Mather. (May 1999). Common Poultry Diseases. EDIS. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
