Why Are My Chickens Sneezing? Part 2

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Introduction

Hopefully you’ve read Why Are My Chickens Sneezing? (Click here and read if you haven’t). I left you wondering if my chickens were positive with the bird flu in West Virginia. If you’re on my email list, you already know the answer! Not on my email list? Sign up at the bottom of the page or the floating bar as you read. Get sneak peeks before the blog post comes out and some behind the scenes information in emails. So, West Virginia Department of Agriculture sent someone out to test my chickens.

A white crested black polish chicken and the tail of a brown chicken in the corner of the picture. Standing on mulch next to a log with a white cardboard box with 14 clear plastic test tubes with blue plastic tops plus one test tube without a top.

Avian Flu West Virginia

When “The Chicken Man” of the WV Dept of Ag came to test my backyard chicken flock, I met him in the driveway. He stepped out of his truck and immediately assured me the testing was preformed via a swab in the mouth and no harm would come to my birds. He was the person who performed the testing of the chickens in Pocahontas County, West Virginia that were positive for the avian flu.

Brown and black chicken being held to find out why are my chickens sneezing? (neck up only pictured) with a bare hand. Blue rubber gloved hand supporting the black beak while other blue gloved hand comes from above with white cotton tipped applicator. You can only see the torso and legs of the gloved man wearing a white hazmat suit. Background shows dirt and mulched ground with chain linked fence and the hind end of a white and brown goat outside the fence.

The Testing

The testing would be going to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division Moorefield Laboratory (click here for their link and list of tests they offer). They would be testing my birds for the Avian Influenza Virus, Virulent Newcastle Disease, Mycoplasma Synoviae, and Mycoplasma Gallisepticum via PCR tests (Click here for link to what a PCR test is). “The Chicken Man” would be transporting the samples directly to that lab when we finished swabbing about half of my small chicken flock.

Picture of testing paperwork to find out why are my chickens sneezing? top says in black printed ink: Specimen and to the right Test Requested. Under Specimen is a (select one below) opharyngeal with a box to select and cloacal. Under Test Requested are 4 boxes available to check: AI; MYCO; APMV; PT

Conclusion: Why Are My Chickens Sneezing?

So, why are my chickens sneezing? The tests went to the lab on a Thursday. I was told I would have results emailed to me the next day. Does the government ever run on time? Do veterinarians ever run on time (this laboratory has at least one veterinarian if not more)? No, usually not. But I did get the results on Monday so not too long of a wait.

Brown goat standing up on her hind legs trying to look at a silver clipboard with white papers on it for testing sitting on some cut logs that are turned upright and double stacked and used as a table for the testing supplies. Testing supplies are cotton tipped applicators in sterile paper wrapping and a white cardboard box with test tubes. Man in white hazmat suit and blue rubber gloves poised above the paperwork so the goat doesn't knock it over. Stick pile in the background

My backyard flock was negative for Avian Influenza and Newcastle. However, they did have Mycoplasma Synoviae, and Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (Click here for Merck Veterinary Manual Mycoplasma articles). The truth is you probably won’t know why your chickens are sneezing without some kind of testing. I won’t be purchasing any chickens from farms that are not NPIP certified (Click Here for the NPIP Website).

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3 Comments

  1. I love the pic with the goat checking out items and the swabs being done on the chickens. Nice photos make the article interesting!

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