Are these symptoms serious?

[StinkyAcres]

I am trying to figure out if the signs of illness I am seeing in my chickens are serious enough to quarantine my flock or warrant a $140+ avian respiratory PCR panel. Maybe the symptoms are unrelated and I am just worrying too much, but I'd like your opinion.

Here are the symptoms I've noticed:

• Sneezing, heavy breathing, gasping, head shaking, head scratching -- One hen in particular (Silvia) has had a lot of trouble breathing for many months; she sneezes and open-mouth breathes often and sometimes has a small amount of clear nose discharge. Others exhibit sneezing and head shaking less often but regularly. Eight years ago I had two chickens who were wheezing; one was a cockerel who I had dispatched and the other was a hen (Toasty Bernice) who is still with us today.
• Egg problems -- At least three out of my seven hens have been laying thin-shelled, rough-shelled, or strangely-shaped eggs for the last couple years. At least one eats eggs.
• Swollen feet -- Only one hen (Toasty Bernice) exhibits swollen feet. Tart cherry extract has seemed to give her some relief which made me think it's gout.
• Bubbles in eyes -- Only one hen (Toasty Bernice) has had major bubbles in her eyes only once eight years ago. Haven't noticed major bubbles or any other unusual eye discharge in any of my chickens since.

The respiratory symptoms seemed to have started 8 years ago after I bought hatchery chicks from a feed store. My current laying hens are now 3 to 9 years old. My new chicks (around a week old) began sneezing, head shaking, and head scratching as well. All chickens are otherwise eating, drinking, and acting normally and are active.

My questions are:

• If it's something like Mycoplasma synoviae, would I be seeing more serious symptoms and have dead or dying chickens?
• What else could cause these symptoms? Dusty conditions? Stress? Silvia may be overweight or maybe she has a heart defect?

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts. I hope someone can calm my anxiety over this! haha

 

[townchicks]

I think the PCR panel would be a good idea. It's usually better to know one way or the other, IMO. Mycoplasma can stay hidden for years, then brought out by stress. I have it in my flock, and everyone looks and acts fine. I think a lot of folks don't know they have it, because they've never tested.