12 Day old chick whistles noisy with every exhale, also coughing or sneezing, working hard at breathing

[bcatfish]

This is a Marans or Marans mix chick (got a surprise box from a small breeder) hatched 12 days ago in an incubator probably. Today weighs 55 gms. I got the chicks 5 days ago, picked up at farm, not shipped. Of 22 chicks, 3 have died (two of those were with the lady I split the batch with).

Today (about 4 hours ago) the chick started a chirp/whistle sound with every exhale and it's easy to see each breath move its whole abdomen. It can be quiet when there's a loud sound etc. It can also make real chirps/calls for mom. I put this chick with a new mom and her chicks upon arrival. So when I took the chick away from the mom and group it called for mom for a while, as well as the whistle every exhale sound. NO other chicks show these symptoms. None of the hatched by mom chicks died.

Poop looks normal, pooped in the last 30 minutes. Haven't seen it eat since isolating it but it was being fed organic chick starter (modesto milling) and water without additives. Unvaccinated and unmedicated. I saw it drink water on its own recently. It seems to prefer standing rather than laying down.

I tried to give it some water with electrolyte chick mix. I'm not sure how to get it to drink. I put a drop on its beak and would wait for it to swallow. I have it in a darkened box at 90 degrees with some heated water that it can't get to, for increased humidity. I probably won't take it to a vet. I'd like to try to help it myself. Hopefully you can hear it in the video I post.

 

[Eggcessive]

It would be impossible to breathe 120 times a minute, I would think. Do you see any mucus from the nostrils or beak? Can you try to dip the beak into a small container of water for a half second to get it drinking?

 

[bcatfish]

One month later and she is still with us. Maybe a week behind the others as far as development of tail and loss of fluff. She still breathes faster than everyone else, about 90 per minute but that's better than the 120 it was.

I did take her to am avian vet. She said probably respiratory infection and gave me two antibiotics jut in case it was bacterial. (Visit was $250).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you feel if there's anything like an air bubble under the chick's skin? Feel all over it's body.

 

[bcatfish]

Can you feel if there's anything like an air bubble under the chick's skin? Feel all over it's body.

Thanks for replying. I don't feel anything odd. No air bubbles it seems. The chick seems a little better, or at least not worse. But still breathing about twice as fast as the others her age. She does eat and drink.
@casportpony do you have any advice? I've seen you give a lot of good medication advice.

 

[bcatfish]

The chick is still going at it. Respiratory rate is the same as the first day, about 120. She still whistles with every exhale, eats, drinks and has normal poop. i don't think she can keep it up much longer. Any advice on how to get a good look at her tracheal opening? I can open her mouth but always just see the tongue and esophagus. Not sure if I should angle the neck differently? @Eggcessive any advice? Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Any advice on how to get a good look at her tracheal opening? I can open her mouth but always just see the tongue and esophagus.

How are you able to see the esophagus without seeing the tracheal opening?

Photo reference
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[bcatfish]

Maybe I'm not forcing the beak open far enough? The beak sure doesn't open as wide as the pics on the internet. I just assume I'm somehow not getting the angle right and just seeing down the tongue.

 

[bcatfish]

Thanks for advice and questions!

I made another video, long enough to count respirations. And there is a chick the same age in it too and you can see how different the breathing is. Eyes look good or great, but for occassionally sleepily closing. Nothing from the nose. When I open her beak to check on obstructions etc, with beak wide open she still makes the noise while breathing. Does that mean the obstruction can't be in the nose? I don't know chicken anatomy. Also, any hints on how to hold the chick, head and neck, to get the best look at the trachea? The mouth is so small it's hard to see in. Or very possibly I'm doing it wrong but can't find a good video on small chick examination.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's about 16 days old now? And this has been going on for ?

If you aren't seeing mucous or any obstruction in her beak, no leaking air sac, I'm not sure what else you can do except to see if this resolves on it's own.

Is she staying warm enough? She's got grit right?