2 month old sneezing with runny nose

[Cluck2013]

I have some 2 month olds that I just bought. One of them has been sneezing a lot and looks like a runny nose. It looks clear. He's the only one that has been sneezing, but a couple have runny noses. I did see him poop yesterday and it was clear liquid. I have had them for 1 week now. He is acting fine and playful, just like the others.

 

[Isaac 0]

Sorry to hear your chicks are having problems.

Could you give us some more info? Are there any other respiratory-related signs like face edema, wheezing, tail bobbing, or rattled breathing, or is it just the runny nose and sneezing your seeing here?

Could you upload a video of the chicks sneezing to a video platform like Youtube or Vimeo, then copy/paste the link here? A picture of their poop?

Sneezing and runny nose could be an environmental issue such as lack of adequate ventilation in their pen, dusty bedding, allergies, or sometimes you'll get a bag of feed that is too powdery and ends up irritating their respiratory system.

What's your setup like, could you tell us more about that?

If you're able to cross off the possibility of it being an environmental factor, I'd move on to the possibility that they might have a respiratory infection, commons one might be infectious bronchitis, MG, coryza, etc.

Instead of taking a "guess' of which one they might have and treating them with a broad antibiotic, you could send a few tracheal swabs into your state veterinary lab, or send them a national lab like Zoolgix for testing. That way, you know what you're dealing with and can treat with an antibiotic that is best used for that specific disease.

Most respiratory diseases you going to see with chicks are going to cause them to be carriers they're whole life. If you don't feel like treating with antibiotics, some people will cull the flock.

Here are some links

https://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul... contagious,,, conjunctivitis, and mild rales.

 

[Cluck2013]

Sorry to hear your chicks are having problems.

Could you give us some more info? Are there any other respiratory-related signs like face edema, wheezing, tail bobbing, or rattled breathing, or is it just the runny nose and sneezing your seeing here?

Could you upload a video of the chicks sneezing to a video platform like Youtube or Vimeo, then copy/paste the link here? A picture of their poop?

Sneezing and runny nose could be an environmental issue such as lack of adequate ventilation in their pen, dusty bedding, allergies, or sometimes you'll get a bag of feed that is too powdery and ends up irritating their respiratory system.

What's your setup like, could you tell us more about that?

If you're able to cross off the possibility of it being an environmental factor, I'd move on to the possibility that they might have a respiratory infection, commons one might be infectious bronchitis, MG, coryza, etc.

Instead of taking a "guess' of which one they might have and treating them with a broad antibiotic, you could send a few tracheal swabs into your state veterinary lab, or send them a national lab like Zoolgix for testing. That way, you know what you're dealing with and can treat with an antibiotic that is best used for that specific disease.

Most respiratory diseases you going to see with chicks are going to cause them to be carriers they're whole life. If you don't feel like treating with antibiotics, some people will cull the flock.

Here are some links

https://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul... contagious,,, conjunctivitis, and mild rales.

I didn't get a video or picture, but I was hanging out around them. It's the rooster that has the issues. He is still sneezing. I saw some clear snot drop from his beak. I picked him up and listened to him. He does sound a little rattled on breathing, but very little. No other symptoms. He was trying to catch a bug when I was there.

 

[Isaac 0]

I didn't get a video or picture, but I was hanging out around them. It's the rooster that has the issues. He is still sneezing. I saw some clear snot drop from his beak. I picked him up and listened to him. He does sound a little rattled on breathing, but very little. No other symptoms. He was trying to catch a bug when I was there.

Does the discharge from their eyes/nose smell at all?

Some pictures of your set up, and a few pictures or video of the birds would be quite helpful.

Have you contacted any of the poultry labs I provided above?

 

[Eggcessive]

Are these your only chicks? They have come with a disease that may affect how well they grow, lay eggs, and some canaffect their reproductive organs and kidneys. Infectious bronchitis is one and MG or mycoplasma gallisepticum is another that might be causing the sneezing and nasal drainage. Have you been able to contact the seller? Hopefully, it is just an environmental allergy or dusy irritating the nostrils and eyes, but I would seek some testing from your vet or state poultry lab, or consider returning the chicks.

 

[Cluck2013]

Does the discharge from their eyes/nose smell at all?

Some pictures of your set up, and a few pictures or video of the birds would be quite helpful.

Have you contacted any of the poultry labs I provided above?

Have not contacted yet, but plan to. I'll try to get some pictures and video tomorrow. They have a hutch they can go in and out of with wood chips in it. Then a small pen to keep them in until they can free range.

 

[Cluck2013]

Here are some pictures. I'm having issues getting video. They're still spooky around me. It was also raining, so I couldn't post sooner. The poop looks more normal with only some water in it. I can tell they have been eating grass. It looks like a couple of then have watery eyes only on one side, not both eyes. They still have the sneezing and some rattling on breathing (still light on that), it hasn't gotten worse. There are 7 of them. I haven't smelled anything. The drainage still looks clear.
I was also watching them and some (not all) would put their beak up past their nostrils in the water to get a drink. Like they haven't had that type of waterer before. Like pecking at the water. All are running around the pen acting normal, even the ones who are sneezing.

 

[Cluck2013]

They're in a small, but decent size pen until I make sure they can go out. They have a pretty big size hutch that has 2 long vents (cutouts with welded wire over the holes). The top opens and they go through a door on the side. We do have other chickens. They can't go around them. If they do have something infectious, will my other chickens get it? I have newly hatched up to 4 years old.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try to get some testing on the ones who are showing the sneezing, nasal drainage, and the eye drainage on one side. You may contact your vet to help with that, your state poultry lab, or Zoologix.com that lets you collect the swabs yourself, but is mire expensive. I would suspect possible MG from the conjunctivitis, but there are about 5 diseases to check for. MG would make your whole flock carriers for life. This list has most state poultry labs for testing:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Here is some contact info for Zoologix for a respiratory disease panel:
http://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm

 

[Cluck2013]

I would try to get some testing on the ones who are showing the sneezing, nasal drainage, and the eye drainage on one side. You may contact your vet to help with that, your state poultry lab, or Zoologix.com that lets you collect the swabs yourself, but is mire expensive. I would suspect possible MG from the conjunctivitis, but there are about 5 diseases to check for. MG would make your whole flock carriers for life. This list has most state poultry labs for testing:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Here is some contact info for Zoologix for a respiratory disease panel:
http://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm

Thanks! I'm working on getting a hold of the state for testing. If they do have an infection, what happens to the rest of my flock if they catch it?