8 week swedish flower hen breathing issues

[Figgie]

I have an 8 week old swedish flower hen who started exhibiting symptoms yesterday morning. She is the only chick with symptoms though I think I've heard the rare sneeze among them.

The chicks just finished a course of corid because one of them (not this one) had signs of coccidiosis.

They were switched to a coarser hemp bedding in their brooder recently. They started eating grower crumbles recently, from starter mash. They have two feeders and one waterer. There are 7 chicks. They're in a brooder inside our sunroom and are getting ready to go out soon once I've got ventilation better on their coop.

The symptoms seem to be panting or breathing. I don't know enough about chickens to tell what is actually happening. She doesn't seem her usual spicy self (I hand raised this chick and she's got pizzazz on a normal day), but she's not totally lethargic.

She takes occasional drinks of water, but her crop feels empty most times I've checked. She consumed a little grit yesterday. I tried to tempt her with various things like scrambled egg, but she wasn't into it. I brought her out again today and put some feed on the towel I had, and she pecked at it, but seemed to not actually be eating any.

She also seems to be getting picked on, though I'm not sure which came first, her illness or the bullying.

Please see this video. She's a little off balance because she decided she didn't want my lap, she wanted to perch on the edge of the playpen brooder. She makes an odd noise towards the end.

I would appreciate any suggestions on what else to look for, what to treat, etc. I love this gal so much.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

VetRX can be used for respiratory issues. It can be used under the wings so they breathe it in when they sleep (might be able to put some around her nostrils too) and you can also feed it to them. I would also give her some poultry cell or nutridrench to giver her body some extra support while fighting this off.

The odd sound towards the end is her sneezing. I don't think I heard it in this video but I want to confirm, can you audibly hear her breathing? There was one breathe where I think I heard her breathing but I didn't notice any other time in the video.

 

[Pigeony]

Yes, the only thing I heard out of place in the video was the sneezing, I don't know if the breathing sounds worse in person but it did not come through in the video. All I heard was teenage-chick peeping.

Also, at 8 weeks, I unfortunately have to tell you that you do not have a pullet, you have a cockerel.

 

[Figgie]

Thank you! I can't hear any strange respiratory sounds. She (or he, haha) is the only one who is open mouth panting. It's a comfortable 74 degrees in there so it isn't the heat. So I guess I was assuming this was strange breathing somehow. I'm trying to figure out what the open mouth behavior is.

 

[Pigeony]

Thank you! I can't hear any strange respiratory sounds. She (or he, haha) is the only one who is open mouth panting. It's a comfortable 74 degrees in there so it isn't the heat. So I guess I was assuming this was strange breathing somehow. I'm trying to figure out what the open mouth behavior is.

Might be stress, you say that the other birds are picking on him. Stress would also account for him eating less, if they're trying to keep him from food or if the stress is making him not want to eat. If it were my bird, I would make sure he's eating, drinking, and pooping normally, then just keep an eye on him unless I saw another symptom. The sneezing could be a reaction to the bedding change. It also could be mycoplasma or another respiratory disease if you're actually seeing nasal discharge or particularly watery eyes in any of your birds.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Thank you! I can't hear any strange respiratory sounds. She (or he, haha) is the only one who is open mouth panting. It's a comfortable 74 degrees in there so it isn't the heat. So I guess I was assuming this was strange breathing somehow. I'm trying to figure out what the open mouth behavior is.

I agree that it could be stress then. Usually respiratory issues are paired with audible breathing that you can tell is laborious to them. They breathe like this when they are stressed out. Is the bullying new? How big is the brooder they are in? I'm assuming they've been together since they were days old.

 

[LaFleche]

They are still kept inside at 8 weeks old?

Do they have daily access to the outside to spend several hours roaming the yard while catching natural sunlight?

 

[BDutch]

This is a personal experience.:
About 10 years ago, I had 6 , approx 6 week old chicks who started sneezing and breeding like your chick. It occurred after some rainy weather. It started with one chick, the others followed in the days after. There was a little clear fluid coming from their nostrils. Looked like a human cold. The adults weren’t affected.

I asked advice and a few people told me it cant be a normal cold like humans, the chicks need antibiotics. Other people said that if you give chicks antibiotics they grow up to become weak chickens. But there is a ‘good’ chance they won’t survive. If they do survive the chicks become strong chickens. I don’t like giving AB to animals and choose the natural way. Time will tell.

The chicks all healed. A few after a week or so, the last one took 6 weeks to get over it.

3 where hens I could keep. 1 of them was predated by a fox. After 10 years the other two hens are still laying eggs and are very healthy and vibrant oldies.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

They are still kept inside at 8 weeks old?

Do they have daily access to the outside to spend several hours roaming the yard while catching natural sunlight?

Being inside at 8 weeks old is normal. For many they are still too small to integrate so they are in the brooder. Many don't get long sun time until they go into the coop. Even then some can't free range for one reason or another. Now if they were far older than 8 weeks then this would be a concern but this is perfectly normal to still be inside.

 

[2ndTink]

Can you feel around him and see if there are any air bubbles under his skin? Any signs of a ruptured air sac?

He doesn't look pale in this video but have you noticed him being pale or lethargic? Any correlation with heat?