Baby chick cough...from gulping water?

[AmericanGothic]

Hey,

So right now I am brooding my first batch of chickens since I was a little girl. We right now have 18 chickens of various breeds, with about 5 being a week + 3 days and the rest 3 days old. They are being raised in a converted reptile cage with wood flooring, topping and sides minus the front which is covered in a fine wire to allow air flow. There are two lamps stationed 1.5 feet from the ground, one with a 250 w bulb and the other a 150 w bulb. (It gets very hot in SC right now so we have to alternative usage depending on how they are acting.) The cage litter is straw.

I got a Columbia Rock X RIR cross from Tractor supply Co a few days ago. After putting her in the cage she alone developed a cough. A day later she has fluidy sounding lungs...we sent her back and got a new one who was isolated until we heard the results of the vet looking at the chick. Vet said she was fine so we tossed the new one in with the others.

She started drinking from the water...and drinking...and drinking. I had found a small red, lid from the kitchen to give her water with when she was alone. The big 1 gallon is the pretty standard type you see at feed stores. The tractor supply co was using more of a dish thing though.

Then she started coughing. After searching the web, I put small rocks in the water to prevent big gulps. But she still has the cough.

She's very active. In fact the biggest. (We have 4 buff orps and 1 silver wyandotte of the same age). She's a good forager and has no other problems.

No treatment has been given yet.

Thoughts?

 

[amnich]

It sounds like a respiratory infection, which is very possible from feed store chicks, however if the vet did not report a respiratory infection to you and none of the other chicks are experiencing symptoms it may not be. It is possible that from drinking so much, the chick inhaled some water rather than swallow it, and now has some water in her lungs. You should separate her either way. Also, you really need to put down pine shavings or something in your brooder. The wood flooring can cause spraddle leg in chicks, which can result in the legs growing incorrectly and trouble walking.

 

[AmericanGothic]

I severely doubt it is a respiratory infection right now as there was an immediate cause/effect noticeable. The chick gulped water and then started coughing. Also, as I noted above, "The cage litter is straw." I also noted that this is NOT the same chick the vet saw- this is a clutchmate.

Primarily, I am concerned that the water in the air sacs may cause pneumonia. However she her breathing does not have a watery sound to it.

It was a scorcher today (closer to 85!) and she got to go outside with the other 2 weekers. She was the first to sneeze (followed by half the buffs) so she might just be sensitive.

 

[wantedman66]

I severely doubt it is a respiratory infection right now as there was an immediate cause/effect noticeable. The chick gulped water and then started coughing. Also, as I noted above, "The cage litter is straw." I also noted that this is NOT the same chick the vet saw- this is a clutchmate. I seem to be having a coughing problem with my chicks from tsc,don't know if anybody else is experiencing this,put applecider vinegar in water hope it works.

Primarily, I am concerned that the water in the air sacs may cause pneumonia. However she her breathing does not have a watery sound to it. 

It was a scorcher today (closer to 85!) and she got to go outside with the other 2 weekers. She was the first to sneeze (followed by half the buffs) so she might just be sensitive.