Buff Orpington breathing oddly

[bluefrog87]

It be like a powder and you mix the proper dose per gallon

 

[dawg53]

It seems every time a chicken breathes funny, sneezes, coughs, or yawns.... everyone automatically assumes it's a respiratory disease and recommends antibiotics or an antifungal for suspected fungal problem. Birds can sneeze and cough, yawn, breathe funny without having a respiratory disease or fungal problem. If a bird has a respiratory disease, I guarantee you're going to know it. It will quickly spread to other birds and will typically have more symptoms than just a sneeze or breathing funny. First of all determine if it's something in the environment causing the symptoms; such as feed dust, inhalation of feed, ammonia fumes from soiled bedding, dust baths, pollen, pesticides, DE, poor ventilation, dust in hay, etc...all of these things can be corrected or eliminated without medications. Secondly if it's not environmental, look for other symptoms; head shaking, gurgling, wheezing, runny nostrils, bubbles in the eyes, facial swelling, slowed or stopped eating or drinking, slowed or stopped laying eggs and observing your other chickens for these symptoms as well. Unlike humans, birds "hide" disease symptoms as long as possible to prevent predator attack and getting picked/pecked on and "kicked" out of the flock, this true for injuries as well. Birds with respiratory diseases should be culled as they are contagious and survivors (depending on the disease) remain carriers for life. Some respiratory diseases can be passed through eggs as well. If you decide to treat sick birds, injectables are more efficient and effective than mixing soluable antibiotic powders in water...why? Because sick birds dont drink, IF they do drink...it's not enough to be effective.

 

[TTracy]

I should probably listen to her on the ground, however she is the only one who makes that sound. I hold all of my chickens the same way.

Some chickens are just louder breathers than others, just like people. It could very well be that she is making a vocal noise and breathing at the same time, either from affection or nervousness from being held. I have one like that. Being that she had no other symptoms, I wouldn't suggest an antibiotic, but that's just me. If it is a respiratory illness, chances are its a virus, so an antibiotic wouldn't do much good if any. If you are really worried you could put some vicks vapor rub or vetrx around her nose and see if that makes a difference.

 

[KayTee]

I have to say that I agree with dawg53 - it is too easy to reach for the antibiotics at the first sneeze. I know from experience, because about 5 weeks after I got my 3 point of lay chickens I heard one of them sneezing a few times a day. I panicked and rushed to the vet, who gave me amoxycilin to put in the water, because she said it could be a respiratory infection that they would all get. I followed the instructions for 7 days, but it didn't change much, and as the girls all seemed ok apart from the occasional sneeze, I stopped the antibiotics. They are now almost 2 years old, and although they still sneeze from time to time, (especially when it is cold, wet and horrible weather), they have no other symptoms, and lay regularly, so they obviously weren't ill the first time round.

I started to think that maybe the antibiotics hadn't done much anyway, so I calculated the dosage that the vet had recommended in the water. It is virtually impossible to guarantee that a chicken will drink the required amount of water per day using the recommended dosage - apart from anything else, they would have to drink the waterer dry, which is almost impossible to do.

However, since then I had a chicken who had clostridium perfringens, and who was at death's door. The treatment is antibiotics (including amoxycilin, which I just happened to have to hand, as I hadn't used it all up the first time). In order to be certain that she had the full dose each day, (as specified on the packaging) I let all the other girls out in the morning, but kept the one chicken in the coop. I gave her a small portion of cooked rice onto which I had sprinkled the full day's dose of antibiotic powder (less than half a teaspoon). She loves rice, so gobbled it all up in about 5 minutes flat! I then let her out to free range with the others for the rest of the day. Result - after a couple of weeks a perfectly healthy and happy hen. (Link to the the thread here )

In conclusion - for a simple sneeze I wouldn't immediately reach for antibiotics, but if they are essential for a more serious ailment then I would never use the water method - I would put them on a portion of food reserved exclusively for the hen you want to treat.