Chick Breathing More Heavily Than Usual, Mucous Sounds

[112Days]

Hi all!
I'm pretty new here, and in the past four weeks I've had chickens, I've learned a lot!
I have one 2-year-old bantam frizzle rooster, as well as five silver laced wyandotte chicks (three confirmed pullets and one confirmed cockerel) that are about 1.5 weeks old. One of the wyandotte pullets is breathing a bit heavier than usual, her cheeks and throat expanding noticeably when she does, and a smacking sound (like mucous) when she inhales.
A few days ago, I started taking the chicks out of their brooder in the morning and letting them run around in the rooster's pen while he free ranges.
The rooster had similar symptoms when he came home, but he was a rescue with scaly leg mites, poultry lice, ingrown spurs, and twisted toes. I got the chicks two weeks after I got him so that he would have time to be treated and recover (he's happy as can be without lice and with his mites receding!) without putting the babies at too much risk.
I have a couple of suspicions;
1) The dust/hay in the environment is bothering them (I have horses as well)
2) There are new germs that the chick's immune system is learning about.
Any thoughts on what it could be? I'm leaning towards the latter, so tomorrow I'm planning to give everyone a little bit of yogurt (for use as a probiotic) for good measure.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Unfortunately, the rooster may have brought in a chronic respiratory disease, such as MG or others, to your flock. Most respiratory diseases are chronic, and can come back again and again, whenever they are stressed. Your flock mmay all be carriers after being exposed. I would treat the sick chick with Tylan 50 injectable given by mouth, 1/4 ml twice a day for 5 days. This will require a few needles and syringes to remove the medicine, then remove the needle while giving the med. Oxytetracycline could be used in the water instead, but the other chicks would then be getting the medicine unless you separate the sick one. Afterward, put some chick probiotics in their water for a few days to help build up the beneficial gut bacteria. Make sure the brooder is dry and clean, and has good air circulation. Dust, mold, and excessive heat can add to breathing problems. Let us know how they get along. Here is a good link about common diseases including respiratory ones: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[112Days]

Welcome to BYC. Unfortunately, the rooster may have brought in a chronic respiratory disease, such as MG or others, to your flock. Most respiratory diseases are chronic, and can come back again and again, whenever they are stressed. Your flock mmay all be carriers after being exposed. I would treat the sick chick with Tylan 50 injectable given by mouth, 1/4 ml twice a day for 5 days. This will require a few needles and syringes to remove the medicine, then remove the needle while giving the med. Oxytetracycline could be used in the water instead, but the other chicks would then be getting the medicine unless you separate the sick one. Afterward, put some chick probiotics in their water for a few days to help build up the beneficial gut bacteria. Make sure the brooder is dry and clean, and has good air circulation. Dust, mold, and excessive heat can add to breathing problems. Let us know how they get along. Here is a good link about common diseases including respiratory ones: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Thanks so much! Their brooder is right in the middle of the hay storage area, and there's a lot of sneezing when I kick up dust changing their bedding every other day or so. The brooder is a short water trough for livestock (covered with hardware cloth to keep raccoons and opossums out that is pulled back to feed, water, and handle the babies), so I'm thinking that the problem is mostly dust. The chick sounds better when she gets some water in her, and her eyes and nasal passages have been free of discharge, but I'm aware that it is still very possible for it to be disease-related. I'll put a bit of apple cider vinegar in their (and the rooster's) water when I get home this afternoon as an immune boost, and if I don't see any improvement by the next time I head over to the feed store (in about a day) I'll pick up some Tylan 50 from there and administer it orally in your dosage and frequency.
I can't express how much of a relief it is to know that I'm not alone in the chicken world!