Chick with Respiratory Symptoms

[Bekalodon]

Last week, I got an approximately 1 month old Olive Egger chick from a local feed store. She seemed healthy when I got her, strong lungs (she screamed about half of the way home). But on Saturday, 5 days after I brought her home, she began to develop respiratory symptoms: wheezing and sneezing. She's also slightly less active than she had been but she's still flying and eating. However, her eyes are clear, no bubbles.

We have been treating her with VetRx and Corid (severe infestion dose), but I can't tell if it's having any effect.

I am concerned that she may be contagious because there was another chick in the group she came that had been showing the same symptoms, but mostly because she is living with 3 other chicks who so far have not shown symptoms beyond occasional sneezing (but that could be because they are messy with their crumble).

We do have access to a vet who treats chickens, but if there's some other home remedy I can try to help her, I would prefer to try that first because it's a long trip for little chicks.

(Other alternative is take her back to the feed store, but I've already gotten a bit attached to the little fluffball.)

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

Most places wont let you take back chicks. I would take her to the vet if possible. If you have treated her and she isnt better. You may be able to do an over the phone visit. I would try to divide the brooder to quarentine her but so she can still see the others.

 

[Bekalodon]

Most places wont let you take back chicks. I would take her to the vet if possible. If you have treated her and she isnt better. You may be able to do an over the phone visit. I would try to divide the brooder to quarentine her but so she can still see the others.

Thank you for your suggestion! I would never have thought about video appointment!
Unfortunately, neither our regular chicken vet or the other chicken vet nearby do telehealth. I ended up taking Orange Chick in to the other chicken vet because our regular vet was booked up. Unfortunately, this vet doesn't have an onsite lab like our regular vet so we probably won't know what it is exactly, but he did give us antibiotics and anti-inflammatory for her and the other chicks.

Fingers crossed, it's a bacterial infection and that does the trick.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

Good luck!!! Hope all goes well

 

[Bekalodon]

So it's been three weeks since we treated Thyme. She is still sneezy and snotty, but her activity level has improved greatly and none of the other chicks have gotten sick. We did lose one chick the day after we treated them, probably to unrelated causes (she had always been sickly). We got a new chick a week ago to replace that one, and she remains healthy.

I'm thinking now it must be a reaction to dust. Their food is very dusty and they throw it everywhere (I do try to clean their brooder as much as I can but it is impossible to keep up with them). Hopefully, once we get her outside, which we hope is next week, she'll get better!

 

[dawg53]

Soiled bedding causing ammonia fumes can cause the symptoms you're seeing.