Chickens “voice” changed and she’s sneezing!

[MgnRose]

Good morning, everyone!

I’m having an issue with one of my chickens and was hoping that someone could help. Rose, my Easter Egger is having a couple of issues and I am in dire need of advice. The last couple of days her voice has changed- it’s become deeper and slightly hoarse. Her feathers look a little duller, she sneezes occasionally, and she’s not around the flock as much. The distancing herself isn’t a huge concern for me since she’s always been a little bit of a loner, but the sneezing, feathers, and voice change are concerning. Everything else looks great upon examination: her eyes are bright & free of discharge, no facial swelling, poop is normal, no nasal discharge, and crop is clear.

I called the two vets that treat chickens in the area and neither are taking new patients while we are in lock down due to the pandemic. Anyone have any ideas of what can be going on? I thought it could possibly be infectious bronchitis or some other respiratory situation?

A little info about my girls- I feed them fermented feed with a little turmeric and garlic added, pumpkin seeds for treats. They have access to ACV water, but free range in the PNW. I deworm them once a year, keep a very clean coop, and use a light dusting of DE in the coop once a week to keep it free of mites. They usually have a white chip bedding in their coop, but my husband picked up the last bedding and it seems to have cedar (more light red chips) and is more fragrant. Can this be upsetting Rose’s airways?

Any ideas are greatly appreciated. We love our girls as much as our dog & kitties, so their health is very important to us- Rose is also my favorite lady and it pains me to think she isn’t feeling well.

 

[MgnRose]

This is Rose! She’s an absolute angel who likes to moonlight as a chicken hat when I’m gardening.

 

[Eggcessive]

Cedar may irritate her airway, so you might want to get that out of there if it smells strong, but I would take it out myself. Wet conditions can promote the growth of mold spores, which is another possible problem. Good air circulation, low amounts of dust or ammonia odors from droppings are good for the coop and to help prevent respiratory issues. Some chickens may respond to increased pollen in the air. DE can irritate both your chickens and your breathing. I don’t use it.

You may want to look her over well when you can get hold of her, perhaps on the roost at night. Look for any lice or mites on her skin, especially on her belly between her legs. Look for any enlargement in her lower belly compared to others. Make sure that her crop is emptying overnight. Try some Poultry NutriDrench daily, 2 ml orally for a boost. Offer some scrambled egg, wet chicken feed, and canned tuna or cat food to get her eating and drinking.

 

[Chickenlover0810]

she could be in the middle of a hard molt, which might explain the feathers.
or it could be some sort of calcium thing cause of the dullness in her feathers

 

[MgnRose]

I think she may be preparing for a molt because her feathers are fading in color. She is differently the most sensitive of my girls, so I’m thinking the bedding might be an issue.

Thank you, Eggcessive, for your advice. The coop is definitely dry & free of ammonia, but I will definitely be omitting the DE. I wonder about mold since I do live in an area that has mold issues & there are a few boards on the exterior of the coop that seem to like to catch water. I’ll be giving the coop a thorough cleaning with diluted bleach the next sunny day, just to be sure. I checked them a few weeks ago for mites, but will check again tonight.

I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced a bird‘s voice change for an unknown reason?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes if they are maturing they may have a different voice, and some say that voices may change with cold or wet weather.

 

[phate008]

I had this problem happen with my pullet with DE. I made them a dust bathe when they were only 2-3 months old and the big girl must have breathed it in. Her voice changed and she was sneezing for a little while maybe a few days. I got rid of the DE and am very careful to have fine debri around her. She is extra sensitive to dust, debri, and fine dirt so I just stopped mixing it in with them. On a side note it irritates my lungs too when it's stirred up.

 

[MgnRose]

Sometimes if they are maturing they may have a different voice, and some say that voices may change with cold or wet weather.

I was wondering about this! She’s almost 10 months old and a late bloomer.

 

[MgnRose]

I had this problem happen with my pullet with DE. I made them a dust bathe when they were only 2-3 months old and the big girl must have breathed it in. Her voice changed and she was sneezing for a little while maybe a few days. I got rid of the DE and am very careful to have fine debri around her. She is extra sensitive to dust, debri, and fine dirt so I just stopped mixing it in with them. On a side note it irritates my lungs too when it's stirred up.

Thank you for the tip. I’ve used DE in small amounts with all of my chickens, but am reconsidering since Rose is obviously being irritated by something. Husband bought bedding: gone! DE in coup: gone!

 

[Chickenlover0810]

I haven't had any trouble with DE