Chicken's wheezing sounds like she's growling

[Sharyno]

Einstein, my eight-month-old red sex-link hen, has a bizarre cough/sneeze that sounds like she's crowing. Her ruff sticks up and she keeps her beak open after she makes the sound. She appears to be eating and pooping normally. Her nostrils don't look congested, but her breathing reminds me of a dog growling. I haven't given her any medications yet. Any suggestions for what I should do next?

 

[Angelpoo]

You could try garlic. Garlic is a natural fugus fighter. Sometimes they just breath in some fugus and it gets in their lungs... garlic is also good to de-worm. could also be flem. you could try steaming her to get the fluids out. also this is "cold season" so chickens immune systems are going down all around the world. Around this time i always stalk up on electrolytes. You can buy them at your local pet store and put it in their water. Gives them a little boost. the warmer you keep her the better she will be. hope this helps.

Sincerely,
BeautifulJade

 

[Sharyno]

Thanks for the ideas! We've been turning on a heat lamp in the mornings and have closed some windows in the coop (no worries -- plenty of ventilation still). The girls can warm up if they want to. Einstein no longer sounds sickly. I appreciate your help. We have only eight months of experience raising chickens, and this has been our first brush with sickness.