Chicks Making Popping Noise

[silkie1472]

I recently ordered some Cochin bantams from Ideal Poultry. All were healthy upon arrival, but now that they are about 1 1/2 weeks old, I noticed some of them are sneezing a little and making a popping noise only noticeable when handling them. Could it be due to brooder irritants or something more serious? Only some of them are doing it.

Also, I’ve added apple cider vinegar to their water and let them peck at some gro-gel plus B for a couple days.

 

[paneubert]

Sounds like a respiratory infection. Make sure you are monitoring them closely. Do they seem to be lethargic or weak?

 

[silkie1472]

No, they are still very active. They are constantly running, flapping, and fighting with each other. I added a heat lam to one side of their brooder, so now they can go to either the heat lamp or the ecoglow brooder. After adding the lamp, they seemed to like it better and there was not so much sneezing. A couple still make the noise a little bit, but it almost seems like it’s something that goes on under the brooder. This isn’t the first time this has happened.

 

[Kiki]

What type of bedding do you use?

 

[silkie1472]

I started out with aspen bedding, but it was a little small, so I used small flake pine shavings. They were way too dusty, so then I switched to large pine shavings. They seem to work the best and the chicks seem to be doing a little better as well.

 

[Kiki]

I started out with aspen bedding, but it was a little small, so I used small flake pine shavings. They were way too dusty, so then I switched to large pine shavings. They seem to work the best and the chicks seem to be doing a little better as well.

I was thinking the dust was the problem.

 

[silkie1472]

It’s still a little bit of a problem, but once they’re bigger it doesn’t bother me as much. Their windpipe opens and closes, so any moisture on it will make a popping sound.

 

[silkie1472]

Another shipment that I had come in this week was of standard chicks. One of them has a popping noise, but it’s different. It’s makes the chick’s whole body pop. This kind of sounds like trauma. She eats and drinks fine, though.

 

[Kiki]

Can you get this sound on video?
Upload the video to Youtube?

 

[silkie1472]

I really don’t think it would work and getting something to upload to YT where I live is a challenge itself.

It sounds like a little bit of respiratory distress, but really only when I hold him to clean his vent. The harder he breathes, the louder the pop. I can only notice it when I pick him up and he cheeps.