Congestion

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Mountaineer

Mountaineer

Chirping
5 Years
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I have a small flock of 8 chickens. One of them is a brown Leghorn about 7 months old. She sounds like she needs to blow her nose. Occasionally she will shake her head and I hear the same sound. It does not sound like it's deep in her chest but more in her head. She is a daily layer and eats well. She is energetic and shows no symptoms of being ill. My other chickens are a white Leghorn and a Brahma and both are regular layers about the same age. I also have 2 red sex links, an Easter egger, a Wyandotte, and a black Australorp that have not started laying yet. I keep them in a run about 8' x 15' and they roost in a coop that is 8' x 4'. I let them out for the last two hours of daylight to free range in my backyard. I have their run and the floor of their coop covered in river sand and clean both daily. I have not used any herbicides or disinfectants. I have had them for about a month. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Rule of thumb is 4-5 sq.feet per bird, excluding roosts and nest boxes. you have the minimum space for 8 chickens. If they are large breeds they would need more.

Do you have good ventilation in the coop ? All the dander that chickens produce may be causing her congestion. Maybe she is just more sensitive than the others.

It would still be a good idea to post on the E?R site just in case they can come up with some other reasons. I hope she will be fine.
 
Hi and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. I hope that the ER peeps have given you some advice by now.

Best wishes
CT
 
I built the coop with 8 chickens in mind and used 4 sq ft as the minimum required. My nest boxes are extended outside the coop and the roosts are one 2x4 8' long and another 4' long. Usually 4 or 5 of them gather on the short roost and the other 3 or 4 on the long one so being crowded doesn't appear to be a problem. The coop is well ventilated with screen windows on the east and north side and screen for the roof until winter time. The coop is underneath a carport so it stays dry. They seem quite content. Thank you for replying.
 

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