Freaking out a little - chick with minor breathing "rattle"

[hellotrixie]

Hi everyone,

Last Sunday I drove out to a local farm that is NPIP/AI. The lady sells hatching eggs, chicks, started pullets, and breeding birds. I purchased four 6 week old Novogen Brown chicks from her. She did not hatch them - they came from an NPIP hatchery.

I have them in quarantine in my garage. We've been careful not to cross-contaminate with my existing flock. The new chicks are on pine shavings and are eating crushed up Nutrena All Flock pellets. They do not have a light/heat source as she had already weaned them from one. It has been wet/rainy and unseasonably cool (60s) here all week.

This morning I was picking them up and checking for pasty butt etc. when I noticed that one of them occasionally rattles a bit when she is breathing, but she has no other symptoms and is eating/drinking. None of the other three have a rattle/other symptoms. All butts and poops look good.

I'm wondering what my next steps should be? Put electrolytes/probiotics or ACV in the water? I also have Nutridrench. I'm not sure the chicks were on shavings before but I've messaged her to ask. I'm also wondering if I could have accidentally made her aspirate water when I dipped her beak on Sunday? I thought I was super careful but I could have made a mistake.

Any thoughts are welcomed.

Thanks!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Usually dipping the beak for half a second to get them to drink is the safest way to give them water. I would continue to listen for crackles and watch for any nasal or eye drainage, eye bubbles, sneezing more that on occasion, head shaking, lethargy, or swelling around the eyes. Fresh air circulation, preventing water spills, and keeping bedding clean are the best for them. It is always a risk getting chickens from someone else, no matter if they are NPIP or not. If you see increased symptoms, seek testing from your state poultry lab. If you lose one, get a necropsy.

 

[hellotrixie]

Usually dipping the beak for half a second to get them to drink is the safest way to give them water.

This is the method I use, but I was wondering if I goofed and dipped her nostrils. I don't think so, but she's tiny and I'm never perfect.

Fresh air circulation, preventing water spills, and keeping bedding clean are the best for them.

We have our garage door open during daylight hours, with a fan. They are on clean shavings and have an waterer with a drinker cup, so it is mostly spill proof. All good check points, thank you!

It is always a risk getting chickens from someone else, no matter if they are NPIP or not.

Agreed! I definitely considered that, which is why I decided to quarantine as best as I can.

If you see increased symptoms, seek testing from your state poultry lab. If you lose one, get a necropsy.

I recently got a necropsy on another bird so I know the process for that. I will look into the testing. Thanks for those suggestions!

 

[Eggcessive]

Make sure the nostrils are clear, and hopefully, she is just having some environmental reaction to bedding or dust in feed.

 

[hellotrixie]

The lady I got them from is telling me to put ACV in their water. I do that with my older girls...is it ok for chicks this age?

I also have on hand Sav-a-Chick electrolytes and probiotics, and Nutridrench.

She also told me they've never been on shavings before, just in a wire bottom brooder. Do you think the shavings would be irritating the chicks?

 

[hellotrixie]

Also, sorry for all the questions but...

I'm reading through other posts about respiratory issues and it is pretty scary. Should I be thinking of culling this chick? Or possible all 4 of them? I'm worried about some of the stuff I'm reading that says that birds with respiratory diseases can be permanent carriers? If so, i certainly don't want to introduce that to the rest of my flock.

I emailed an avian vet in my area to see if they can help me collect samples to test for infectious disease.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can try the ACV in the water, it won’t hurt them. It is not a cure. Don’t panic. I would not rush and do anything. It may just be the dust in the pine shavings. You have them quarantined. If you should lose or cull the chick, call the state vet to send her in for a necropsy and testing. She might just be a weak chick, or she might be sick. That way you can find an answer or find out she didn’t have a disease. You might have just as good of luck and doing it less expensively getting testing through the state poultry lab. Here is a link of the state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[hellotrixie]

Ok, so this is a little weird, but yesterday I picked all the chicks up twice (morning and afternoon) and examined them carefully. I did not see any "symptoms" in any of them, and I did not hear any crackles when I listened to them breathe.

This morning during their exam, one chick had a crackle. I'm not sure if it was the same one - they all look so similar I am having some trouble telling them apart. So, this time I marked the crackler with a little food coloring. Eyes and nostrils are all still clear. Butts and poops are good.

Is it common for a crackle to be intermittent with a respiratory illness? They were eating greedily right before their exam this morning...is it possible I have one that is aspirating food? Trying to be really watchful and stay on top of this.

I gave them some nutridrech in their water yesterday, and today I'm giving fresh water with electrolytes. They are all eating and drinking.

I ordered some AmTyl to have on hand just in case. I'm also trying to get some VetRx, but my Tractor Supply is out and I live in a pretty urban area so we don't have a lot of farm store options. I've ordered some on Amazon because I think that is the fastest way I can get it. I also texted my neighbor who keeps chickens to see if she has any on hand I can use.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

I have a little girl who has been breathing heavy for the past couple days. I noted it yesterday afternoon. I was giving her water with a dropper. Dropping just a tiny bit on the side of her beak so she could take it. I put acv and some garlic in the water. And i put some dill, basil, cinnamon and garlic in her feed. Seems to be a little.more energetic today. Today I treated with corid and a probiotic in the water. Treating the whole brooder with it. I didnt see her going for the water so I did the dropper again and she took it well. Will probably do this a couple more times.