HELP! Chicken Making Weird Noises and Struggling to Breath!

[ChattyChickens4Life]

I️ went out to check on my chickens this morning, and I️ heard something very strange. 2 if my chickens were sounding verbally strange. One of them (our most chatty) was trying to chirp but it came out like something was keeping her from making a noise. It was like she was being strangled but could still breath. She also made occasional sounds that sounded like a goose. Our other one was sounding like a barking dog. A few others were sneezing, but none were making this weird sounds. It’s getting very cold outside ( freezing at night) so I’m wondering if it’s respiratory. Is gape worm a possibility? If so, how would I️ treat this?? I️ love these chickens, and i don’t want to lose them. Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks so much!

 

[biophiliac]

@rebrascora ?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi.

Could you get some video footage with sound. It's really difficult to diagnose from a description of sounds and it could be anything from respiratory infection, gape worm (unlikely as it's not nearly as common as people think) to having a rogue adolescent cockerel in an order of sexed pullets, learning to crow.

Video footage needs to be downloaded to You Tube or Vimeo and a link to it posted here on the thread.

 

[Sara Ranch]

When my chickens get raspy (sound like they got a loogie in their throat) I apply Vicks Vapor Rub (store bought & now home made) on their chests, the back of their necks, and around their nostrils. A little goes a long way.

The stuff clears them right up, most of the time. Sometimes I need to apply for a few days. And the home made stuff is safe for the chickens to eat, if they ingest any while grooming.

Add vitamins (like Nutri Drench) to the water.

Add a little extra protein to the food.

Ventilate their space. Clean it daily!

Check for mites/lice. If the chicken is not doing well, sometimes mites/lice move in or are already there making things tougher for the chicken.

Is there any moisture or fogging on the windows or anywhere else in the coop?

What do you use on the floor of the coop? Sand? Deep litter? Hay?

Google gape worm. You will be able to see what it looks like and how to tell for sure if your chicken has it. Usually, the chicken is struggling to breath as well as being quiet/sounding distorted.

Someone else may come along and post links to previous BYC threads about gape worm.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

As always, a video of what you hear is helpful.

You mention it's getting cold - how much ventilation do you have in the coop?
How old are they?

How often is the sneezing? An occasional sneeze during/after eating, stirring up bedding, etc. is fairly normal, chickens clear their nostril of dust, dirt and feed.
If you have your coop completely closed/sealed up because it's cold, then that can be a problem as well.

As for the voices, without hear them - it's hard to know. If your girls are young, it could be they are getting their "adult" voices. They can sound a bit wonky during this time, sort of like a teenage boy's transitioning squeaky voice.

 

[Eggcessive]

When weather changes to cold, that can sometimes bring out symptoms of a respiratory disease. Many are caused by viruses causing sneezing, snicking, or some clear nasal drainage. Bacterial ones such as MG can look the same or cause eye bubbles, more congestion, or swelling around the eyes. Make sure they have good air circulation, prevent any ammonia odors by stirring and applying fresh bedding, and if one seems weak or chilled, keep them warm by bringing inside in a dog crate with food and water, or by adding some heat. Antibiotics such as Tylan 50 injectable can be given orally to one that is very ill. Dosage is 1 ml for a 5 pound chicken twice a day for 5 days. Your vet may be able to sell you some Tylan oral powder or Oxytetracycline to add to their water. If it is a virus, such as infectious bronchitis, it will not respond to antibiotics. Here is a good reference to read about the diseases such as infectious bronchitis, MG, coryz, ILT, and aspergillosis: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

Thank you all for your advice! Let me try to answer your questions:

Our coop has plenty of ventilation. It has about 5 windows covered in hardware cloth.

We use sand in our coop. We don't use the deep litter method.

Our chickens are 17 weeks and 3 days old.

There is no fogging/moisture in the coop.

The sneezes are few and far apart. I don't think it is a problem, but I wanted to include it just in case.

We took the barking one to the vet and told the vet about the other ones. She believes it may be ammonia and a cold or just ammonia. We got antibiotics for the chickens, and I am going right after I post this to put brand new sand in the coop. We may switch our bedding so there is less ammonia. Thank you all for your help! I appreciate this so much and I honestly can't express how glad I am that I found this site. BYC has helped me so much. Thank you all again!

 

[Sara Ranch]

I use sand in my animal houses. During the cold weather, I have rake the sand to make sure it doesn't get damp and stay damp.

The chickens don't seem to do much scratch of the sand unless I am in there (when it's cold.)

You shouldn't have to change the floor. Maybe add more sand.

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

I use sand in my animal houses. During the cold weather, I have rake the sand to make sure it doesn't get damp and stay damp.

The chickens don't seem to do much scratch of the sand unless I am in there (when it's cold.)

You shouldn't have to change the floor. Maybe add more sand.

We added more sand, and I do rake it to mix it up. We don't have a problem with dampness though. Thanks for the info!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Our coop has plenty of ventilation. It has about 5 windows covered in hardware cloth....We took the barking one to the vet...She believes it may be ammonia and a cold or just ammonia...We may switch our bedding so there is less ammonia.

That's great that you have 5 windows - are they closed since it's wintertime or do you have them opened up all the time?
If the vet suspects the cause of her barking is from ammonia, you don't have enough air flow in your coop to remove that from the overnight droppings. No dampness does not mean there are no ammonia fumes.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/c...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

Putting your location in your profile also helps, it gives us a general idea of what part of the world you live in.

I'm glad you were able to seek vet care, what type of antibiotics did she give you?