HELP!! MY BABY SILKIE IS SICK!

[Wendy V]

Can someone PLEASE help me with my baby Silkie???!!! She is about a month old and about 2 nights ago started what seems like gasping for air and is making a squeaking noise when breathing. She also has been sneezing a lot. Her sneezing if often and shoots her around her box. She is in her own box, away from our other chicks. She does not seem to be drinking on her own but have caught her picking up a few gains of food. I am giving her fluids with an eye dropper. She was not very active at all. I heard that grapefruit seed extract is a natural way of treating many infection so I gave her some of that along with vitamins and electrolytes. Nothing really seemed to change except for maybe her energy level. I then started giving her Duramycin-10 last night which was recommended by my local farm supply store. I know its been less than 24 hours, but I was hoping to see some improvement in her breathing today. But there is none. ( Am I just not waiting long enough or am I needing to give her something else? I am trying to avoid taking her to the vet as I have no idea where one would be that knows about chickens. And of course the expense of it is more than I can handle at this time. She is such a little fighter and I so desperately want to help her. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR ADVICE!!

 

[Chickenfan4life]

Well, she could have a respitory disease, such as black lung. Or it could be dust. What sort of bedding does she use? A dusty bedding can cause shortness of breath, and respitory problems. I don't have much advice, but I hope she gets better!

 

[Wendy V]

I used newspaper before she got sick, now she is on a couple of household towels to cushion her for her sneezing attacks. It just breaks my heart hearing and watching her!!

 

[Chickenfan4life]

Well, I saw some videos on youtube, and she may have pnemonia, or some other illness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdzzSu1TUOM

does she sound like that?