Hen making a strange noise!

[Canine and Co]

One of my hens has started to make a strange noise! It sounds involuntary, loud and frequent. It seems to be more than a sneeze I think! She is well otherwise, eating, laying, wandering around normally etc. I recently wormed the girls just in case (as I wondered if it was her breathing or maybe she had worms in her throat etc). She is still making the noise. She is about 3 years old and this noise is recent. I've sprayed their perches/nest boxes with Virenza. The house is probably always dusty as I sprinkle multi mite (Diatomaceous Earth) powder regularly. I can try and video her in the morning if that would help. Many thanks in anticipation.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sneezing can be very loud. Here is a video of sneezing:

Stridor is another sound they can make. Does it sound anything like the chicken in this video with stridor?

 

[Canine and Co]

Do you know I think it does sound a bit like the hen in the first video - sneezing! I'll video her today and upload it. Thank you for any help received. x

 

[maralpz2006]

I have one hen about 3 years old i think she is doing the same thing, and she is laying too

 

[Eggcessive]

Sneezing can be from nasal irritation from dust, mold, or other irritants. If the same hen sneezes every few minutes, and she is not eating, then it is possible that she has a respiratory disease called infectious bronchitis virus. There are other diseases as well, but IB causes a lot of sneezing, and spreads through the flock. Having good overhead air circulation from end to end of the coop with a lot of windows, preventing water spills, and keeping bedding dry and clean, is good in disease prevention.

 

[Canine and Co]

She does sneeze every few minutes (it's when she makes the involuntary noise when sneezing that worries me more), but she is eating and wandering around as normal - one of the top hens. I am not certain whether one of my other hens started today - but that could have been a figment of my imagination. Their coop is a converted shed, so plenty of head room, air circulation, windows and clean dry bedding. I clean up after the hens every day.
I'm trying to upload a couple of short videos from today.

 

[Eggcessive]

Infectious bronchitis or another repiratory would have to be confirmed with testing, but it sounds like it could be that. A few years ago, I believe that my flock had it, and probably got it from wild birds. Probably a third of my flock were sneezing, so I separated them to my garden where they lived together in a small coop. They were back to normal within a month, and went back to the flock. But IB makes survivors carriers for 5 months up to a year after they recover. Slowly I saw other chickens affected by it. New chicks got it the next spring, so I decided not to add or hatch any chickens for a year. Then it stopped being passed on. There is no treatment for IB which is caused by a corona virus. It can be complicated by secondary infections or other diseases, so if any should get especially ill, you can try to get an antibiotic for them. Wrinkled egg shells or other egg shell problems can be common with IB.

 

[Canine and Co]

See if you can watch it via You Tube on the above link! Hope so.

 

[Canine and Co]

It is the White Hen!

 

[Canine and Co]

I recently introduced three new point of lay hens and adopted a cockerel (after I lost my own last year). Would you separate the white hen in the meantime? She has had some antibiotics (finished them about 10 days ago -- they were left over antibiotics and I thought I'd give as a precaution). 10 days later she is the same - still sneezing/coughing. We do have to keep control of vermin ie rats and there are quite a lot of wild pheasants in the area. I gather if it is IB there is no cure, her eggs are perfect at the moment, my biggest concern is my new point of lay hens catching it! I've disinfected their perches/nest boxes and put clean bedding down. Thanks for your help.