Ill chick!!! advice needed.

[Crazy Chicken Lady381]

hi everyone.

I have a 4 week old chick who is living outside during the sunny days and he has caught a cold of some form. He has a runny nose and the discharge hardens so he can't breathe through his nose about twice a day. As a result he is bobbing his head up and down to try and gasp for air. I am cleaning away the discharge from his nose but it seems to not have an effect and he is still breathing through his mouth. He is very lethargic and smaller than the rest of his siblings all of which are the same age. He seems to be eating and drinking fine. I have put ACV in his water in an attempt to help him but it doesn't seem to have an effect.

Any help in getting him to recover would be amazing as this tiny chick is starting to infect the rest of his siblings. but the fully grown chickens aren't affected.

 

[Mvan42]

I would separate it from the others until someone suggests something. Try a dropper with electrolytes for a start. Maybe a vitamin drench

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Where are you located, generally? What are the daytime temperatures? A 4 week old chick should have 75 degree F temperatures. Did you hatch this chick or get it from somewhere? Do you have older chickens? Have you ever seen any chickens with a respiratory infection, sneezing, crackles, or a leaky eye? The chick may have been exposed to a respiratory disease. Clean it’s nostrils with saline to keep them clean. Peroxide (just a drop on a QTip) may be needed if the nostril is completely blocked. It may need a little extra heat while it is suffering from a respiratory issue. Tylan can help if it is a MG infection, but if it is a virus, it may have to run it’s course over time. Offer water often, and some wet chick feed.

 

[Crazy Chicken Lady381]

Yes he is getting his 23/75 degrees, I am UK based. I have hatched this chick from my own healthy hens. all of our chickens are below the 2 years old most are just coming into moult and he is the first chicken to get ill to our knowledge. But I have noticed that all of our chickens are sneezing, but it is quite dusty where the big chickens go. The chick never goes anywhere very dusty.
Thank you for the tip on how to properly clean his nose. I will try the recommended medication. He is a pekin bantam.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sneezing with clear nasal drainage, often can be a sign of infectious bronchitis. My flock got it from wild migrating birds years ago, and each sick bird sneezed every few minutes at the worst. It is the most common virus in chickens, and it last around a month. Most grown chickens handle it okay, but it can be hard on a chick or youngster. They are carriers for at least 5 months after recovery, and it tends to spend through most of the flock. If you see wrinkled egg shells in any layers, that is usually the cause.

 

[Crazy Chicken Lady381]

that makes sense now. Yes he does have clear nasal drainage and we have wondered about the wrinkled eggs, are they safe to eat? He is sneezing about every 30 seconds. Is it likely to be fatal for him.

 

[Eggcessive]

IB can sometimes affect the kidneys or reproductive tract in chickens. I would just make sure that he is getting plenty of fluid. Keeping eyes and nostrils clean. Sometimes an antibiotic from the vet (tylosin, oxytetracycline) for a few days may help to prevent a secondary infection. Hopefully, he will get over it without any complications. Here are a couple of articles about IB:
https://articles.extension.org/pages/68129/infectious-bronchitis-in-poultry

http://www.poultryhub.org/health/disease/types-of-disease/infectious-bronchitis/

 

[Crazy Chicken Lady381]

Thank you so much for your help. His nose is already no longer creating a much discharge so he should be healthy soon. Hopefully the rest of the flock aren't hit as hard as he was, considering they all have vitamins in their water. I haven't noticed a lack of appetite in any other chickens if anything an increase in consumption so hopefully we should be all clear by mid September.