My chicken is cawing and having trouble breathing. Any ideas????

[Peppy Peep]

I haven't had such good luck with chickens this fall. I came home from my home fair and lost one about three weeks after fair. I heard her cawing like the noise crows make. After that she became weak with all the usual symptoms like wings dropped, layed around, couldn't walk far, and didn't have much balance and didn't eat. I gave all of them antibiotics for two weeks ( much to my dismay)Things leveled out or so I thought. I left for a vacation and while I was gone my uncle found my bantam rooster with swollen shut eyes. About a day and a half after he found that the bird died. Also while I was gone one bird I was told had a lump on her breast/crop/throat that swelled up to her head to wear she walked sideways. The lump went down and when I returned she was very weak. I have been home for two weeks and she died this morning. She was weak and had a appetite though. Her wings dropped and she didn't have much balance. One of my three year old birds now has the cawing sound and she is slightly raspy. I am asking for advice on what to do and what it is! My main concern now is to preserve the remainder of my flock

Thank You
Sincerely,
Chelsea

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Sounds like she might have a respiratory infection.

 

[Peppy Peep]

Thanks for the help!

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

It really sounds like Laryngotracheitis (LT). It affects the upper respiratory tract. It is a virus and highly contagious. There is no treatment for it, yet. Survivors are immune but still carriers. Don't introduce any new birds. The symptom of your bird "cawing" is a sign of LT. You could have picked the virus up at the fair. (Happens every once in a while.)

I am sorry that this is happening to you, it's best to cull the sick ones, disinfect the coop and leave it empty for 6 weeks then start over.