Newbie...Possible Respiratory Problems

[srhunnie]

Threehorses & purple chicken I cannot say thanks enough

Hopefully this will answer some of your questiosn:

Chick feed came from the Urban Farm Store here in Portland as well as the chicks.

The feed is called chick starter and consists of

Amprolium .0125%
Ethopabate .0004%

Crude protien 18%
Lysine .7%
Methionine .25%
Crude fat 3%
Crude fiber 6%
Calcium (min.) .8%
Calcium (max.) 1%
Phosphorus .65%
Salt (min.) .4%
Salt (max.) .6%

Should I be using a different feed at this point? What exactly is BMD?

I use cedar shaving as bedding. I thought I could use the DLM but the coop isn't deep enough or have earthen floors, so I probably went longer than I should with cleaning out the coop. I am hoping it is as simple as that. Attached are pictures of the coop. They do free range once I am home from work and on the weekends. We have plans to build a secure run, it just hasn't happened yet. So for now we rotate keeping the dog, cat, and chickens outdoors. It has not been rainy here and the coop smells normal. Although I am not 100% what normal is supposed to smell like. I assume just not bad.

She is currently in a dog crate in our closet (to keep her separated from the dog and cat) and doesn't appear to have droopy eyes, any mucus coming from the vent. She does have a little dirt speckles in there, but nothing that should inhibit her breathing. I can't here her wheezing. Everything seems very normal except for the sneezing and panting. Which she was still panting over an hour after bringing her into the house. We do not have central AC here but it is not hot in our house. We do have an AC window unit in our bedroom which feeds to the closet. Also I directed a fan in the closet not to provide direct air but additional ventilation in the closet where there is a window. Maybe she is just stressed from being moved and separated...I don't know.

I will hit the feed store tomorrow. I think a good night rest will do her well. And I will give her a thorough check in the morning. I am keeping my fingers crossed thart this is just an environmental adjustment.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonsusu/sets/72157618964518107/

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
I just try to hold their hands until you show up.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
CEDAR IS TOXIC TO CHICKENS!!! I'm so glad you just mentioned that. I'm not sure of the exact symptoms but I know it's very bad for your birds. Get them on pine FAST.


Now back to reading the rest of your response

 

[threehorses]

Pshhh Purple, don't be silly.

You're way too humble!!

WOW check out that coop! That's magnificent. Sorry - I should be on subject here but that's just one beautifully designed coop. Complete with green roof!

Well the feed is well designed. You could move up to a 'grower' if they have one. 6 weeks til at least 16 weeks is the usual age for a 'grower' unless your feed is labeled as a starter-grower or it says to use through growing (which apparently some do). The feed design itself is great, though I admit that Ethopabate is a new term to me but apparently another coccidiostat. BMD is bacitracin, an antibiotic, and thankfully your feed doesn't have it so no worries there. I didn't think many sold in feedstores to individuals still did, but apparently I was wrong so I always ask.

The one thing I see is the cedar. Yep, that's a rough one on avian respiratory systems because it's highly aromatic with its oils. It's actually even toxic to chickens. So I'd replace it with an aspen or pine. Pine can be rough too, but I buy the pet or horse type shavings (not sawdust) which are usually kiln-dried so they're not as oily nor as fragrant. To cut dust, you can throw them in a big cardboard box and stir around a bit - the dust falls down, and I take the shavings off of the top. Just stirring them around in the coop slowly makes the dust fall, too. Just have your birds in the run while you do it.

I'd say the combination of cedar and possibly a little extra ammonia (as cedar is less absorbant, because of its oils, than pines etc) could well be the cause and probably changing out the shavings might be the only needed change. I'd do that and watch carefully for a week for any other issues. Let us know either way how things go, please?

Again beautiful coop right down to the accent colors. Very neat! HOw does the garden work out for you so far up there?

 

[srhunnie]

Geez you guys, I am learning so much by writing all this stuff down wrong. Sorry I thought it was cedar shavings but I went back out to check the bag again this morning and it is pine. Phew! Sorry for causing alarm. Nonetheless I am still learning so much from you guys.

It could possibly be too dusty or dry though. Could I mist the shavings with a little water?

Also, today has been extremely warm for the area and I did notice a couple of the others panting. It is also supposed to get hotter here the next few days. Is there any way to encourage them to hydrate more?

I still have the Mottled Houdan separated and she has sneezed some. And seems to be ok nothing really different from yesterday.

Thanks for the comments about the coop! Now the babies just need to lay golden eggs for a few years so we earn our investment back

 

[PurpleChicken]

Don't spray with water as it may increase mold or pathogen growth.

Panting is normal since chickens don't sweat.

I'm not sure how you can get them to drink more. I know some people add ice to their water. I've just always used a good ventilation fan in the barn and I had an old box fan I would run facing the run on hot days. A few would hang out in front of it.

At this point lets just wait and see what happens over the next few days.

 

[Billy7871]

Quote:
Hey Threehorses tell me why you asked about the breast bone and what a Y, V, and U shape breast bone means.
Thanks

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Hey Threehorses tell me why you asked about the breast bone and what a Y, V, and U shape breast bone means.
Thanks

I'm trying to get you to evaluate their weight. Y shaped keel (breast) bones that feel sharp like a spatula mean the bird is emaciated. V shaped (you can feel the bone but there's meat on both sides) is more normal for a non-broiler. U shaped (the keel bone is in a lot of meat) is too fat for non-broilers and could indicate other issues.

In other words if her keel bone sticks out of her meat like the bottom of the Y sticks out, then she's too thin. V is about right, U is too fat because the keel doesn't stick out at all.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Find some OXINE and mist regularly with that (K. Theodore has an excellent article on it... I use VIRKONS but I understand it is difficult to find in smaller quantities in the USA) > that will also bring the dust level down (and will not be so damp as to cause the problems that PC was warning about)
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

 

[srhunnie]

So my Mottled Houdan is still sneezing, but she is normal otherwise. I did notice something today and I am not sure if this is normal chicken anatomy or breed specific, but when I looked at her nostrils they seem to be open. By open I mean that after looking at the other breeds (Welsummer and RIR) I noticed that they have a hard little lip/covering over the open part of their nostrils. I tried to find up close pictures to see if this is breed specific, but haven't been able to find anything really helpful. I assume this is normal, can anyone confirm?

If it is normal could it make her more susceptible to sneezing because the actual open space is more exposed than the other breeds? Seems like it would be easier for her to get dust, particulates, dirt inside that may cause her to sneeze.

And finally I am so glad that you guys mentioned cedar. Do any of you have any experience with using cedar chips/mulch in your garden with the chickens free ranging? Is this something that you would advise against?

Thanks