Please...Listen To Your Chicks?

[clkingtx]

Hello,

This is going to sound kind of strange, but I am going to ask something of all of you, then I will explain why. Please take one(or more) of your chicks, and hold it up to your ear, and listen to it breathe, and let me know what you hear.

The reason I am asking this, is I have noticed some "crackling" sounds in the breathing of my chicks. When they breathe in, is when I hear it. Just tiny little crackling, popping sounds. This is the only thing I am noticing. They are all eating, drinking, and pooping normally. They are all scratching around in the bedding, acting just fine. I am worried enough that I went ahead and started them on antibiotics. In humans I know crackling usually indicates a respiratory disease, so I assume it is the same in birds, but I am hoping that it is something not serious, just something weird that happens in chicks.

So, anyone else's chicks cracklling?

Thanks a lot,
Carrie

 

[MuranoFarms]

Awwww, darn. Mine just fell asleep after the great grape chase! lol I was snuggling Zippy earlier and didn't hear anything odd though. He's about 2 months old.
Hope that helps....if not, it's a bump

 

[tnchickenut]

I never stopped to notice. Here is a bump while I go see... mine are about three weeks old.

 

[tnchickenut]

Nope. No crackling or any noise while they breathe.


Get some "VetRX" and follow the directions for adding in their water. It cleared up some crackling and weezing in a bantam I got off another person. Good stuff to have around anyways. (it will be a little brown bottle with a white cap - ask your feed store)

 

[SilverPhoenix]

I don't know if this is the case with your chicks necessarily, but crackling in the lungs of birds can mean the bird has aspirated some water and has fluid in their lungs, or has a respiratory disease. I think it was a good decision to put them on antibiotics, that's what we usually do with birds that come in to my wildlife rehab group and have crackling in their lungs. Good for you, listening to their lungs and being attentive! Good luck with your babies--I hope they thrive.

 

[felidaet]

What are you using for bedding? Hopefully it is not cedar shavings. If it is, replace them immediately with pine shavings.

 

[clkingtx]

Thanks so much for responding, I knew I could count on BYC'ers!

tnchickenut- I will try to find some VetRx tomorrow, do you know if you can mix it with antibiotics? Or administer it separately, but during the treatment with antibiotics? That does sound like good stuff to have around.

MuranoFarms- thanks for checking, glad your birds are ok

SilverPhoenix- good to know at least I wasn't far off with going ahead with the antibiotic. I know with people(I am a nurse), if I heard those kinds of lung sounds, I would be calling the dr for an antibiotic, so it seemed the right thing to do!

Thanks again,

Carrie

ETA- felidaet - I am not using cedar shavings, it is a pine mix from Atwoods, it smells faintly of pine when you first take it out of the bag. The smell dissipates quickly. Thanks!