Possible Respiratory Illness?

[chickiebb]

Hello,

I have six speckled Sussex hens that range from 4 - 4 1/2 years old. They’ve always been healthy from the day I got them as chicks. Went outside Saturday morning to check on them and noticed one with what looked like black discharge from her nostrils. I picked her up to examine her and I could hear almost like an echo from her chest like a cold. I have since separated her from the remainder of the flock. I’ve cleaned her nostrils and since doing that there has not been any new discharge. I have been dosing with Buckley’s 2 drops a day. They are all acting normal. Eating, drinking, scratching. Poops look normal. One other hen has the slightest bit of chest noise when I pick her up and hold her. I disinfect the waterer everyday. We don’t have any vets locally that look at poultry, and from what I understand her in ON, Canada we can not get antibiotics. Is this a disease? I have new chicks I am picking up on Saturday and from what I’ve read I’m worried this is no longer a good idea if it’s contagious and/or if my og flock will be carriers. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How much ventilation is in your coop?

Do you hear the echo when you aren't holding her? Could it be you are pressing on her crop?
Could the black in the nostrils have just been dirt?
Have you had an issues with respiratory illness before?

I would make sure their crops are emptying overnight and they have good ventilation in their coop.
Not sure if giving her cough medication is a good idea or not.

 

[chickiebb]

How much ventilation is in your coop?

Do you hear the echo when you aren't holding her? Could it be you are pressing on her crop?
Could the black in the nostrils have just been dirt?
Have you had an issues with respiratory illness before?

I would make sure their crops are emptying overnight and they have good ventilation in their coop.
Not sure if giving her cough medication is a good idea or not.

I believe I have a good amount of ventilation. I have one side with a vent that is always open on the top and above their heads when they roost to prevent draft and on the other side is their door into the run that stays open 24/7 and that is below them when they roost. During the day I have the large access door propped open with a screen door to allow air to go through but prevent predators to get in which I would say is about 4’ x 3’ of an opening. We’ve recently had quite a cold spell (-20 Celsius) and I have used their heater a few times at night just to keep the chill off, but still keep the door to the run open and their side vent. Big access door is closed at night.

Her crop is empty in the morning, again no discharge or sneezing/coughing. Eating and drinking and poops normal. When she talks I can hear air inhaling and exhaling kind of like a deflating balloon? It’s hard to explain... I checked inside her mouth and throat I don’t see any anything out of the norm.

I have not had any respiratory issues or illnesses before, they’ve always been healthy birds.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you check all over her body to make sure that's there's no air bubble under the skin?
Chickens have 9 air sacs (like bellows), I would wonder if she may have a ruptured air sac.

 

[chickiebb]

Can you check all over her body to make sure that's there's no air bubble under the skin?
Chickens have 9 air sacs (like bellows), I would wonder if she may have a ruptured air sac.
View attachment 2511458

Thank you so much for all your help! I went out to check and tried my best to feel all over her skin, did not feel an air bubble. But that is exactly what it sounds like a bellow with a hole in it. Oh dear, if this is it what happens? Is there anything I can do?

I again watched all the other hens and looked them over. No clear signs of anything abnormal. Eyes are good, nostrils clear. Eating and drinking.

 

[chickiebb]

Can you check all over her body to make sure that's there's no air bubble under the skin?
Chickens have 9 air sacs (like bellows), I would wonder if she may have a ruptured air sac.
View attachment 2511458

Thank you so much for all your help! I went out to check and tried my best to feel all over her skin, did not feel an air bubble. But that is exactly what it sounds like a bellow with a hole in it. Oh dear, if this is it what happens? Is there anything I can do?

I again watched all the other hens and looked them over. No clear signs of anything abnormal. Eyes are good, nostrils clear. Eating and drinking.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for all your help! I went out to check and tried my best to feel all over her skin, did not feel an air bubble. But that is exactly what it sounds like a bellow with a hole in it. Oh dear, if this is it what happens? Is there anything I can do?

I again watched all the other hens and looked them over. No clear signs of anything abnormal. Eyes are good, nostrils clear. Eating and drinking.

You could try an antibiotic like Tylosin to see if that helps her. You are in Canada so you would probably need to seek out a vet for a script.

 

[chickiebb]

You could try an antibiotic like Tylosin to see if that helps her. You are in Canada so you would probably need to seek out a vet for a script.

Okay, thank you so much!

 

[Myrshine]

Aspergillosis (mold) can cause symptoms like that as well. Is the run or where they hang out, constantly wet? What about their coop, has it been cleaned recently?

 

[chickiebb]

Aspergillosis (mold) can cause symptoms like that as well. Is the run or where they hang out, constantly wet? What about their coop, has it been cleaned recently?

They actually have what I consider a pretty dry environment; their run has a roof on it to keep rain and snow out as much as possible. We are now well into winter so everything is snow covered and frozen but the girls are still able to dust bathe in part of the run as the dirt never got wet and frozen. Their coop I clean out once a week. It is also dry, the only thing that makes it wet now is I swapped out my ordinary heated waterer for a heated nipple waterer about 3 weeks ago to keep the water from getting so dirty so quickly from their beaks or shavings getting flung into it and since doing that when the girls use the nipples it drips and then freezes on the stones I have below it. I’m going to be chipping them off tomorrow when I clean the coop. I don’t think that could be it though? I don’t see any mold in the coop either