Possible respiratory infection in new chicken?

[chagel]

This is my first year with chickens. I picked up a 2 or 3 year old BCM from a gentleman today and when I was I was unloading her from the car she was breathing funky- sounded like Darth Vader. So I isolated her inside and started her on electrolytes. She is eating and drinking fine, her crop isn’t squishy. When I went back to check on her later in the day she wasn’t breathing heavy? But when I went to handle her later on to apply Vet Rx she started breathing heavy again but stopped while I was holding her? Is she sick? The guy I got her from said she might be making that noise due to stress? This would be my first experience with a potentially sick chicken so unsure of how to proceed.

 

[chagel]

Here is a video of the noise she makes

https://imgur.com/a/Zb64A1m

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi, and welcome to BYC!

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I had to think back to what Darth Vader sounded like as it's been decades but I think I got it. That's not good, but if you're not hearing any chest rattling or seeing any bubbles in the eyes or snot on her nostrils, and she's not coughing or sneezing, maybe he's right. If she's had electrolytes for a few hours, I'd stop those and switch to plain water for a while. If you have any poultry vitamins, I'd give some of that in her water tomorrow. We use Poultry Cell or Nutri-Drench for ours when needed.

Maybe just give her a day to settle down and see if she either presents with any further symptoms or stops doing that altogether.

I'd keep her quarantined for a couple of weeks from your other birds though.

 

[Debbie292d]

Here is a video of the noise she makes

https://imgur.com/a/Zb64A1m

Now I can see the video. That is really a strange noise. She might be talking. Can you hear any rattling in her chest?

I'd feed her straight feed, some vitamins, and nothing else different for a day just so you can see how her crop responds.

 

[nuthatched]

I would take her straight back then sanitize your car.
It could be just stress or strider (debris in the airway) but there's a also a sizable chance it's any of the incurable lovely respiratory viruses that chickens can get.

If you want to keep her, make sure she's completely quarantined from your birds for at least a month.
They can't even breathe the same air.

 

[chagel]

I would take her straight back then sanitize your car.
It could be just stress or strider (debris in the airway) but there's a also a sizable chance it's any of the incurable lovely respiratory viruses that chickens can get.

If you want to keep her, make sure she's completely quarantined from your birds for at least a month.
They can't even breathe the same air.

She was in the pen with 2 other chickens that sound completely fine.

 

[Eggcessive]

The sounds that she is making is rales (crackles) where mucus or moisture is in the airway. Do you see any watery or bubbly eye on either side or swelling around the eye or face? Have you contacted who you got the bird from? Sometimes the stress of moving can bring on respiratory symptoms. Keep the birds in quarantine for at least a month to look for other symptoms. If you can return them, that would be best. I honestly won’t ever bring birds home from another person or breeder. Healthy chicks from the feedstore or a hatchery is the best way to get healthy chickens. There are at least 8 respiratory diseases in chickens, and sometimes people will not be honest if they have seen a disease in their flock. Most diseases are chronic, contagious to your healthy birds, and can make carriers of your whole flock.