Possible sick chick. Loud sneezing/congested breathing? Am I paranoid?

[Tatuana]

She's... Two? Weeks old now. I was giving her a treat and noticed two loud sneezes. They sounded fairly congested and not your usual sneeze. I picked her up and you can hear her breathing. Kind of like a stuffy nose. No boogers or anything, though. She's very active and healthy looking, and non of my other chicks seem sick. Should I be concerned about her being sick? What should I look out for? (Anything that typically causes it that I should try to avoid?) I'd rather be paranoid and end up with it being nothing than ignore it and end up with a suffering baby.

One of my chicks does have really runny poo, though I haven't figured out which yet. It could be be totally unrelated, or a completely different chick. I'd rather err on the side of caution in case it's important, though. (Narrowing down which baby it is tonight)

 

[Eggcessive]

Two sneezes would not be out of the ordinary. It might be dust or feed irritating her nostrils. If she sneezes often at other times, then it might be significant. Make sure there is good air circulation, prevent wet bedding from water spills which could cause mold.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

Runny poo may be a sign of coccidiosis. I'd administer Corid.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

I wouldn't say you were paranoid, just concerned. Keep your eye on the chicks to make sure it's not a respitory issue. To be on the safe side, I'd refresh their shavings and clean their feeder and water to keep it as clean and sanitary as possible.

 

[Tatuana]

Runny poo may be a sign of coccidiosis. I'd administer Corid. View attachment 1822123

I'll see if I can pick some of that up and pop it in. I HOPE it's just a sign of him being cold or something. Rather safe than sorry!

Two sneezes would not be out of the ordinary. It might be dust or feed irritating her nostrils. If she sneezes often at other times, then it might be significant. Make sure there is good air circulation, prevent wet bedding from water spills which could cause mold.

He/she was outside when it happened. It was a bit windy. Maybe that could be the trigger? I have an air purifier in their room next to their brooder due to dust. (I have SERIOUS allergies) It's far enough away not to bother them, but I'm hoping it helps with dust/mold/what have you. Considering how the filter looks when I change it every month, I think it works.

I wouldn't say you were paranoid, just concerned. Keep your eye on the chicks to make sure it's not a respitory issue. To be on the safe side, I'd refresh their shavings and clean their feeder and water to keep it as clean and sanitary as possible.

Done! I booted them outside for play time while I cleaned their brooder out. (They were in a large cage with supervision). Is there anything I should watch for on the off chance it could be a respiratory issue? I've heard them sneeze before when they go outside. This one just seemed wetter to me.


I just had a cat die in Jan. after a two year struggle with his kidney, another nearly die, and a cockatiel who is heading out any day now. I'm a bit of a nervous wreck when it comes to anything that might even possibly be different. I'm trying my best to not be a hovering hen and realize not everything needs a run to the ER vet, though!

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

There's nothing wrong with being concerned for your critters. You love them, so you're going to worry about them.
You should watch for a lot of nasal discharge or mucus. You might consider isolating the chick to make sure it doesn't spread to the others, keep their area as clean as possible. Keep us updated on how he/she does. We'll do the best we can to help.