Respiratory?? Antibiotic?? No injection?

[sloanbychoice]

Hey guys.
I’ve got a 14 month old large Welsummer with sudden symptoms of respiratory distress. She’s the first, the others show no signs yet, and I’ve never dealt with this.
I’m afraid I’m going to lose her based on all the stuff I’ve seen out there.

I’ll go buy whatever she needs first thing in the morning, but I don’t think I can inject a breast muscle confidently.

What are my options??
Please!!! Thank you!!

 

[Jaeden0720]

Hey there, to be honest I have no experience in this field. But hang tight!

Someone will be with you shortly.

For now I would keep a close observation and consult a vet. Or maybe even go to a nearby Tractor Supply since most of their employees own chickens/ducks themselves.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you recently added any new chicken or other fowl to your flock? Do any neighbors have chickens, or do you have a lot of wild birds coming in that might use feeders/waterers? Most respiratory diseases are spread by a carrier. Some chickens can be non-symptomatic carriers, and then one day during a period of stress, develop symptoms.

Can you describe all symptoms that you see? Is there any swelling eyelids, or and watery/bubbly eye? Any sneezing, crackles, wheezing, or gasping? Pictures can help.

 

[sloanbychoice]

@Eggcessive
Ah, the knowledgeable one!! Thanks for chiming in!!

So, we’ve actually had no changes. No newbies, no wild birds are allowed in the run (netting all the way around as I got tired of battling lice), and she has no other symptoms. No one else has showed anything.

She suddenly started sounding like she was “honking”?? I thought it was kind of cute at first, like, oh what is she doing over there... thought maybe she was sounding off about something..
That evening, I kept hearing this weird noise, and I finally figured out it was her breathing.
Like each breath in sounded like sand paper. Now it was hotter than the gates of hell, so I originally didn’t think much of her mouth being open continuously cuz she was panting. But when I heard her breathing, I immediately freaked out inside. It sounded strained.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you can get a short video of her noisy breathing or honking, and upload it to YouTube with a link here, that might be good. Does she have any nasal or eye drainage? Some chickens can develop a sound called stridor, when something gets into the airway, such as a piece of feed, mucus plug, or swollen tissue in the airway. If it goes away in a few hours, it is usually food. If there is sneezing, and it doesn’t go away, it can be a respiratory disease. But I have an older hen who makes honking sounds all of the time, and she is about 7 now. Here is a video of a silkie with stridor: