Respiratory Issue - Chicken noob here... just need some guidance.

[Gifa]

1) Easter Egger, 1.5 years old, 4 pounds...
2) Kind of wheezing, labored breathing.
3) She was fine yesterday at 4pm... this morning at 9am she was not ok.
4) No other birds exhibiting symptoms.
5) There is no sign of trauma, and no bleeding
6) Overnight temps dipped into the low teens upper single digits, humidity was around 45% last night, it's 50 degrees in their run right now.
7) Her crop was empty this morning... and I just fed her some wet oatmeal and layer pellets.
8) Haven't seen any unusual poop today.
9) Other than getting her to eat something, I have done nothing.
10 ) I have no idea what can be done. First experience with illness in the flock. First flock.
11) She does have what appears to be dried dark reddish brown discharge on left side of her beak.
12) Bedding in coop is wood pellets, bedding in run is straw. Everything is kept dry and clean.


What can be done for respiratory issues? What should I be doing?

 

[Gifa]

It's the hen in my profile pic, actually.

 

[Gifa]

I just administered 20ml of electrolyte water via a dropper... The wheezing has gone from a labored groaning sound with each inhale to a raspy heavy breathing sound with each inhale and exhale...

Is it possible that she just got dehydrated overnight? Fresh water is made available everyday all day... but I don't keep water in the coop. The automatic door opens well before they are off the roost... and no one else is showing any signs of distress...

 

[Eggcessive]

If the reddish-brown discharge on the side of her beak is bloody mucus, I would suspect ILT or infectious laryngotracheitis. It can be very serious, it is a virus, so antibiotics would only treat secondary bacterial infections. Here is a link: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/83/infectious-laryngotracheitis-ilt

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are 2 more links for you:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou..._infectious_laryngotracheitis_in_poultry.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/606438/suspection-of-infectious-laryngotracheitis-need-help

 

[Eggcessive]

Since many respiratory diseases have such similar symptoms I would recommend that you try to get your sick chicken tested, or sent for a necropsy if she dies. I would probably go ahead and start her on either Tylan50 injections for 5 days, or Tylan Soluble Powder in the water, just in case this is a bacterial or mycoplasma disease. You should read through the link http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044 and compare the symptoms of other diseases such as MG, infectious bronchitis, and infectious coryza. Gapeworm would also be a possibility although it is rare. Most respiratory diseases are contagious and make carriers of all chickens in the flock. One of the typical signs of ILT is that they will shake the head slinging bloody mucus everywhere. Sorry about your chicken.

 

[Gifa]

Her beard and neck appear wet and matted down a little... because they are... it happened during the electrolyte admin. She did not care for the eyedropper.


I am not sure if this brown stuff is what is being described in the description of ILT

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully it is not blood, but I would go ahead and get some antibiotics started today. She may get worse at night. They also tend to chill with illness, so bring her inside in a cage.

 

[Gifa]

I'm taking her in to an avian vet today at 4.

 

[Eggcessive]

It's great that you can do that--please let us know what they think.