Respiratory issue in my pullets. Need advice.

[Kaitlynd12]

Hi all. I have 8 RIR pullets. About 8 months old. They seem to have some type of respiratory issue going on. Wheezing and coughing. One has a runny eye that seems to be closed frequently. They are eating and drinking like normal. It has started to get chilly where we are. The nights drop down to the 40’s. Not sure if this is relevant, but wanted to add that detail. Just curious about remedies/medicines anyone can recommend. Is there other symptoms I should be looking out for in case it’s a more serious issue? TIA.

 

[MickWithChicks]

What does your coop setup look like? Is there adequate ventilation? Is it cleaned frequently? Is there any hint of ammonia within the coop?

If it's not environmental, it could be infectious bronchitis (viral) or MG (bacterial) or something else -- treatment varies (antibiotics won't work on viruses, etc).

I'd highly recommend checking for and rectifying environmental issues to begin with, as this seems to be one of the most common causes of respiratory illnesses in backyard flocks and is the easiest to fix.

 

[Kaitlynd12]

What does your coop setup look like? Is there adequate ventilation? Is it cleaned frequently? Is there any hint of ammonia within the coop?

If it's not environmental, it could be infectious bronchitis (viral) or MG (bacterial) or something else -- treatment varies (antibiotics won't work on viruses, etc).

I'd highly recommend checking for and rectifying environmental issues to begin with, as this seems to be one of the most common causes of respiratory illnesses in backyard flocks and is the easiest to fix.

So we created more ventilation in the past few days (my husband said the same thing you did), and I did a thorough cleaning of the coop. I also added some VetRX poultry aid to their water yesterday. This AM when I went out they were more active and seemed a little better. I’m hoping this is the case and I’m not just seeing what I want to see! Lol. Thanks for the response and advice. I appreciate it.