Runny nose and watery eye

[Reds mommy]

Last week my 3 month old chicken died suddenly. She was sneezing and wheezing and sneezed up blood. She had her mouth open, like she couldn't breathe. Now we have a 5 week old chicken that has one eye that is watery and she is closing it. Her nose is also running. She doesn't appear to have a lot of energy. Is this contagious? Is this a virus? Any help would be appreciated. We have 3 other chickens with her that appear to be fine.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

3 month old chicken died suddenly. She was sneezing and wheezing and sneezed up blood....5 week old chicken that has one eye that is watery and she is closing it. Her nose is also running. She doesn't appear to have a lot of energy. Is this contagious? Is this a virus?

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.
Putting your location in your profile will help us give you better information.
Can you post some photos?
Without a necropsy/testing, there's no way to know for sure what you are dealing with, but it sounds like the 3month old that passed had a respiratory disease. ILT (Infectious
Laryngotracheitis) can present with bloody mucous or exudes. It is a virus, so antibiotics won't help unless there is secondary infection. Most all respiratory illnesses are contagious and make birds that recover and those exposed carriers for life. Illness is spread through bird to bird contact, in bedding, feather dander, feces, clothing, etc.

It may not be ILT that is affecting your 5wk old - again, without a test, no way to know for sure - there are quite a few respiratory illnesses. Do the best you can to keep her drinking and eating her chick starter. If there is facial swelling or pus/discharge in the eyes, then try to keep that cleaned out - you can flush the eyes with saline and apply an ophthalmic ointment like Terramycin or Vetericyn eye gel. Antibiotics like Tylan50 can be given to help with secondary infection -give orally 2times a day for 5days at a dosage of .20ml per pound. Make sure you weigh her to give the correct dose.

If you happen to lose her, sending her body to your state lab for testing will give you some answers.

Here's a good article that details common respiratory illnesses in chickens http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Reds mommy]

Thank you so much. He/she is resting now and hopefully will make it through the night. We have isolated him from his flock and he is inside the house in a pen. Thank you for all your suggestions, if he survives the night, we will take him to the vet. Our chickens are our pet companions, and very important to us.