Sick chicken, need guidance

[MamaChick70]

Good Morning everyone. I hope someone can give me some guidance.

I have 2Red and 3 Black sex-link chickens. This is my first winter with them; they have a draft-free coop and run attached. This Morning when I went to let them out, I noticed blood in the coop; it looks like it was from a sneeze. I check on them before leaving work, my husband checks on them when he gets home, I check on them when I get home, and before I put them into the coop at night. I did not notice anything last night or previous nights. On the weekends, I check in on them throughout the day. I open the coop, and if they want to go out into the run, they can.

I realize they are good at masking when they are ill, but I check their eyes, nose; they look healthy; even now, I can't tell who it might be - I am afraid it will go through my flock. I do have an antibiotic for the water not sure if I should add it to the water; when they were younger, I gave them medicated feed.

Oh, I would mention I live in the Hudson Valley area of NY; it has been freezing the last few days, dipping to the negatives with the wind chill, and warming up to the '20s in the day. I am doing deep-liter method with shavings and straw. We do give them fresh water, twice a day for the most part. More often, if the water freezes. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Aapomp831]

How old are the birds? Where was the blood when you found it? Was it in their poop, on the wall, on the floor... Have you checked each chicken over for an injury; it could have been a pecking squabble over a roosting spot that turned ugly.

 

[MamaChick70]

I got the chicken on June 19 they are about 33 weeks old. The blood was on the wall, and on the outer portion of their feeder. (Emptied the old food and placed fresh). I looked them over this morning and I could not find anything wrong. No feathers pulled, no runny nose, no sneezing, coughing, didn't see any bugs on them, their eyes look fine - one waddle is discolored (thinking from the cold weather we have been having here in NY). They are still laying eggs - eating, drinking. This morning all of them were drinking.

How old are the birds? Where was the blood when you found it? Was it in their poop, on the wall, on the floor... Have you checked each chicken over for an injury; it could have been a pecking squabble over a roosting spot that turned ugly.