Silkie sounds with fluids inside

[LovelySilkies]

Hi,

I hope someone can help me.I have two silkies living with me, they hatched late August and ever since they have lived in our house. Yesterday I notice on one of them that when I touched the crop it sounded as if there was liquid inside. Chick is not breathing heavier or with open beak.I did notice two little sneezes today. I havent noticed any behavior change, since it eats normal, is active and playful. For what I know this noise of fluids inside is not constant. However the chirp has changed since yest, it is not as high pitched (it reminds me when someone has a phlegm and talks before clearing their throat) Also there are no signs of fluids in the eyes or nose

I hope you can understand me since English is not my first language. In my country all vets specialize in dogs and cats and is almost impossible to find one who knows anything about chickens.

Anyway, thanks!

 

[Pork Pie]

Your English is perfectly clear - don't worry about it!

I seems like a respiratory infection. I would isolate her (although its highly likely your other chick will have caught the same thing) and give her vitamin supplements / electrolytes in its water and see how she is in 5-7 days (this should help boost its immune system and so it can fight whatever the problems is). If its a mild infection / issue then it should have cleared up by then. If it remains the same after a week, then give antibiotics (this may well not cure the problem, but it will help fight off an secondary infections). I'd also give vits / electrolytes to the other chick also.

If it turns out to be a virus, e.g. infectious bronchitis, then both your chicks will be carriers for life and will likely show similar symptoms somewhere down the line. Also, any additions to the flock will become infected.

Maybe in future it may be useful to consider vaccinating them against the common chicken diseases wherever you are. I have just vaccinated by 1 day old chicks this morning (and the rest of the flock, as they have never been vaccinated) against Newcastle Disease and Infectious Bronchitis - it is something i regret not doing with my other chickens, as they have a chronic respiratory condition (not life threatening, but I'd rather they didn't have it). Hopefully my new chicks will not have the same problem in the future, but only time will tell.

Hope this helps a little. There are lots of threads on respiratory diseases, so go ahead and get what info you can from them.

Good luck
CT