Sneezie chickies

[blue fire]

My 4 5 wk old chicks are sneezing all the time and have been doing it for 2 weeks. They sneeze inside and out. They all eat and sleep normally, but they keep sneezing! WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY BABIES!!!!!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I have 2 that started this 3 weeks ago. Someone told me it was because of changes in the weather. I dunno. My 2 are still doing it. I've had them on medicated feed since then. Other than sneezing they seem fine.

 

[jeremy frenz]

i was just about to ask the same question but i saw yours. my 1 wk old chicks are sneezing what is wrong with are chicks?

 

[iopele]

I haven't had my chickens start sneezing, but a google search popped up several results and all of them listed dusty coops as the first cause on the list. Any way you can clean out their coop or brooder daily? Two websites recommend air filters, but specifically say that the negative ion type (like the kind from Sharper Image, etc) are NOT as good as other kinds, because they don't really remove the particles from the air, they just charge them so they stick to things--including the walls, ceiling, floors, roosts, etc. Both websites say that HEPA or electronic filters are best. Neither specifies a brand.

If you keep chicks inside your house past 2 or 3 weeks, it's very important to have some kind of air filter, especially if you have your windows closed for climate control. Chicken dust doesn't only cause chickens to sneeze. It can cause permanent lung damage for everyone in the house--that means you, too! Investing in an air filter in this situation is self-preservation.

If the sneezing's not caused by dust, I dunno. I'm still reading... okay, here's something else:

RESPIRATORY DISEASES - Very common in Connecticut.

Infectious Bronchitis - Sneezing, decrease in egg production and egg shell quality.

Newcastle Disease - Sneezing, decrease in egg production and internal egg quality.

Infectious Laryngotracheitis - Sneezing, coughing, choking, high losses.

Pox - Cause respiratory signs if pox lesions in mouth, throat, and windpipe; skin lesions on comb and face.


MEDICATIONS - Most commonly used.

Terramycin (Oxytetracycline) - safe; use @ 200 mg. To 1000 mg. (1 Gm.) per gallon water; withdrawal time - 5 days.

Aureomycin (Chlortetracycline) - use exactly as Terramycin.

NF 180 - not water soluble - must use in feed @ 100-200 Gm./ton.

Neomycin - good against E. coli bacteria. May use in water or feed.

Gallimycin (Erythromycin) - water or feed, good against Mycoplasma. Withdrawal - 1 day.

Amprolium (Corid) - for treating coccidiosis; very safe. (See recommended dose under coccidiosis).

Sulfaquinoxaline or Sulfamethazine - water or feed; less safe; somewhat toxic to bone marrow. Withdrawal - 10 days.

Tramizol - wormer, 20 mg. Per bird per day (1 Gm. powder per gallon water for 1-2 days).

This is cut/pasted directly from http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/diseasefactsheet.html if anyone's wondering.

I'm no chicken expert, and like I said, this is all from Google rather than my own experiences. Hope some of this helps!

(edited to add the website I quoted!)​

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Add a little raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar to their water. I have yet to recall any of my chickens sneezing.

http://www.cagenbird.com/vinegar.htm