Sneezing chicken with roundworms

[Cassandra S]

We got a 2 year old silkie chicken this weekend. We have been keeping her separate from our other 3 so she can grow in more feathers as she molting. We noticed the second we got her home that she was sneezing. We have had her for 3 days and not other symptoms have developed in her eye. She finally warmed up to me yesterday and eat and drank a lot, and this morning I was looking at her poo and found a roundworm. I put her in meds for it. We are more concerned about the sneezing. I have been researching like crazy and nothing seems to fit. Now that she is familiar with me she acts just like a normal chicken. She want to peck around the yard (we have a separate pin out door for her to free range in away from our others) she takes dust baths... Anyone have any suggestions on what's wrong? I don't want to put her with the others if she will make them sick, we raised the others since they were babies and they are very healthy, and happy. Help!

 

[Michael Apple]

The roundworms likely are affecting the immune system and a secondary respiratory infection may be there. Get some Safeguard liquid labeled for goats. Most feed stores carry it. Give the bird 1/2 cc orally by feeding it with a syringe minus a needle. If you suspect numerous worms, dose 3 days in a row about the same time each day. I do it at night to make it easier. If not it is customary to dose once, then again 10 days later.

Get some vitamin-electrolyte-probiotic powder for the birds water. Sav-a-chick, Vitamins-Electrolytes "Plus" are a few common brands people use. Use it in water 3 days a week according to label instructions, making a fresh solution each day.

Also, get some L-S 50, which is commonly sold in feed stores if you find respiratory problems persist. Dosage is 1 tsp per gallon of water for 7 days. Like vitamin dispersible powders, make a fresh solution each day for the bird to drink. Follow up after treatment with vitamins-electrolytes-probiotics for 3 days.

I hope your hen recovers soon.

 

[Suzierd]

What is going on with her eye? If you suspect respiratory disease I wouldn't put her in with the other healthy chickens. I would give her back. Not worth the risk IMO.

 

[Michael Apple]

What is going on with her eye? If you suspect respiratory disease I wouldn't put her in with the other healthy chickens. I would give her back. Not worth the risk IMO.

I missed that about the eye. That isn't an unrealistic alternative you mentioned. Though the bird may just be stressed and needs a little help. That is why it is always a risk buying adults or chicks from someone who doesn't know what they are doing. I think she said the hen is separate from the others, as it should be for at least 1 month, no matter how healthy a bird may appear to be.

 

[Cassandra S]

Nothing is happening to the eyes. Her eyes are both heathy. I read that if the have stuff coming out if their eyes and sneezing it can be a more serious issue, but both eyes are healthy no issues. She is being kept in our old dog kennel in our spare bedroom far away from the other chickens and our dog. I have to wait until my husband gets home to help but I after reading a few threads on here, I think she may have Gape Worm, that would make more sence with the sneezing and the roundworm. Thank you Michael, I will call my local feed store to see if they have the items you mentioned.

 

[gander007]

Well I cant help you with the round worms as I live in the Desert and Never had that problem but the sneezing let's work on that for now ...

1. if anyone is smoking around her stop and any other smoke will do the same damage this I have learned in my + 40 years of working with chickens ...

2. As silly as this sounds boil up some egg's and give her two egg's a day for a week this really will help fight off any infection as every thing she need's is in the egg and it will help replace any vitamins she has lost do to lack of care on any ones part and really worms happen in damp Clements just part of doing business I guess ..

3. What are you putting in the water at this point ??

 

[Michael Apple]

Nothing is happening to the eyes. Her eyes are both heathy. I read that if the have stuff coming out if their eyes and sneezing it can be a more serious issue, but both eyes are healthy no issues. She is being kept in our old dog kennel in our spare bedroom far away from the other chickens and our dog. I have to wait until my husband gets home to help but I after reading a few threads on here, I think she may have Gape Worm, that would make more sence with the sneezing and the roundworm. Thank you Michael, I will call my local feed store to see if they have the items you mentioned.

Good. Coryza is instigated by a respiratory problem. Bacteria can cause respiratory problems in addition to viruses like Mycoplasma. The problem with viruses is that even if a bird recovers from the symptoms, it is still a carrier, and puts the others at risk. Here's some info on MG: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...ction-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens

I hope that isn't the case. Gapeworms aren't very common. If the bird came from unsanitary and poorly ventilated housing, the respiratory infection could have been a result of that. Even if they were gapes, the safeguard would get rid of them. The only type of worm Fenbendazole won't kill currently are tapeworms.

One question; are you feeding dry mash, dusty feed, or anything else that may irritate the bird's throat? powdery feed will cause birds to cough or "sneeze" sometimes.

 

[Cassandra S]

I will be picking up some Safegaurd in the morning. We noticed the sneezing the seconded we got her home from our local chicken swap, I have no idea the conditions she was kept in before we got her... All I know is that they kept her broody so she could hatch all their chicks from all the chickens. She is pretty skinny and molting. We have her on the same egg laying food our other chickens are on, with added meal worms, crushed eggs shells and fresh basil. We did look in her mouth and throat and there was no signs of Gape Worm, but we did notice that one noise hole is clogged so we tried to clean it out as best we could. She is still sneezing. As for her water I change it twice a day, and put fresh garlic and wazine in it. I am also giving her an herb tea in the morning. Her behavior is typical of a chicken nothing abnormal, just the sneezing.

 

[dawg53]

I will be picking up some Safegaurd in the morning. We noticed the sneezing the seconded we got her home from our local chicken swap, I have no idea the conditions she was kept in before we got her... All I know is that they kept her broody so she could hatch all their chicks from all the chickens. She is pretty skinny and molting. We have her on the same egg laying food our other chickens are on, with added meal worms, crushed eggs shells and fresh basil. We did look in her mouth and throat and there was no signs of Gape Worm, but we did notice that one noise hole is clogged so we tried to clean it out as best we could. She is still sneezing. As for her water I change it twice a day, and put fresh garlic and wazine in it. I am also giving her an herb tea in the morning. Her behavior is typical of a chicken nothing abnormal, just the sneezing.

The clogged nostril couldve been from inhaling feed dust or maybe feed granules to cause the sneezing.
You will never find gapeworms by looking down a chickens throat lol. If she did have gapes, she'd be dead by now. Do not add anything to the wazine/water mixture. It is only to be given for 24 hours only, then discarded. Stop the herb tea, meal worms, crushed egg shells, garlic and basil. Once you've completed worming her, give her buttermilk mixed with scrambled egg for a few days. Then get her back on regular layer feed. Stop all the other junk.

 

[Cassandra S]

Thanks for all the info. We have only been doing the water with wazine today, so it's only been 24hrs. We checked her throat because we read on another thread that if the worms were bad enough that she could not breath well you might be able to see them, we are up for trying anything. We also read that garlic is a good natural remedy along with basil, and it can help boost the inumme system. We plan on giving her eggs tomorrow as many of you have recommend it. I would like to say that we are new chicken owner and there is a lot of information out there and a lot of it is contradictory, so we are doing the best we can.