Sneezing chicken

[lauren212]

I went to pick up another chicken yesterday and when I got there I noticed a lot of the chickens were sneezing. I picked one that looked healthy and brought it home. When I got home it was in contact for maybe 5 minutes with my other chickens. I removed it because they were picking on her. Then she started sneezing and her tail was down. I isolated her. At night she was breathing with her beak open and this morning the sneezing was really bad and she wasn't eating. I ended up culling her because I didn't want to risk my other birds. Do you think my other chickens will possibly get what ever respiratory disease she had? I'm never going back to that farm again. I realize now I should have isolated her for a few days to observe her. This is my first time having chickens

 

[redsoxs]

I'm sure it was possible after that brief exposure for her to spread whatever she had to others. You did the correct thing by removing. You might have tried to see if she could be treated or got better. You might want to research some respiratory conditions in poultry just in case your other birds start to show symptoms. Good luck to you!

 

[chickens really]

If you introduced the sick bird to your flock even for 5 minutes ? You have exposed all your birds to disease...Your shoes and clothes are contaminated from being on the property of the sick birds...I am sure you have the same tires on your truck you picked the bird up with? Never washed them or burned your clothes?
Chicken disease spreads from the dander and saliva of a Chicken...

Sorry you took such a risk...

Good Luck..

 

[KayTee]

Hey lauren212, sorry to hear about the new bird that you bought. Chicken-keeping is a learning curve, a BIG learning curve, and I am certain that every single person on this forum has done (or not done) something that they regret during their time.

Having said that, you have already learnt two important lessons - firstly not to buy birds from a flock that don't look healthy, and secondly to keep new birds in quarantine for two or three weeks to be certain that they are healthy before introducing them to the flock. (When I first started keeping chickens I didn't follow the second rule, and introduced lice the size of soldier ants into my whole flock!)

But none of that will help you in your current situation. As has been mentioned in other posts, the fact that you placed a potentially infected bird amongst your other birds (even for a few minutes) has caused an exposure risk to the whole flock, as respiratory infections are spread through droplets when a bird sneezes. However, if she really was only in the coop for a few minutes then the risk is less than if you had left her in there for a few hours.

What you need to do now is to keep an extremely close eye on your other birds. If you start to see any suspicious symptoms (sneezing, bubbles in the eyes, lethargic behaviour) in even one bird then you should consider treating the whole flock immediately. If at all possible you should take the bird to a vet, explain the situation and request a suitable antibiotic. If it is absolutely impossible to get medical advice then you could try a broad spectrum antibiotic (I know that they are available to buy without a prescription in the US, unlike here in Europe), but it is better to get a vet to prescribe you something that they are certain will work, rather than a shot in the dark with the most commonly available medications.

Alll the best for you and your flock.

 

[lauren212]

Thanks for the info. So far everyone is still healthy. I've been boosting their immune systems with healthy foods. Fingers are crossed. I'm in Canada and we can buy antibiotics for birds over the counter and the feed stores. There is so much to learn about chickens, I really find this site supper helpful for any questions I have.

 

[chickcrack]

Hi Lauren212. Sorry you are having a rough experience. I am in Ontario too and just a warning that the commonly available antibiotics in feed stores (tetracycline and what is usually labelled "oxy-sol" or oxytetracycline) are often not effective treatments for all respiratory illnesses. It would be a good idea to make some calls to see if you are able to find a knowledgeable bird vet in your area just in case. Also I have heard that ANY vet in Ontario can accept a dead bird (frozen and properly packaged) to send to Guelph university for necropsy for a study they are doing on backyard flocks. I do hope you don't require that info but good to have just in case. Best wishes!

 

[lauren212]

Interesting. Thanks. Hoping all will be well. Since your in Ontario too what do you use in the winter for a heated water dish. I heard the ones you buy in the stores that are plastic don't work with our cold weather. I'm near Sudbury so it goes down to -40 some nights.

 

[chickcrack]

I have an electric one. It's more for me than for them lol. Lugging water 4 times a day through 4' snow drifts did not sound appealing to me. Mine is a plastic red and white one with plug in from the base. I have used it 3 winters with no issues. I have also used the galvanized base heater but find the galvanized waterer a little leaky (overflows if you dont get it just right) and that's the last thing you need in your coop in winter. I'm near Barrie/Wasaga so not too far!

 

[DurangoChickens]

I have a Salmon Faverolle hen that has been sneezing constantly for about the past week. She doesn't have any discharge from her eyes or nose, and seems to be perfectly healthy. She is the only one of my hens that is sneezing and has not spread it to the others, which makes me think that it may not be a big deal. Her poop looks just fine like the rest. We recently started to use straw instead of pine shavings in the nest boxes... could that be the cause?

We recently introduced a new rooster to the flock, and she has become his favorite hen... would that have anything to do with it?

 

[EggGrl]

DurangoGirl- Most of the time what causes the upper respiratory illness is stress and poor air quality. The bacteria or virus is often already present. Sometimes it is something contagious, but if you did not introduce new birds recently, it's likely a husbandry issue.

Look closely at your set up. Pay attention to air quality. Make sure they are not crowded. Though it is cold, they need lots of ventilation.