Sneezing chicken

[chris503632]

Hi all.


We have a sneezy chicken. She's a year old Rhode Island red. She's laying fine, apart from two soft shelled eggs (a week apart).

She active and bright and isn't doing the huddled poorly chicken thing.

The sneezes are very gentle and there is no discharge at all, her nostrils are completely dry.

We had a good chicken vet check her and she said everything was fine, but as the sneezing persisted put her on antibiotics (now on day three). Shed eating well and drinking.

Had anyone ever come across anything like this?

Many thanks,

Chris

 

[Eggcessive]

I have seen infectious bronchitis virus in my flock in the past. It can cause sneezing and mild congestion, and in some hens, wrinkled egg shells and other egg problems. It has to run it’s course over a month or so, since it does not respond to antibiotics. If it is infectious bronchitis, then it tends to affect most chickens in the flock. Survivors are carriers for 5 months to a year. If it is caused by mycoplasma or MG, certain antibiotics can help, but survivors are carriers for life. MG can also cause bubbles or foam in an eye. It could be caused by an environmental thing, such as dust, pollen, or mold as well.

 

[chris503632]

I have seen infectious bronchitis virus in my flock in the past. It can cause sneezing and mild congestion, and in some hens, wrinkled egg shells and other egg problems. It has to run it’s course over a month or so, since it does not respond to antibiotics. If it is infectious bronchitis, then it tends to affect most chickens in the flock. Survivors are carriers for 5 months to a year. If it is caused by mycoplasma or MG, certain antibiotics can help, but survivors are carriers for life. MG can also cause bubbles or foam in an eye. It could be caused by an environmental thing, such as dust, pollen, or mold as well.

Thank you for your reply. They are all moving into a new coop tomorrow, so I hope that will help if it's a dust issue.

No sign at all of any kind of congestion and her flock mates are all fine.

Her eggs have all been perfect shells, no wrinkles. Just two with no shells.

I've opened up the coop for more ventilation in case that's a problem.

I'll keep an eye on her and take her back to the vet if things don't improve.

Thanks again.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully, it is just dust. If you are feeding layer feed and have crushed oyster shell available, the shell-less eggs could be from IB, a problem with her oviduct, or problem absorbing calcium. Here is a good article about egg shell problems and possible causes:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[Myrshine]

Sneezing by itself is t a cause for alarm. It isn’t always caused by a disease either, but rather something environmental or something in with the coop. Since chickens scratch at the ground all day and their faces are practically in the ground most of the time, sometimes dust or dirt can cause sneezing. Dusty feed and water drinking can also cause sneezing. Poor ventilation, dusty bedding material or ammonia buildup can also cause sneezing. Personally, I wouldn’t worry about it at all. She sounds normal.

 

[chris503632]

Sneezing by itself is t a cause for alarm. It isn’t always caused by a disease either, but rather something environmental or something in with the coop. Since chickens scratch at the ground all day and their faces are practically in the ground most of the time, sometimes dust or dirt can cause sneezing. Dusty feed and water drinking can also cause sneezing. Poor ventilation, dusty bedding material or ammonia buildup can also cause sneezing. Personally, I wouldn’t worry about it at all. She sounds normal.

Thank you for the reassurance.

She does seem fine apart from the sneezes. They are moving into a new coop today, so that will be nice and fresh for them.