Sneezing Chicken

[chely]

Hi all,

I am new to backyard chickens. i got a flock of silkies about 2 months ago. I have on little girl, probably around 3 months old. ever since i got her she has had the sniffles. she sneezes alot and i can here she is raspy, and when she is asleep she stretches her neck out to breath. she still gets around fine and eats and drinks. she does seem to sleep more than the others tho. I have 5 other hens and a rooster and they are all perfectly fine. she is also growing quite slow and her feathers are not growing as well as her sister the same age. Can someone please help me understand what is wrong and if i can help her?

Thanks so much
Chely from australia.

 

[chickenlover432]

Hi Chely, welcome to BYC
It sounds like your hen has Bronchial Infection(not sure what you call it in chicken terms)
I'm not sure what causes it and how you can fix it up, but now you know what it's called you can try and do a little research.


So sorry I couldn't help you much, and I hope your girl get's better.

(-:Chickenlover

 

[chely]

Thankyou Chickenlover. I will research and see what i can do for her. Maby someone else will know what i can do

Thanks again

 

[chely]

I have done some research. Does anyone know if apple cider vinegar will help? I have read 1 tbs to a gallon ( 3.78 liters ).

 

[chickenlover432]

:-(Sorry, again, I have no idea:-(

 

[Eggcessive]

CV is not the miracle drug that some make it out to be, but I have read where some university poultry departments recommend it to help break up mucus during respiratory infections. Your silkie maybe suffering from some chronic respiratory disease that it came with, or it could have some sensitivity to mold or ammonia if there is any nearby. Do you use any herbs in their coop or nesting area that she could be sensitive to? Some chickens can be sensitive to herbs such as lavender. I wish that I had more to offer.

 

[chely]

Hi eggcessive,
Thankyou for your information. All I use in there coop is pea straw and I turn it every two days. I have checked to make sure there is no mould in there also. I will try the acv and see if I get any results. Thanks again chely.

 

[Chicken Goddess]

Same thing happened to my Araucana chicken. She was sneezing and coughing and crowing uncontrollably with heavy, labored breathing. $200 and 3 antibiotics later I worked out that an antibiotic called "Doxycycline" cured her. Now she hardly sneezes. Probably once every few days. Haven't had to do anything else since then. So I recommended you try out the Doxycycline and see what happens. The antibiotic should come in a tablet form not liquid. But only use antibiotics if your sure she has a respiratory illness. Yeah and also use Vet RX, rub some on her nose daily and before bed. I tried all this on my chicken and now she's better! Hope I helped!

 

[Chicken Goddess]

Ohh and another thing. DO NOT EAT THE CHICKENS EGGS WHILE ON MEDICATION!!! It's very dangerous! Watch her laying times and dispose of her eggs ASAP. If her eggs get mixed in with other chickens eggs, then I'm sorry to say, but ditch them all. Better safe than sorry!

 

[dawg53]

Ohh and another thing. DO NOT EAT THE CHICKENS EGGS WHILE ON MEDICATION!!! It's very dangerous! Watch her laying times and dispose of her eggs ASAP. If her eggs get mixed in with other chickens eggs, then I'm sorry to say, but ditch them all. Better safe than sorry!

How long are eggs disposed after using Doxycycline? I'm sure Chely would like to know.