Sneezing & Clear discharge in 3 week old chicks

[Adenium]

Argh! Lost the whole post when I tried to submit.

I have a flock of 7 chicks from a hatchery, they turn 3 weeks on Monday. I'd heard the occasional sneeze, but 2 days ago I noticed some clear droplets from my Barred Rock's nostrils when she sneezed. Today I noticed it on the Buff Orpington. My silkies don't take well to close inspection so I can't tell, but at least one has the occasional sneeze.

They're living in a 5' x 3' cardboard box in my basement, on pine shavings. Moved them down there a week ago to avoid the temperature swings upstairs during the heat wave. Temps under the heat lamp are now steady at 85-86 degrees (ran a little cooler a little earlier than the recommendations based on watching their behavior). We run a dehumidifier down there 24/7 to avoid dank air developing.

All are eating chick starter only. Had some grain mites in the first bag, we replaced that and I thoroughly inspected the new bag for mold and/or mites. They all eat and drink and run and play just fine. I added SavAChick to the water in the first couple days after arrival and just started it again yesterday.

Should I worry? Ride it out? I'm wary of treating when I don't know what it is, and I'd like to avoid blasting young developing kidneys with antibiotics. I didn't bother separating anybody as I'm sure they'd already been "exposed" though to what I don't know.

We've avoided outside exposure so far and are pretty careful with handwashing etc. since we just did the Marek's vaccine a week ago.....they need to stay inside one more week. I can't imagine what did this - I didn't expect it in new chicks that haven't even been out!

I bought the Newcastle-Bronchitis vaccine and was going to give it this week - now I don't know since they're not necessarily healthy right now.


Any thoughts? Did I doom my chicks with undetected basement mold spores or something? Anything I can do?

 

[americanvalkyrie]

At first, I want to suspect an illness, since runny noses aren't good. But these are from a hatchery, and have been in contact with no other chickens since you got them? Do you have chickens outside, or have you been to visit a friend's coop? If there's no chance of contamination from other chickens, I'd just wait it out. Have you replaced their bedding lately, or used a different bedding? Either way, you can help them out by mixing their feed with plain yogurt, and putting apple cider vinegar (the cloudy kind, not the clear kind) in their water.

We went through a bout of bronchitis a few months ago, and it tore through my flock. But the chickens that got sick first had been outside, and in my neighborhood there are coops everywhere! The closest one is a block away. Good news is most of them survived, and once we knew they were sick (wheezing, coughing) we gave them antibiotics in their water for a couple of days. But before you start putting medication in the water, watch them for any breathing distress or gunky eyes. Though those might not be present during an illness, they are sure signs of one.

 

[Adenium]

Nope, no contact with other chickens. Straight from hatchery to inside our house and they are the first ever chickens on the property. My sister has newish hatchery chickens but we haven't visited since getting ours. No one from their house has handled ours...just peeked at them. And hers have no illness anyway. No change in bedding...we use the TSC pine shavings.

So you think the ACV is more helpful than the vitamin/electrolyte powder in the water? I'll get them some yogurt tomorrow but don't know anywhere close by to get ACV. Thanks for your advice....I figured my post was getting lost in the abyss!

 

[americanvalkyrie]

If you have a health food store or a health food section in your grocery store, try there. A good brand is Bragg's.

ACV is a completely different thing from vitamins and electrolytes. It won't hurt to do both. You can't overdose on ACV. It helps clear out the ick (in people as well.) The yogurt will give them the good bacteria to fight any bad bacteria they might have. And they love it! After my chickens got sick, I mixed it in their feed, making sure it was chunky enough that they could peck at it. Babies 2 weeks old to hens over a year old went crazy for it... after a few minutes of figuring out that it was good to eat.

If the babies have something that you need to worry about, it will be pretty evident in a day or so. Until then, it doesn't hurt to boost immunity.