uktech
Songster
Slightly confusing situation and one I can't find a similar case to hence why I'm finally posting this. Please bear with me and hopefully, I can do a good job explaining. The problem is with my Brahma roo (pictured) but there is a secondary issue of yellow poop which is the case for some of the others in the flock too.
I've used the following questions to answer everything and hope it gives a clear idea of what's going on.
1) What type of bird, age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
The bird in question is a Brahma chick roughly 8 weeks old. Weight and mass as it always has been, growing as expected, so normal but haven’t weighed it yet. The rest of the flock are of similar age light sussex, leghorn, bluebell hybrids
2) What is the behaviour, exactly?
Two things of concern. One is the poop being what it is (in pic) but this is not just the Brahmas but also some of the others too.
Second is that the Brahma is sneezing regularly and has a rough cough like noise (almost adult like) which is very loud for a bird that size at least. It also shakes it's head a lot too.
Important to note that there is no discharge from or around the nose nor the eyes. No swelling of the head kneck or body either. No wheezy breathing, in fact I've had it in my lap for longer periods and it is breathing normally. No ruffled feathers. No open-mouthed breathing (aside from when it was hot but that was the case for each of the birds). It has totally normal behaviour otherwise. Calm mannerism, enjoys attention and being picked up but tries to run away too. Plays with the rest of the chicks sprinting around trying to fly and darting around as well as foraging etc.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Sneezing/coughing for the last 4 days or so
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
One other bird has started to sneeze in the last 48 hours but no rough cough etc. This may be unrelated however I'm now concerned as I've just lost a chick for a different reason.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Nothing
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
We have had a heatwave lasting a few weeks. During the day they are outside in an enclosed space. They have a water container they drink from which I refill with a watering can. On one occasion when I was refilling the container, this chick darted over and stuck it’s head under the water. It quickly retreated shaking it’s head and began to sneeze/cough. That’s when this sneezing/coughing episode began. Before that, nothing of the sort existed.
The only other thing that has changed is I acquired 3 new chicks (one passed) but they are in quarantine.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Chick feed (18% protein I believe) and plain water. Aside from that, spinach leaves, grapes and whatever it can forage.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop is yellow mustard colour and runny. Picture attached. However, this poop is something I see a lot in my flock and it started the day I switched their chick feed brand (which was about 2 weeks ago). The one they had since they hatched made them all poop perfectly normal but is only available in small quantities. This chick feed comes in 20kg bags but it made almost all of them poop yellow like this at first, however most a now normal, but I still see a lot of this yellow/mustard poop.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
So far the only “treatment” I have given them is apple cider vinegar mixed in their water but that was started when their poop changed to yellow mustard about 2 weeks back.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Would like to treat myself.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No wounds
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
From dusk til dawn they are in their coop which is an enclosed space with good quality hemp as their bedding. Using deep litter method building up layers of fresh hemp as they poop and scratch. They did manage to spill the water inside their coop which soaked the hemp which I replaced. Daylight hours are spent mostly outside in a different enclosed space or they have supervised free range.
I've used the following questions to answer everything and hope it gives a clear idea of what's going on.
1) What type of bird, age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
The bird in question is a Brahma chick roughly 8 weeks old. Weight and mass as it always has been, growing as expected, so normal but haven’t weighed it yet. The rest of the flock are of similar age light sussex, leghorn, bluebell hybrids
2) What is the behaviour, exactly?
Two things of concern. One is the poop being what it is (in pic) but this is not just the Brahmas but also some of the others too.
Second is that the Brahma is sneezing regularly and has a rough cough like noise (almost adult like) which is very loud for a bird that size at least. It also shakes it's head a lot too.
Important to note that there is no discharge from or around the nose nor the eyes. No swelling of the head kneck or body either. No wheezy breathing, in fact I've had it in my lap for longer periods and it is breathing normally. No ruffled feathers. No open-mouthed breathing (aside from when it was hot but that was the case for each of the birds). It has totally normal behaviour otherwise. Calm mannerism, enjoys attention and being picked up but tries to run away too. Plays with the rest of the chicks sprinting around trying to fly and darting around as well as foraging etc.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Sneezing/coughing for the last 4 days or so
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
One other bird has started to sneeze in the last 48 hours but no rough cough etc. This may be unrelated however I'm now concerned as I've just lost a chick for a different reason.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Nothing
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
We have had a heatwave lasting a few weeks. During the day they are outside in an enclosed space. They have a water container they drink from which I refill with a watering can. On one occasion when I was refilling the container, this chick darted over and stuck it’s head under the water. It quickly retreated shaking it’s head and began to sneeze/cough. That’s when this sneezing/coughing episode began. Before that, nothing of the sort existed.
The only other thing that has changed is I acquired 3 new chicks (one passed) but they are in quarantine.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Chick feed (18% protein I believe) and plain water. Aside from that, spinach leaves, grapes and whatever it can forage.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop is yellow mustard colour and runny. Picture attached. However, this poop is something I see a lot in my flock and it started the day I switched their chick feed brand (which was about 2 weeks ago). The one they had since they hatched made them all poop perfectly normal but is only available in small quantities. This chick feed comes in 20kg bags but it made almost all of them poop yellow like this at first, however most a now normal, but I still see a lot of this yellow/mustard poop.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
So far the only “treatment” I have given them is apple cider vinegar mixed in their water but that was started when their poop changed to yellow mustard about 2 weeks back.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Would like to treat myself.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No wounds
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
From dusk til dawn they are in their coop which is an enclosed space with good quality hemp as their bedding. Using deep litter method building up layers of fresh hemp as they poop and scratch. They did manage to spill the water inside their coop which soaked the hemp which I replaced. Daylight hours are spent mostly outside in a different enclosed space or they have supervised free range.
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