Sneezing Hen with Open Mouth Breathing

[JRP]

I noticed today that one of my young Easter Egger hens (less than one year) was sneezing while I was out there. Seemed like fairly frequently. I was out there for about 15 minutes and she sneezed maybe 15 times. She's also mouth-breathing, but does not seem distressed otherwise. She seems to be eating normally and was actively chomping down the scratch I put out for them. I didn't see her poop today to know if that's normal, but cleaning off the poop board in the coop, there was nothing out of the ordinary. My son picked her up and I checked inside her beak - no blockages, airway looks clear, no nasal discharge. They have a dirt floor run, a large fenced area outside with some grass, and pine shavings in the bottom of the coop. I also use Coop/Stall Refresh as litter on their poop board. Somewhere in the back of my head I have a memory that a couple months ago one of the girls was sneezing a little bit, and I'm wondering if it was this same one, but I'm not sure. What am I looking for in terms of distress to determine whether or not I should treat her? And if I did, what would I treat her with? I've had backyard chickens for 7 years but this is the first time I've seen any respiratory issues, so it's new to me. Thanks for your help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would first observe to see if the sneezing is continuous or if it's related to an activity like eating/drinking, scratching for treats, dust bathing, etc.
IF she's sneezing a lot all day long and seems in distress, then reexamine her for any signs of mucous, facial swelling, something inside the beak, clogged nostrils, etc.
If you find no other causes, sneezing can be indicative of respiratory illness like Infectious Bronchitis or Mycoplasma, which are the 2 most common illnesses that affect chickens.
If you determine that she is in need of treatment, then you can try treating symptoms with Tylan/Tylosin. Tylan50 can usually be found in most feed stores. Dose is 0.25ml per pound of weight given orally 3 times a day for 5 days in a row.

 

[JRP]

Thank you! She wasn’t sneezing while I was out there today and was breathing normally. Maybe she’s just allergic to chickens!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad to hear she's doing o.k.
She may have gotten some food in her airway.