Sneezing hen?

[Kiwi Chicky]

Every time I go out to the chook house I hear one of my girls sneeze.

Could it be wind related? hayfever? it is winter here though.

I have noticed that she, along with the other two barred rocks I have do spend a lot of time in the house rather than outside with the other girls.

Do I have sick hens? They don't act sick in any other way, still eating still drinking. Not laying yet thou.

Would appreciate any insight

 

[max101]

They say chicken dont catch colds.
Are they losing any discharge from eyes or nose
Check for any bad smell around there face
Have you changed the type of bedding they may have small fibres in there noses.

 

[threehorses]

To Max's questions, I'd add these:

Are you using cedar as a bedding?
Has it been raining a lot lately?
Do you use straw or hay as a bedding?
If you smell the interior of the coop, does the air smell too close, musty, etc?
Does the coop get very good ventilation?
Is it dusty?
Any sign of mites?

I'd get some VetRx and swab their nares and the roof of her mouth a few times this week. It's non-medicinal, simply herbal, but it's remarkable in the way that it can help with sneezing issues. Buy the small (2 ounce) bottle, any species (poultry, rabbit, cat). If you can't find VetRx, the larger chain petstores like Petsmart might have Marshal Pet Peter Rabbit Rx. It's the same thing.

I mix a few drops of very hot water and a few drops of VetRx in a cup. Use a q-tip to stir vigorously. Use a damp q-tip to swab their nares (a new end per each spot), and open the beak - swab the cleft opening in the roof of the mouth (the "choana") to fume her sinuses. If you switch birds, use a completely new q-tip.

This helps reduce inflammation, helps ease itchiness, helps facilitate better breathing. I've used it several times with birds who are just sneezing.

Also, you could give them all some cod liver oil or fortified wheat germ oil (read the label for A, D, E fortification) misted just on top of their feed twice a week for the next couple of weeks. Wheat germ oil (fortified) can usually be found at feed stores that cater to horses - or, I believe, TSC. Use a travel sized misting/spray bottle to dispense.

All birds can get this. The A vitamin provided in an oil on feed like this in small amounts will really help with respiratory and ocular healing. If they're fighting a little something (even viral) then it can help them get over it more quickly without necessarily medicating. Medicating should always be the last option.

It also wouldn't hurt to give them all some plain yogurt. If they're sneezing, they might have a little sinuse draining on the inside. Their sinuses drain into their digestive tract and the fluid can sometimes throw that pH off, causing digestive upset. PLain yogurt contains the same type of living bacteria (lactobacilli) that colonize their gut protecting them from diarrhea, etc. Those bacteria are sometimes decreased in number by sinus secretions - so you simply replace them. They shouldn't really need it more than a couple of times during the week, and again all chickens would benefit from it.

Mine like it plain from the spoon - others have to be tricked into eating it by mixing with cooked eggs, cooked oatmeal, their crumbles, etc.

OK so a summary:

Check the coop for any mildew or smells.
Replace bedding with pine if you're using cedar.
Try VetRx swabs this week to increase breathing, ease irritation
Mist foods with fortified wheat germ oil or cod liver oil twice this week
Feed yogurt twice this week.

That's my recommendation until anything further happens. If the symptoms should change, please update THIS post as you'll have subscribers here and will be more likely to get answers. Thanks!

 

[thebirdfarm]

I had a hen do the same thing this last spring so I added some aureomycin chlortetracycline to their water and it cleared up. Just filled their waterer with it once and let it run out (which took about 2 days) and she was fine.

 

[Kiwi Chicky]

Thank you so much for the fantastic advice

My 'coop' is actually a wood shed so the ventilation is really good, but its still has protection from winds.

It has been raining a lot here recently - since 1st June we've had only 11 days with no rain

I use hay as bedding and in their nesting boxes.

I will look into the products you've mentioned and see what the equivalents are here.

And I'll use them if I can catch them

I will also get them some yoghurt

Thanks again, I really appreciate it

 

[threehorses]

Thebirdfarm, I just really hate to bring it up, but giving aureomycin for two days is just not the way it should be given. It worked for you. But please never recommend the incorrect use of antibiotics for others. that's how we get antibiotic resistances, and that's why some of these drugs just don't cut it anymore for illnesses.

If you treated for about 1 day (because after 1 day the meds aren't effective) then aureomycin isn't what fixed the bird.