Sneezing in an otherwise healthy seeming young hen

[ymeiask]

I got 7 chicks from TSC in April and one of the red sex links sneezes. She did this a few weeks back, right after I had moved them from a brooder box into a smaller coop so I didn't put a lot of stock in it, thinking it may just be the pine shavings. I have since moved them to an outdoor run and larger 8 by 10 coop and hadn't really noticed anymore sneezing from her until yesterday. I also heard another hen sneeze but only a couple of times. Reading some of threads about sneezing now has me very concerned. I saw a slight clear discharge from the nose of the sex link, but otherwise she seems fine, eating, drinking, flying. Any advice? I've seen some posts about antibiotics,but am new to this. I only have the 7 chickens, and they are all the same approximate age, so do I treat everyone? Perhaps I am jumping the gun...other than the occasional sneezing she's fine but I don't want something progressing.

 

[Judy]

Antibiotics are not necessarily the answer. If this is a respiratory disease, which it may well not be, these are serious illnesses, and usually not curable. Even if the chicken seems to get well, it can be a carrier for life and even pass it on through the egg to the chick. And even if you go the antibiotic route, you need to know the right one. Unfortunately, chickens get some serious illnesses and it's a good idea to be aware of the possibility, if not the specific illnesses.

It's still possible it is some sort of irritant causing the problem. It could also be a fungal infection, which is treatable. Here is a very good thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...try-often-mistaken-for-crd-mycoplasmosis/0_20

And an overview of respiratory diseases:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[ymeiask]

Thanks for the info. Reading through all of the different feeds, respiratory seems to be such a broad topic that this one symptom could be most anything, some horrifying, to just an allergen. So, I really don't know where to start or how. My husband thinks I am overreacting, and I do tend to be a worrier. These are basically feathered dogs to me so I want to do what I can quickly. Still scratching my head since for all intents and purposes she is just doing these little cat like sneezes with no other outward signs of anything amiss...and reading the different diseases in the attached link, none of those signs/symptoms apply. Maybe I am just a little nuts!

 

[oswald808]

she could have ate something that's not digesting properly...i had the same thing happen to my roo, he was sneezing and fluid coming out of his nose for like 4-6 hours one night.
took him to the vet and apparently it seemed as if it was coming from nose but it was the mouth...
does the fluid smell funny? if so it's digestive fluid

later i realized i feed him macadamia nuts when chickens cannot digest them