Sneezing, multiple chickens, colder weather?

[Madeline90]

One of my Buff Orpingtons started to sneeze about two months ago. I got worried and gave the whole clock (about 60 chickens) electrolytes and probiotics and she stopped sneezing. This morning I got out to give them treats and multiple chickens are sneezing, probably like 6 of them including my sweet rooster (all different breeds, I have a variety). Sneezing is the only symptom I see, from standing there with them I don’t see drainage, no head shaking, no labored breathing, and combs are bright red.
The weather just dropped in one night from a high of 90s, to a high of 60s and low of 40s. Could that trigger them to sneeze?
I just don’t know what to do. Any advice?

 

[azygous]

You may have a respiratory virus present in your flock that manifests in symptoms when your chickens come under stress. They may be able to fight off these secondary symptoms, and you will need to do nothing more than supply them with good nutritional support as you have done previously.

If the symptoms worsen to mucous discharges from eyes and beak and lethargy, you will then be wise to put the flock through a round of Tylan.

 

[Russplend]

Coughing by broilers. What could be cause and treatment?

 

[Eggcessive]

As said before a virus such as infectious bronchitis, may be going through your flock over time. It mainly causes sneezing, some mild congestion, and a slowdown in laying. In worse cases, it may cause kidney problems or abnormal egg shells, or be complicated secondary infections. Stress or cold weather can bring about an illness. The best thing to do is to wait for at least a year after the last one is sick, before hatching or adding new birds. This disease makes them carriers for up to a year, so after that, it shouldn’t be passed on to the next generation. I believe I had IB in my flock 4 years ago, and that is how I got rid of the birus being passed on.

 

[Madeline90]

Thanks you guys for replying. I just caught one that was sneezing and assessed her.
She is wheezing a little bit and smacking her mouth like there might be congestion. No drainage in the nostrils.
Another terrifying thing- one of the younger hatched that hatched in July was just found dead in the big coop.
This could be from the big chickens pecking her (though I’ve never seen them attack to death), my dog (I caught him playing with one one night but by the time I went to check I assumed she ran to shelter. Maybe he hurt her internally and she just passed?), or this respiratory thing.
I’m super stressed now, I can’t lose them. What can I do?

As said before a virus such as infectious bronchitis, may be going through your flock over time. It mainly causes sneezing, some mild congestion, and a slowdown in laying. In worse cases, it may cause kidney problems or abnormal egg shells, or be complicated secondary infections. Stress or cold weather can bring about an illness. The best thing to do is to wait for at least a year after the last one is sick, before hatching or adding new birds. This disease makes them carriers for up to a year, so after that, it shouldn’t be passed on to the next generation. I believe I had IB in my flock 4 years ago, and that is how I got rid of the birus being passed on.