"Special" leghorn? Question

[NineChickens]

I would bet it's something with her respiratory system. It sounds a little funky but, can chickens get asthma? She may have it. I doubt it's anything contagious and really wouldn't worry about it too much unless she shows other signs of illness...I don't want to fully let her off the hook incase it IS something...she's eating and drinking right? Everything else normal?

She got this a year ago, I put her back with he flock after she had it for a month or two because she was lonely and I figured if it was bad she'd be dead already. She eats and drunks just fine and runs with the other hens when they free range. It's not contagious because none of the other 8 have it.

 

[PouleNoire]

Given that she has had it for a while and it doesn't seem to be bothering her other than the coughing and she's eating and drinking fine, I would suspect asthma (if chickens can get it) instead of any other disease just because she's alert and shows no other symptoms. Keep watching her and if it starts to get worse, look into it more. That's what I think

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It's not contagious because none of the other 8 have it.

Sorry... that is misinformed reasoning.

The flu my family just had WAS contagious... but I didn't get it because my immune system was stronger than theirs.

Marek's is highly contagious... but not all birds will display symptoms or succumb. Last year 2/82 of my birds caught Marek's SYMPTOMS. Now all the literature says EVERY one of my birds is a carrier and may succumb when weakened by anything else from worms, to cocci, molting, or flock dynamics. Same for cocci, highly contagious but NOT ALL birds will succumb or display symptoms. Some birds have stronger immune systems than others. Like many other things... it *could* just be waiting for an opportunity to take a foot hold on any number of flock members. Sorry, I'm no fear monger... but very much a realist who understands the possibilities.

If kidney failure and so many other things that happen to humans can be a possibility... I'm not sure why not asthma (or for some allergies)... But I'm not buying that as the reason for something developing midway through life and not changing even at rest.

Hope she lives happily ever after... with breathing like that I would suspect maybe a shorter life than others who aren't laboring for every single breath. But if she's happy and eating and drinking... well that's a content chicken. Make the best of it.

 

[NineChickens]

Sorry... that is misinformed reasoning.

The flu my family just had WAS contagious... but I didn't get it because my immune system was stronger than theirs.

Marek's is highly contagious... but not all birds will display symptoms or succumb. Last year 2/82 of my birds caught Marek's SYMPTOMS. Now all the literature says EVERY one of my birds is a carrier and may succumb when weakened by anything else from worms, to cocci, molting, or flock dynamics. Same for cocci, highly contagious but NOT ALL birds will succumb or display symptoms. Some birds have stronger immune systems than others. Like many other things... it *could* just be waiting for an opportunity to take a foot hold on any number of flock members. Sorry, I'm no fear monger... but very much a realist who understands the possibilities.

If kidney failure and so many other things that happen to humans can be a possibility... I'm not sure why not asthma (or for some allergies)... But I'm not buying that as the reason for something developing midway through life and not changing even at rest.

Hope she lives happily ever after... with breathing like that I would suspect maybe a shorter life than others who aren't laboring for every single breath. But if she's happy and eating and drinking... well that's a content chicken. Make the best of it.

I
I really hope nothing bad happens to my girls. I'm honestly not worried about it though, they all seem happy and active.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I really hope nothing bad happens to my girls. I'm honestly not worried about it though,

I can second that.

You seem like you do your best for them.

 

[NineChickens]

Here she is scratching around like the other girls, just fine

 

[PouleNoire]

Good!