To medicate or not to medicate ???

[ashlierami]

I adopted 2 chicks today. I have other birds so I currently have these 2 quarantined from the others. One of the new chicks is sneezing and sounds congested in the throat. When it sneezes there is clear fluid that comes from the nose. I have never had a sick chicken besides coccidiosis. The chicks came from Columbus Georgia to where I live in North Alabama. I was thinking the climate change all of sudden could be the issue. Should I start medication? Should I wait it out? The one with symptoms does not act ill. It drinks and eats and has solid healthy looking poop. Any advice would be appreciated I do not want my healthy birds getting sick. I have chickens from ages 2 weeks to 1.5 years so this concerns me for the sake of their health.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I adopted 2 chicks today. I have other birds so I currently have these 2 quarantined from the others. One of the new chicks is sneezing and sounds congested in the throat. When it sneezes there is clear fluid that comes from the nose. I have never had a sick chicken besides coccidiosis. The chicks came from Columbus Georgia to where I live in North Alabama. I was thinking the climate change all of sudden could be the issue. Should I start medication? Should I wait it out? The one with symptoms does not act ill. It drinks and eats and has solid healthy looking poop. Any advice would be appreciated I do not want my healthy birds getting sick. I have chickens from ages 2 weeks to 1.5 years so this concerns me for the sake of their health.

It's good that you have them kept separately.
I would wait to see if more symptoms develop.
It's hard to know if sudden change in climate is the cause, but I would be extra vigilant since sneezing with mucous could also be respiratory illness.

If symptoms worsen, then collecting a swab of mucous would be a good idea to see what you are dealing with. This will give you more information on what the next step should be.

 

[ashlierami]

It's good that you have them kept separately.
I would wait to see if more symptoms develop.
It's hard to know if sudden change in climate is the cause, but I would be extra vigilant since sneezing with mucous could also be respiratory illness.

If symptoms worsen, then collecting a swab of mucous would be a good idea to see what you are dealing with. This will give you more information on what the next step should be.

Yes I agree. I plan to keep them separate for the next 2 weeks or so just to settle in. I have to deworm them and check for mites before I release them with my original birds. I have always been told it's best to keep new birds separate for a few weeks. I am glad I decided to since I have a possible ill bird. I talked to the person I got them from and the climate in Columbus Georgia is hot and dry . Where I live it's cooler with humidity or alot of rain so I'm thinking this might be a factor. I didn't notice any odor coming from the head of the "sick" bird and there are no other symptoms besides sneezing, congestion, and clear fluid coming from the nose.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Are you using shavings in their brooder, maybe dusty?

 

[Helloworld]

Yes I agree. I plan to keep them separate for the next 2 weeks or so just to settle in. I have to deworm them and check for mites before I release them with my original birds. I have always been told it's best to keep new birds separate for a few weeks. I am glad I decided to since I have a possible ill bird. I talked to the person I got them from and the climate in Columbus Georgia is hot and dry . Where I live it's cooler with humidity or alot of rain so I'm thinking this might be a factor. I didn't notice any odor coming from the head of the "sick" bird and there are no other symptoms besides sneezing, congestion, and clear fluid coming from the nose.

You should not be worming your chicks. Too early if they are the two week olds. Also, when my chickens hit the ground at 12 weeks, we wait to deworm.
There are also beneficial worms and their bodies need to be able to identify them cell wise first.

I have a question... is the chick shaking it’s head?
If it is vet.
If so, suspect Infectious Laryngotracheitis

If not, I say Bronchitis caused from change in environment. Went from hot to cold. Hopefully you will be able to find a vet to exam them.

If you do not see blood coming from their nose, then I would try and recreate their environment. If they are the two week olds, they should be in an area that is 90 degrees. They need to settle down and see if once they regroup what color is the discharge then. Next, I do not know what you have but also think about the size of water hole available to them. It may have simply sucked it up through nose and now it is coming out. If you put something dusty it will take time for them to get the dust out. Chickens sneeze too.

So... if it was me, I would keep both of them together, heat, maybe wet crumbles to consistency of brown sugar to make sure it isn’t inhaling fine powdered crumbles LIKE my new bags have right now! Keep eyes clean and nose wiped. Monitor eating and drinking and a tiny bit of behavior watching and it may be fine. The discharge color will be the factor to watch and if it is Serious respiratory she would not be eating, lethargic and blah. Once you see that, be worried then.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes I agree. I plan to keep them separate for the next 2 weeks or so just to settle in. I have to deworm them and check for mites before I release them with my original birds. I have always been told it's best to keep new birds separate for a few weeks. I am glad I decided to since I have a possible ill bird. I talked to the person I got them from and the climate in Columbus Georgia is hot and dry . Where I live it's cooler with humidity or alot of rain so I'm thinking this might be a factor. I didn't notice any odor coming from the head of the "sick" bird and there are no other symptoms besides sneezing, congestion, and clear fluid coming from the nose.

How old are the chicks? 2 weeks?
You shouldn't have any problems with worms at this age.

I would keep them separated out for 2wks minimum. If the congestion, sneezing, etc. does not clear up on it's own - depending on your goals, culling may be the wisest thing to do.