Very worried about constantly sneezing chick!

[Wyorp Rock]

I don't see anything abnormal, but then again it's still so small now. I checked the inside the beak too, just a few tiny bits of food in there. I could be paranoid but this chicks sounds a bit different when drinking, like louder.

It's sneezing approximately every 30 seconds, I haven't seen it stop eating or drinking to sneeze yet.

I too would just keep watch since it's not stopped eating/drinking.

 

[5GodsDown]

I don’t use ACV with baby chicks, just clean water, chick feed. This particular chick could have some other problem going on, but I would keep observing it. Make sure they have good ventilation overhead.

They're in a sort of rabbit cage now on a cabinet in the living room, so it should be open enough for ventilation

 

[5GodsDown]

I too would just keep watch since it's not stopped eating/drinking.

I sent an email a few weeks ago to the vet I used to go to with my dog to check if they treat chickens too for future purposes. They told me to wait another few days and if they begin to look sick to come get some antibiotics.

 

[5GodsDown]

After a few days I'm pretty sure it's a respiratory disease. It's still one in particular that's sneezing but because the other ones were sometimes sneezing too I decided to give the vet a call. The one that had been sneezing a lot had a bubble forming around a nosetrill today. They're on antibiotics since today because I really don't want to risk anything.

 

[Eggcessive]

What antibiotic are you using? Tylan or tylosin is very good, and oxytetracycline and doxycycline are others used. Good luck, and glad that you got them started on antibiotics. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics, but the AB’s may treat if there are any secondary infections.

 

[5GodsDown]

What antibiotic are you using? Tylan or tylosin is very good, and oxytetracycline and doxycycline are others used. Good luck, and glad that you got them started on antibiotics. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics, but the AB’s may treat if there are any secondary infections.

She mentioned the name but I forgot. I also don't know if it has the same name in my country. In any case I had been mailing back and forth with her this week about it, so I guess it would have been a fitting antibiotic.

But if it's CRD then the antibiotics would cure it I'd guess since that's a bacteria? The chicks are still doing very well apart from the sneezing. They only use their heat plate at night, during the day they just sleep in the open. Room temperature is 73.4. I would think that's not enough, but they seem to do just fine and act active enough.

I take them with me every night for a few minutes and yesterday I was gaming and couldn't hold them back. They were obsessed by the keyboard, tried to jump at the screen and tried to take dust baths on my mouse mat

 

[Eggcessive]

Sounds like they are doing well. Here is a link that has information about the most common respiratory diseases such as infectious bronchitis (IB,) mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG, CRD) infectious coryza, (ILT) infectious layngo tracheitis, and aspergillosis:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[5GodsDown]

Hi guys

My chick is a bit confusing. The sneezing has got worse at night and she full on sounds like she has a cold now, nose full of mucus. Rattled breathing when sleeping at night and one eye closed most of the time though nothing to see there.

On the other hand she's still pretty much as active as the others. She just looks a little bit more exhausted at the end of the day.

So I'm not sure whether it could be bronchitis or coryza... in any case they've been on antibiotics since Friday. The vet said to give it to them for at least 7 days, but is there something more I can do? More heat? I keep the heat at around 73,4 inside now and they have a heat plate they don't use that often anymore.

I clean the brooder every 3-4 days but remove some poop every morning and evening. What's the best way to disinfect the brooder? I've been cleaning it with boiling water and some dish soap.

How are the chances of survival for 3 week old chicks?

 

[Eggcessive]

Well, they have only had 3 days of antibiotics, right? Are they drinking enough of the medicated water? We don’t know what the name or the dosage of the medicine is to help with that. If the chicks have bronchitis, they may be sick for a few weeks to a month. It they have MG, they may get better in a few days. Sick chicks can be chilled and need extra heat.

Coryza smells rotten and usually causes thick nasal discharge and pus in the eyes. They are more sick than with MG or IB. There is no way of knowing what they have without testing. I have only dealt with bronchitis in my flock, and it did seem worse at night, just like when humans have a cold virus. So I would make sure the chicks are drinking well, and put some of the medicated water in a small bowl of their food, in case they will take more that way.

You cannot really disinfect a brooder, but just keep the bedding stirred and dry, and add new when needed. When it is really soiled, change it completely and use some Lysol or similar product on the bare floor. That is about the best you can do. Make aure they have good air circulation.

 

[5GodsDown]

Well, they have only had 3 days of antibiotics, right? Are they drinking enough of the medicated water? We don’t know what the name or the dosage of the medicine is to help with that. If the chicks have bronchitis, they may be sick for a few weeks to a month. It they have MG, they may get better in a few days. Sick chicks can be chilled and need extra heat.

Coryza smells rotten and usually causes thick nasal discharge and pus in the eyes. They are more sick than with MG or IB. There is no way of knowing what they have without testing. I have only dealt with bronchitis in my flock, and it did seem worse at night, just like when humans have a cold virus. So I would make sure the chicks are drinking well, and put some of the medicated water in a small bowl of their food, in case they will take more that way.

You cannot really disinfect a brooder, but just keep the bedding stirred and dry, and add new when needed. When it is really soiled, change it completely and use some Lysol or similar product on the bare floor. That is about the best you can do. Make aure they have good air circulation.

Yes, since Friday. I'll ask the exact name of the antibiotics tomorrow. Mostly they drink after eating and they follow one another. I came back home at lunch time last week, but that's only 30 minutes so I don't know what's enough to drink for them. The water level does seem to be lower when I come back from work.

Ventilation should be ok, the brooder isn't closed on all sides. The chick doesn't seem to be cold, although it's the quickest one to jump in my hand and lay down. Should I put a heat lamp in part of the brooder again? I didn't want to do it now at night because light keeps mine particularly active.