Wheezing Hen

[Porch Chickens]

My Easter Egger, Rue, has been coughing occasionally for a few days. Today we noticed that she's wheezing. If I put my ear to her chest, her breathing sounds normal there, so it seems the wheezing is coming from higher up like from her nostrils. Her piping noises sound hoarse and whistling.

She's very active and eating and drinking normally so far. She's the one who escapes the coop constantly. She's flighty and just helps herself to the entire yard, grazing on the lawn and digging in the mulch for bugs while the rest of the flock stays inside the run and coop. She's 5 years old and since the laying season started again laying 3-5 per week.

I've brought her inside this evening, as it has been really cold for San Diego. We've put her in the broody crate with food and water and covered it with a towel. I'm hoping it's just a little cold that will run it's course. I've attached a photo of her in the puppy crate tonight.

 

[Delaneygraces]

Hallo! It’s hard to say exactly what’s wrong with Rue! But a simple treatment for Pretty much lof anything is Penicillin or Baytril. When we find a chicken get raspy/rattles, we give them an injection of one or the other, and it seems to work doing that and keeping them inside for a while!

 

[Porch Chickens]

I have some Baytril that expired in 2015... it was from when Rue's sister got the Canker. Antibiotic won't do a thing if it's viral, so maybe I'll just give it a couple of days first and see if being inside improves things. At least she's eating and drinking. Seems happy inside. Our hens are used to coming in from time to time, so not stressed by it.

 

[Peter.J]

I would seperate the chicken so it doesn’t get others sick. I had a similar thing a couple months ago; i gave her tetramycin injections (0.25cc) into the skin by her legs (not into the muscle) for 5 days and she got better. Who knows if it was the antibiotics or not but its worth a shot. I thought she was on her death bed so I’m leaning towards the tetramycin being the cure in that instance...

 

[Porch Chickens]

Rue is still wheezing, but still eating and drinking normally, laying an egg every day, and very active. I'm hoping it's just a little head cold? Seems like everything is business as usual for her. I'm bringing her in at night and keeping her cozy, but letting her out during the day, separated from the rest of the flock.