4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Willow]

Hi,

One of my young columbine sometimes makes a sound that is halfway between a sneeze and a cough. She is healthy, laying well and recently wormed as are my other 6 chickens. I realised she has been doing this for a few weeks without getting worse as I was keeping an eye on her to see if she seemed ill and didn't keep track of time

Should I be worried ?

Thanks

[Mrs Frugal]

One of my Sussex Girls does that too, Patricia. I am not going to worry about her unless the sneeze/cough becomes more regular or she develops any nasal/eye discharge, rattly breathing or facial swelling though. She seems perfectly OK otherwise and I sometimes wonder whether she just gets a bit of dust up her nose while she's rootling around in the run?

[sandyhas3chucks]

i have one that does it too.

since she came to me in August.

[Willow]

Thanks ladies that's reassuring. I'll continue to keep an eye on her but not worry too much. She didn't do it when she came to me but she definitely seems very healthy.

[Budgies]

Have you tried adding a little Citricidal to their water? Many chook owners swear by this product for the sneezes and sniffles.

 

Alternatively, I did have a chicken that was intolerant to the straw we lined her nesting box with. We removed the straw and she stopped sneezing!

[Kittycat]

I've been wondering about this too - one of my chickens quite regularly sneezes but is otherwise very happy and laying every day. I have used Citricidal but it doesn't seem to have made much difference. I have picked her up and listened to her chest and there is no rattling. I can't believe it is anything infectious as my other two chickens don't sneeze.

 

I wondered whether she might have an allergy but I can't think what that would be to as their run is on soil with woodchippings and I just use shredded paper in the nestbox. They free range in the garden for about 5 hours every day.

 

I am loathe to take her to the vet for an unnecessary and expensive course of antibiotics when she just seems so well, so I am just keeping an eye on her to make sure no other symptoms arise.