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

[Racefox]

Hi all... I have browsed through the obvious places in the forum to find information before asking so if I've missed something please point me in the right direction!

 

One of my chickens started doing this snotty sounding 'hack' sort of a cross between a cough and a sneeze during the week. Today, the other of the two has started doing it too.

 

There are two factors that I know of that could be considered that may have caused this and I wanted to run them by the wealth of experience here!

 

One is that I've just spent a week in bed with Swine Flu. Before it rendered me bad enough to go to bed I was still taking care of and cuddling the chickens! I don't think this virus can be spread to birds but I have wondered if I've passed something on by feeding them out of my hands or picking them up and cuddling them (I know, it's daft - they're just so cuddly!). Or is it just coincidental they got this a couple of days after I got ill?

 

The other is that they'd taken to drinking rain water out of a bowl that I'd left laying outside the patio doors. I emptied it and replaced it with freshwater but didn't take the time to scrub a thin layer of algae out of the bottom as the flu had really started dragging me down and I couldn't be bothered. That sounds terrible, but It really was all I could do to pick the bowl up and put fresh water in it and I forgot to ask my other half to sort it later.

 

When the girls drink out of this bowl Wendy tends to dip her head in it and flick the water everywhere, whereas Susan is a very delicate drinker and takes dainty little sips. I originally wondered if Wendy had breathed some water in but since the 'hack' seems to have passed to Susan now i'm less confident with that line of thought.

 

They both have clear eyes, nose, beak and vents and healthy looking poo. Although Wendy does occasionally do a projectile green cowpat, it usually goes solid by the end of the day. Their feathers look great and they are both eating and laying really well. However, they both sound slightly wheezy when you put an ear up to them and when they do the cough/sneeze thing it's rattly in their nose.

 

My first inclination is to whisk them off to the vet as soon as I am allowed out of the house (or get a friend to if they show signs of deterioration sooner). But as a fairly new chicken owner am I just worrying over nothing?

[Plum]

Hello, I've not had personal experience of coughing problems with chickens but from what I have learnt if their breathing sounds wheezy you are best to get the vet to check them out in case chest is infected.

It could be an upper respiratory infection and citracidal seems to be recommended to boost their immunity put in their water.

I read that swine flu isn't passed to animals/birds but who knows it could be. If it's a virus you let them work through it but they can get a secondary infection which needs antibiotics.

 

Glad they are well in themselves. Someone with experience will come along soon.

 

Hope you are up and going soon. Poor you

[GeorgeA]

I am sorry to hear that you are all unwell, We have just got over the Swine Flue and know that it knocks you for six.

 

Just so you dont think you are alone,

 

One of my girls has a similar problem with a sneezey cough, she looks bright enough, but less active. She also seems a little rattly, to me it sounds like a gentle snoring type sound. As it has done nothing but rain since we got them. I was wondering if it was just a cold type thing and what was the best course of action.

 

 

George

[Racefox]

Thanks for your replies..

 

It certainly does George, first day out of bed today, my legs are like jelly!

 

After popping out to close the girls house up this evening I poked my head in the nest box to check up on them while they are still and quiet and Wendy has a very audible but quiet raspy 'snore' going on with her breathing. It does sound more upper than lower respiratory, I think I'll go ahead and get her to the vet this weekend.

 

I do have some citricidal so I'll try that too.

[beach chick]

I dont want to alarm you unneccessarily, but there could be an infection like mycoplasma? I have lost 2 girls in the last 2 weeks, after introducing 7 new ones from somewhere I now know to be riddled with the bug.

Meringue went first, 10 days ago, and she was coughing and sounded rattly but was otherwise normal - found her dead in the nest box one morning. Juanita went ill exactly a week later and although she only had mild sneezing we had to haver her PTS after 24 hours intensive nursing...

praps a vet check is the best thing - maybe wait til Mon if you think you can.

hope she does ok.

[Egluntyne]

I'd go with the citricidal for now and get them to the vet as soon as you are well.

 

Funny how they always reject clean fresh water in favour of a puddle.

 

The filthier the better in my girl's case.

 

Hope you are soon back on your feet.

[GeorgeA]

Hi

 

I dont want to alarm you but I have just spoken to the vet and am taking penny down at 17:30. They suggested I take her back to omlet as I have only had her six days. Cant see my daughter letting me do that. Now where did I put that credit card.

 

How are your girls Racefox?

I hope yours are feeling better (and you).

[Racefox]

Hi all.... I took Wendy down to the vet this morning and after a very flustering checkover (the look on that chickens face was PRICELESS) the vet prescribed both her and Wendy Baytril antibiotic drops twice daily. She also gave Wendy an injection of antibiotic in the chest so I'm hoping to see some improvement in the next couple of days. Wendy didn't lay an egg today which is only the second time in the 6ish weeks she's been laying so either she's feeling under the weather or it's coincidental that she's just taken a little break again. Either way we have to discard all eggs while they're on the meds.

 

Good luck with Penny, George. And thanks, I'm feeling a lot better today, just need to start eating again to get some strength back

[GeorgeA]

Hi Racefox,

 

Glad you are all sorted, hope you and the chickens all make a full recovery.

Vet diagnosed Penny as having Mycoplasma gave her an injection of something begining with T and some drops for the water. now we have to wait and see.

 

Can't fault the vet if anyone near Towcester is looking for one it is next door to the Bell plantation garden centre. He took the time to show and explain to my daughter how crossing breeds gave the different hybrids. he went online and showed her how the different Cock / Hen combinations affected the chicks colouring.

[Racefox]

Wow.. Beach Chick was on the nail with that diagnosis then George. The vet didn't say what she thought Wendy had other than some sort of respiratory infection but the symptoms of our chickens are very similar arent they. The drops I'm giving mine have to be given undiluted so I'm squirting them on porridge oats and they're scoffing them down. The hardest bit is making sure they stick to their own bowls! One in the coop and one out is going to be the best method methinks!

[Racefox]

I just did a bit of reading up on Baytril and it does kill off mycoplasmas too so the vet must have had it in mind.

 

By the way, thank you Beach Chick - I might have waited a day or more to get them to the vet if you hadn't posted your last post. You may have saved me a horrid nest box discovery

 

Citricidal in all drinking water now too. Thank you everyone, very helpful as usual.

[GeorgeA]

Hi Racefox,

 

How is everyone now?

[Racefox]

Well I think the coughing is a little less frequent and when I hear it, it doesn't sound quite so snotty. So hopefully it's starting to clear up.

 

The rotten thing now is discarding 2 eggs per day for the next 2 weeks

 

How's Penny?

[GeorgeA]

Today penny seems fine,

 

She didn't eat at all yesterday and only had a couple of sips to drink. This morning she was a lot livelier, and eating and drinking. We let her free range for a bit and she was off so hopefully she is OK now.

 

Sorry to hear about the eggs, but I bet you are happier to discard them and your birds be OK. I have everything crossed for you.

[Racefox]

Good to hear she's perked up. Yes, there's no choice between the eggs and the chickens, chickens win. It just feels such a shame to toss away eggs doesn't it.

 

I found out this morning (when I made breakfast) Susan laid me two double yokers last week! I thought they were unusually large in size when she laid them!

[GeorgeA]

Hi,

 

It is a shame to throw the eggs out when they have gone to all that trouble to lay them.

 

Do you think she knew what was about to happen and layed you two large double yolkers as a thank you?

[Racefox]

LOL... it's a nice thought. I think she may have laid another today.

 

Susan is a strange one. She lays little eggs for a couple of days, then she might go to doing softies for up to a week then suddenly she cranks out a jumbo sized egg twice the size of her usual eggs which has a double yolk in it! Of course I can't use the one she's laid today so I'll break it open in a bit and have a look to see if it's one or two inside.