Chicken bald back

[sorkycake]

We have 4 chickens in a raised wooden hen house with run, in the back garden (urban). Now they're settled in, they have access to the garden too. They are pullets.

 

I've been a bit worried about (the youngest) the Coral Nick aka Princess Layer

 

She was first out of the house and went straight into the run, happily pooing and feeding etc. By the end of the day (Thursday) she sounded like she was either sneezing or coughing.

The next morning she was last out of the hen house and had what looked like a runny nose, although she fed okay she looked a little tired (can chickens look tired?) I put some garlic in the water.

On Saturday, her breathing looked a bit laboured and she kept away from the others at times, sitting down a bit fluffed.

I rang the Farmer we bought them from, who asked us to take her back to them. But just before we were going to catch her, she perked up a little. So I rang them and said I'd leave her overnight to see how she got on.

 

This morning, she shot out of the hen house first and looks fine!! Inside the nest box was an egg with no shell. Could it all be related?

[quickcluck]

If they are brewing a softie (shell less or no shelled egg) they can be very off colour. Withdrawn, hunched up, not eating or drinking, then once they have laid it they spring back to normal!!!

 

If you have coughing and sneezing, I would keep an eye on them. You could get some Citricidal in the water and it can help with that. If it persists tho you may need some treatment.

 

Hope that helps!

 

K

[sorkycake]

Thank you. I hope it is that, though I do think she may have a cold too.

How do you know if a chicken is sneezing or coughing?

 

There again, is it her particular voice? She does cluck, cluck like the others. I'm sure I didn't worry about my kids this much

[quickcluck]

lol, I know the feeling...

 

the sneezing is quite obvious, so if she is put some citricidal in the water as it will help the others also. Should it progress or she sounds like she is gargling or you can see bubbles in her nose/eyes, you will need a vet.

 

I suspect the citricidal will do the trick!

[sorkycake]

sorry, that should be she *doesn't* cluck, cluck like the rest.

 

I've ordered some citricidal and it should be here on Tuesday.

 

She's not gasping, though yesterday she was breathing with her beak open, which made me think maybe her nose is blocked. Perhaps it is sneezing then....who knows!!

 

I'll try her with the citricidal and see if she perks up. Am I right in thinking that as long as she's pootling about the garden, pecking, feeding and pooing, she's generally not too bad?!

 

If she goes downhill I will take her to the vets.

 

Thanks very much for your help

[quickcluck]

no probs

[migsy]

My black rock started sneezing really badly for about 2 days shortly after I got her. I ordered some Citricidal from Omlet and by the time it arrived the hen was fully recovered!

 

Hope she feels better soon.

[WitchHazel]

Congratulations on your chooks. It's often stressful at first as you get used to what's "normal" and what isn't.

 

She's not gasping, though yesterday she was breathing with her beak open, which made me think maybe her nose is blocked. Perhaps it is sneezing then....who knows!!

 

Chickens do breathe open mouthed if they are a bit stressed, or if the weather is very warm, so it's not necessarily a problem.

 

She may be snuffling from dust rather than because of anything unpleasant. If you can hear rattling in her chest while she is breathing heavily, that is an indicator of something possibly more serious.

 

Keep us upated?

[Dangri]

my two girls are constantly sneezing and coughing... but then they do spend most of their waking hours with their heads in the dirt, kicking at all the undergrowth (I used to have a garden, now I have a forest!)!! They've been like this since they've been free ranging which was a couple of weeks after they arrived. I too was really worried at first, but it just seems to be habit for them. They're both feeding well, are both active (they love running and flapping about), both laying, and are generally happy little soles )

 

I'd go with what the others have suggested and see how it all goes ) (my girls also seem to save the sneezing up for when I'm close to them, little rotters !)

 

Dxx