Poorly chicken

[bokbok87]

Hi lovely people,

 

I have had my hens for 6 days now and yesterday I noticed in the evening that one of my hybrids isn't well at all!

Yesterday was the first day that she came into lay but I believe that is completely unrelated.

 

She hasn't eaten today and won't take treats from my hand and seems to close her eyes when shes in the run instead of foraging like my other 3.

They have a cat litter box filled with builders sand and a bit of dirt from the garden but so far none of them have used it except to try and eat it!

 

She makes a funny noise when breathing and then flicks her head and makes almost a noise like shes sneezing

Obviously yesterday when I got home and panicked and called my vet (which I use for the cat) and they politely told me that yes I could bring her in but, they aren't poultry specialists. I presume what she meant was that they can't do much other then a course of general antibiotics? I might have to ring today and take them up on the offer!

 

I couldn't think of anything else to do but to take a video of Ginger with her strange sounds and upload it to youtube. Perhaps this way one of you can identify the problem quickly and put my mind at rest!

[coco]

She looks healthy enough, if in doubt pop her up to the vet, most vets have a basic knowledge of poultry and at least they can listen to her chest.

[bokbok87]

Thanks, finally a reply! I was getting worried that this wasn't common.

I sent an email to the breeder I bought them from last week with my concerns and this is what they said:

 

'This looks like a respiratory problem. It could be one of two things, Mycoplasma or Infectious Bronchitis. These are the two most common problems and I would suggest it is more than likely Mycoplasma as this would have been the last vaccination it would have had and could be a reaction to it. It is also quite common on wild birds and this is the way it is most spread. If it is a reaction to the vaccine then it will clear on its own but if it has not been immunized by the vaccine it will need antibiotics, Tylan to be exact. Although they have been fully vaccinated , there is still a chance of them catching some things. Has the house been used for chickens before ? If it has this might be the cause if it hasn't been disinfected properly. I would suggest it is thoroughly disinfected with an agricultural disinfectant like Virkon and also add a little of it to the water to stop any risk of it spreading to the others.'

 

I have SCRUBBED till my hands were raw this afternoon. I didn't have Virkon but had standard anti bac and washing up liquid and really made sure there was nothing on it and that it fully dried before putting it back together (like I do normally!)

Should I have cleaned the metal run as well? I thought it a bit unfair to hose it all down when they are in it all day so thought I would do that in the evening.

As for the drinker and feeder, I wash this daily in warm water or put in dishwasher. Am I missing something? It is only one of the hens with this issue.....the other 3 are fine.

When cleaning I did notice a slight bit of redness on the dropping tray in some of the droppings. Would this be because the hen has only just come into lay??

I notice they don't really touch the grit I have left for them in an old flower pot so will try to make an effort tonight to put it in their evening treat tonight - maybe that will help?

 

The hen with the strange noise (ginger) was happy digging in the garden when I let her out but as soon as they were confined to their run she went straight back to the nesting box and laid a very small egg which is positive!

[Claireabella]

Just to put your mind at rest, we had a similar thing with Barbara shortly after we had her. She was sneezing and making the same noise you are hearing from your little hen. The noise was mainly from blocked nasal passages and you may see a discharge from the nostrils (that's why they flick their heads) but to be sure, just put your ear to her back and listen to her chest for any wheezing or rattling sounds. If you hear wheezing or rattling from the chest or bubbles in the corner of her eyes then she will need antibiotics prescribed by the vet.

 

We did take Barbara to the vet and were told that it is fairly common in times of stress (such as moving to a new home) for them to have a minor flare up of the vaccinations they have received and it should clear on its own without antibiotics. If she is eating, drinking and generally doing chickeny things, then I'd see how she gets on for now, but if she starts to look poorly then just pop her to the vets.

[Luc]

Hi, did you ever find out what was wrong with your chook ‘ginger’ I have a white Sussex about 22 weeks old now She’s eating and laying but I’ve noticed these gurgle noises today exactly like the video. How did you treat her?

[Luc]

Can anyone help me 

[Cat tails]

Is she still suffering from this? Maybe best to contact a vet if it persists for more than a week.

[Beantree]

I think the original post referred to the flare-up of the inoculation viruses caused by a temporary collapse of the immune system as a result of stress; in this case moving home. The symptoms disappear when they settle down, so after a few days. In your case it may be different, but you haven't given enough detail. The other possibility is a respiratory infection, or the onset of one. In my experience this is the result of exposure to fungal spores and they can arise from wet bedding, wet run surfaces, or in our case condensation on the underside of roof of the coop which caused mould growth. Check the underside of the roof and the other options and clean as necessary. If the symptoms don't subside in two days she needs a vet for antibiotics and you need to find the cause.

[AlisonV]

@Luc I have a hen with the same ratting noise.  She is otherwise well and happy so I've not so far taken her to the vet. I'd be interested to know did you solve your one?  Thanks.