Chicken with a sneeze

[MeatyCluckers]

A few weeks ago, I noticed one of our 3 year old hens was a little more withdrawn than usual. Still eating and drinking and laying eggs, but sort of staying out of the flock and lagging behind a little. Other than an occasional sneeze, though, there were no obvious signs of anything specific, and she never got worse over that time.

Cut to a few days ago, one of the other hens attacked her and injured her head. The wound is mostly superficial, top of comb and some bruising on the head. But she let it happen and didn’t try to run away and just laid there on the ground after. We quickly isolated her to a pen and crate in our garage and have been keeping her there with food, electrolyte water, etc, and spraying the head with Veriticyn. It’s been a few days and she still seems slow - she is eating, but not a ton (mostly going for treats), and she is still sneezing very periodically. No swollen eyes or runny eyes or runny nose, just a deep sneeze. Her comb is red and bright. Her poops are normal.

Because it’s been a significant period with this and no other chickens in the flock are affected, I’m just wondering if anybody has any ideas of what this could be or what I should do. She’s a sweet hen and never was at the bottom of the pecking order before.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you see any watery eyes or bubbles in either eye, swelling on an eyelid or face, or gasping with her occasional sneeze? Does she sneeze more when eating? Have you seen any unusual, soft or thin shelled eggs? Could she be starting to molt? At those times, they can act more puny and have less appetite.

 

[Layenna and chicks]

May just be a chicken cold, but I would keep an eye on her. What is the temp at your place?

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Can you see any watery eyes or bubbles in either eye, swelling on an eyelid or face, or gasping with her occasional sneeze? Does she sneeze more when eating? Have you seen any unusual, soft or thin shelled eggs? Could she be starting to molt? At those times, they can act more puny and have less appetite.

No watery eyes, bubbles, or swelling. She molted late fall/early winter so I don’t think it’s that. No unusual or thin eggs, but we did have one blood-streaked egg a few weeks ago that could have been her. Now that you mention it, she does sneeze more when eating. There’s not really a gasp/rasp involved at all between sneezes, but they are a little “lead up” type sneezes with a sort of inhale followed by a sneeze. She sort of freezes, sneezes, then resumes to normal.

 

[MeatyCluckers]

May just be a chicken cold, but I would keep an eye on her. What is the temp at your place?

Currently high 40s (F). Early Spring in New England so big temp swings day to day. The day she was taken out with the injury was almost 70 and sunny. I do have a panel heater in her pen so that she can have some extra warmth, and our garage is a bit warmer than outside.

 

[Layenna and chicks]

Currently high 40s (F). Early Spring in New England so big temp swings day to day. The day she was taken out with the injury was almost 70 and sunny. I do have a panel heater in her pen so that she can have some extra warmth, and our garage is a bit warmer than outside.

Okay!! Does she have a loss of appetite?

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Okay!! Does she have a loss of appetite?

I would say yes. She is eating and drinking but not as much as average. Normally she goes wild for treats (mealworms or scratch grains typically), but right now she looks at them for a minute and then decides to eat them. She’s not eating a ton of her regular feed but she is pecking at it a little. Drinking plenty of water.

 

[Layenna and chicks]

I would say yes. She is eating and drinking but not as much as average. Normally she goes wild for treats (mealworms or scratch grains typically), but right now she looks at them for a minute and then decides to eat them. She’s not eating a ton of her regular feed but she is pecking at it a little. Drinking plenty of water.

This could possibly be a sign of a respiratory issue or allergies. Has she ever gotten this before?

 

[MeatyCluckers]

This could possibly be a sign of a respiratory issue or allergies. Has she ever gotten this before?

No, she’s always been healthy and sturdy (other than her molts which have been hard). This was a tough winter so maybe that just led to a bit of a system malfunction? She was the second to last one to resume laying after winter hiatus, and had the latest molt of all of them. She also hasn’t laid an egg since the day before we separated her (which was Friday).

 

[Layenna and chicks]

Okay. D

No, she’s always been healthy and sturdy (other than her molts which have been hard). This was a tough winter so maybe that just led to a bit of a system malfunction? She was the second to last one to resume laying after winter hiatus, and had the latest molt of all of them. She also hasn’t laid an egg since the day before we separated her (which was Friday).

Okay. Have you noticed her abdomen\vent swollen? Just to make sure she isn't egg bound on top of whatever she has. Have you tried electrolytes? Give her high-energy foods.