1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Chestnut is a salmon faverolle who is about 10 months old. She is about 6-7 lbs, and does not feel significantly lighter or heavier than our other faverolles.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
I came across her yesterday sneezing hard and gasping for breath. After the first ten minutes the intense sneezing stopped, but was replaced with some open mouth breathing and gasping when running (as I was trying to catch her to quarantine her at this point). Once she calmed down, her breathing was still ragged, although closed mouth. She still occasionally sneezes but it’s not a full blown sneeze, just a snuffle.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
A little over 24 hours.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No, which leads me to believe it’s not a respiratory disease. She’s lacking any sort of other symptoms, no runny nose or foamy eyes or swollen sinuses or coughing. Additionally, she is fully alert and not showing any fatigue except when she runs.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I have three theories: respiratory disease, worms, or something lodged somewhere. She’s only breathing weird and occaisonally snuffling, no other signs of disease. Additionally, the other chickens are showing no signs of disease, even though they pack together to sleep at night. In terms of worms, she is not gaping and struggling to breath like a chicken with gapeworms would, only wheezing when she runs or gets worked up. I don’t know if the early stages of gapeworm look as mild as this, but that would be my best guess as she has no other symptoms. Her breathing appears to be throat related, not nose related, I think. The morning this happened I did leave some extra oyster shell in their feed a few hours prior.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
She has been eating and drinking like normal. She is consuming pellets.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
She has some runny poop on her bottom, but it’s not extraordinarily loose. It could be from the stress of being quarantined.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Quarantining and waiting to see if her condition changes. She has been the same for 24 hours, but is becoming increasingly distressed as she is not allowed back with her flock. I am considering combining her back with the flock, but in case this ends up being a really bad respiratory disease in it’s beginning stages I do NOT want to risk the lives of my beloved pets.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
There is no poultry vet in our area. I want to acquire antibiotics but can’t due to them no longer being OTC. I’m going out today to get VetRx, and possibly safeguard as a precaution. (Better to have that on hand than not…)
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
I will attempt to get a video of her breathing odd later, and look at her feces for signs of worms. I’m not quite sure how to attach videos on this forum anyway. Just keep in mind it sounds a little whistley, and when she complains her voice cracks.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Pine bedding. Kind of dusty at the moment, but she is the only one experiencing problems of this sort.
Additionally, does anyone know if there’s a safe amount of time to keep her away from the flock to rule out some kind of disease? Poor girl is getting distressed from being away from her 2 roosters and I don’t want to unnecessarily stress her out if it’s something non contagious. Otherwise she has all the food water and treats she could ever need in her quarantine coop. Thank you in advance.
Chestnut is a salmon faverolle who is about 10 months old. She is about 6-7 lbs, and does not feel significantly lighter or heavier than our other faverolles.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
I came across her yesterday sneezing hard and gasping for breath. After the first ten minutes the intense sneezing stopped, but was replaced with some open mouth breathing and gasping when running (as I was trying to catch her to quarantine her at this point). Once she calmed down, her breathing was still ragged, although closed mouth. She still occasionally sneezes but it’s not a full blown sneeze, just a snuffle.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
A little over 24 hours.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No, which leads me to believe it’s not a respiratory disease. She’s lacking any sort of other symptoms, no runny nose or foamy eyes or swollen sinuses or coughing. Additionally, she is fully alert and not showing any fatigue except when she runs.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I have three theories: respiratory disease, worms, or something lodged somewhere. She’s only breathing weird and occaisonally snuffling, no other signs of disease. Additionally, the other chickens are showing no signs of disease, even though they pack together to sleep at night. In terms of worms, she is not gaping and struggling to breath like a chicken with gapeworms would, only wheezing when she runs or gets worked up. I don’t know if the early stages of gapeworm look as mild as this, but that would be my best guess as she has no other symptoms. Her breathing appears to be throat related, not nose related, I think. The morning this happened I did leave some extra oyster shell in their feed a few hours prior.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
She has been eating and drinking like normal. She is consuming pellets.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
She has some runny poop on her bottom, but it’s not extraordinarily loose. It could be from the stress of being quarantined.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Quarantining and waiting to see if her condition changes. She has been the same for 24 hours, but is becoming increasingly distressed as she is not allowed back with her flock. I am considering combining her back with the flock, but in case this ends up being a really bad respiratory disease in it’s beginning stages I do NOT want to risk the lives of my beloved pets.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
There is no poultry vet in our area. I want to acquire antibiotics but can’t due to them no longer being OTC. I’m going out today to get VetRx, and possibly safeguard as a precaution. (Better to have that on hand than not…)
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
I will attempt to get a video of her breathing odd later, and look at her feces for signs of worms. I’m not quite sure how to attach videos on this forum anyway. Just keep in mind it sounds a little whistley, and when she complains her voice cracks.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Pine bedding. Kind of dusty at the moment, but she is the only one experiencing problems of this sort.
Additionally, does anyone know if there’s a safe amount of time to keep her away from the flock to rule out some kind of disease? Poor girl is getting distressed from being away from her 2 roosters and I don’t want to unnecessarily stress her out if it’s something non contagious. Otherwise she has all the food water and treats she could ever need in her quarantine coop. Thank you in advance.
