Respiratory Infection?

[Tanya289311]

Hi,

Last night I notices that one of my almost 2 month old polish chick sounds like she is having trouble breathing and it's crackling. I also had two chickens pass for unknow reasons with-in a week period. I had Covid last week and it was pretty rough on my lungs. I am not sure if chickens can get it or if they all had the same kind of respiratory issue. I have been reading that I can give them antibiotic but not sure what kind or how to do it. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Have you added new birds form different sources?

How's the ventilation in the coop?

A video of the chick may be helpful - upload to YouTube and provide a link.

Do you notice any symptoms like coughing, sneezing, bubbles in the eyes, facial swelling, mucous, etc.?

Hard to know if the breathing heavy is due to respiratory illness or if it's something else. Check the crop to see that it's emptying overnight. Make sure there's plenty of ventilation in your coop. Check to see if the chick's nostrils are clogged with feed and that the beak is clear of mucous or lesions.

If you lose this one, then getting some diagnostics to find out what you are dealing with is a good idea. You can look up your state lab here:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html