Sick Chickies

[paigemcc]

Hi! I am a new chicken mom as of this year. I have 2.5 week old chicks (11 of them). We lost power last Wednesday for about 7 7+ hours. I put very hot water in mason jars and surrounded the chicks for warmth. That morning I had to work and we still did not have power, so I took them over to my parents garage (where they smoke cigarettes) to plug in their light and keep them warm until my husband got off work.

Saturday I began noticing sneezing from a handful of them. Today (Tuesday) it has effected a handful of them. I just placed Tiagard in their water yesterday. They are all eating and drinking fine. I plan to do Tiagard for a total of 5 days. They sound congested and are sneezing. No mouth breathing. How good does this outcome look?

I'm a little sad, I was so excited to have chicks for the first time. I know things can happen but I don't read about many chicks with respiratory infections! I'm hoping they all push through and hoping this medication helps!

 

[EChicky]

Welcome to byc! And congrats on your new chicks! It’s a rollercoaster keeping chickens and super exciting.
Chicks can be really susceptible to respiratory issues. You did the right thing in giving them Tiagard. My guess is the combination of being cold and smoke that got to them. Are they still in your parent’s garage? If so, I would see about getting a portable fan and putting it near them to help circulate the air. There’s not a whole bunch of research saying that smoking can hurt chickens but I would play it safe.
As far as the chicks are concerned, I think that they’ll be fine

 

[paigemcc]

Welcome to byc! And congrats on your new chicks! It’s a rollercoaster keeping chickens and super exciting.
Chicks can be really susceptible to respiratory issues. You did the right thing in giving them Tiagard. My guess is the combination of being cold and smoke that got to them. Are they still in your parent’s garage? If so, I would see about getting a portable fan and putting it near them to help circulate the air. There’s not a whole bunch of research saying that smoking can hurt chickens but I would play it safe.
As far as the chicks are concerned, I think that they’ll be fine

Thank you so much! No, they are back home in our laundry room. I didn't think much about ventilation. I have been having the window open during the day since the weather has been nicer. Fingers crossed they all get over this and are better! Thanks for your reply!