Sneezing help

[RedDog0]

Hi everyone, my cream legbar hen has recently (yesterday) began sneezing. It is about once every 5 minutes (I counted ) and one single sneeze then back to normal. No other symptoms, eating well, bright and active, laying well. No discharge anywhere or discolouration and none of my other chickens have it. I have separated her from the flock and was wondering if anybody had any advice for me.

 

[ilovemybabychickies]

Is she choking? Is your coop clean? What kind of bedding are you using?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi everyone, my cream legbar hen has recently (yesterday) began sneezing. It is about once every 5 minutes (I counted ) and one single sneeze then back to normal. No other symptoms, eating well, bright and active, laying well. No discharge anywhere or discolouration and none of my other chickens have it. I have separated her from the flock and was wondering if anybody had any advice for me.

Welcome To BYC

Can you clarify what you mean? She's sneezes once every 5 minutes continually? All day?

What's her crop like?
Any obstruction inside the beak or lesions?

Is she new to you?

Is she able to eat or drink on her own?

 

[RedDog0]

Welcome To BYC

Can you clarify what you mean? She's sneezes once every 5 minutes continually? All day?

What's her crop like?
Any obstruction inside the beak or lesions?

Is she new to you?

Is she able to eat or drink on her own?

Whenever I am in the coop with her, collecting eggs and changing water etc I can hear her doing it occasionally so I assume it is happening all day. I'm calling it sneeze as that is what it sounds most like but sometimes it sounds more like a cough.

I cannot see any obstructions and her crop feels normal and with food inside - she is still laying normally and eating/drinking.

She is not new to me but my dog (who is not usually allowed near the pen) decided to do some chicken watching just before this started and I am now wondering whether this could be due to the stress of that?

The coop is clean, it's a big shed she shares with 4 other chickens with an enclosed outdoor pen attached. The bedding is chopped straw, specifically chicksoft.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Whenever I am in the coop with her, collecting eggs and changing water etc I can hear her doing it occasionally

my dog (who is not usually allowed near the pen) decided to do some chicken watching just before this started and I am now wondering whether this could be due to the stress of that?

Can you get a video of the noise she's making?

Take note of when and what's she's doing when you hear the sneezing, has she been drinking/eating (getting food/water in the nostrils), is she chasing after treats and inhaling food.

Could be the dog is a stress factor. See if she continues to make the noise when the dog is not present.

 

[Eggcessive]

If a chicken sneezes all day long, it can be a sign of infectious bronchitis virus that lasts about a month. Or it could be be from some sort of an irritation from dust, feed, or something in the environment. IB virus can spread through the flock quickly, and hen may lay wrinkled egg shells. There is no treatment, but it runs its course over time.

 

[RedDog0]

 

[RedDog0]

Sorry I should have done the video first but didn’t know how to work vimeo!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What's her crop like? Is it emptying overnight?

Does she lay eggs?
Any bloat or feeling of fluid in the abdomen?

Trying to rule out if the gurgle/sneeze is a crop problem, reproductive (fluid in the abdomen) or actual respiratory.

 

[RedDog0]

Hi everyone, her sneezing hasn’t gotten better and she stopped laying so I called the vet out. She has been diagnosed with uncomplicated infectious bronchitis, so mystery solved!

Has anybody else dealt with this in their flock before? I have disinfected everything and been given electrolytes for her water and will search through the forum now