Sneezing hen and chicks

[rockriver]

Hi i have got a hen and her 5 chicks and they are all sneezing they all eat and drink have lots of energy and there is no nasal discharge shat could be wrong. This started about two weeks ago. The chicks are now 8 weeks i was going to take the hen away to put her with the others but probably wont now she only started to sneeze today any help is welcomed thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Chickens can sneeze due to dusty conditions, dust in feed, poor air circulation, mold, and with some respiratory diseases such as infectious bronchitis and MG. If they start to look lethargic, have more symptoms, or stop eating, you might want to use an antibiotic such as oxytetracycline or Tylan. I would let the hen decide when to leave her chicks. Here is a good article about common diseases including MG and IB: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[rockriver]

Thanks

 

[rockriver]

What effect would feed after its best before date have the bbd and time of sneezing starting coincides

 

[Eggcessive]

Just make sure that the feed is not too dusty or powdery, or that it doesn't have an "off" odor or color which can indicate mold. I have used some store brands of feed, and even name brands which occasionally were too powdery. You can add water to them (which the chicks usually love) and make it less dusty. I accidentally bought a bag of food recently with 3 fresh bags, that was dated 3 months earlier, and it was moldy. I didn't realize it until the chickens ate some. That can be dangerous.

 

[rockriver]

I finshec the bsg yesterday they have a new bag now hopfully it helps

 

[rockriver]

The hen and chicks are in a 4x4 pen in my garage the hen has started to peck two of her chicks these two still stay on the ground with her at night does this mean she wants yo get away from them should i separate them

 

[Eggcessive]

The chicks are old enough to fend for themselves, but most chicks with stay with the other chicks in a group. I like to raise my chicks in with my other chickens. That way, when the mother hen walks away from them, they are already members of the flock and are accepted (although kept in their place.) If she is pecking them, you should let them out of the pen.