# Respiratory Illness?



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

I don't know the true cause, but I am speculating that our dusty wheat straw bedding along with the dry winter air is giving our chickens some breathing trouble. The most affected chicken is our lovely, gentle laying hen Atari. She sounds horribly congested or hoarse...I don't know. When picked up, she emits a loud breath as you place some mild pressure on her chest, but she sounds like she is having trouble. I listened to her back and chest and can hear a few of her loud, raspy breaths. She sneezed very loudly and it sounded like a cough or flute. Her constant singing is reduced to a few loud notes when her hoarseness breaks. She keeps shaking her head violently, which I know is a sign of respiratory distress. My brother and I put some VetRX on her beak near her nostrils, and I (struggled) opened her mouth and we swabbed some in her throat so she could breath it. We have a little oil diffuser that I think we can use, but I don't know if this is a contagious illness or just allergies to the dust. The other chickens sound hoarse as well, are sneezing a bit, and Raisin does some head shaking, but Atari is definitely the worst. Poor things!  What should I do?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Check for head lice, remove the straw , add shavings, and create ventilation. Head shaking can be bugs, even as small as specks of dirt.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> Check for head lice, remove the straw , add shavings, and create ventilation. Head shaking can be bugs, even as small as specks of dirt.


I will check all of them. The chicken's heads have been dirty lately due to the Vaseline we've been putting on their combs and wattles to insulate from the freezing cold. It gets down into the teens at night now. I removed as much of the straw from the run as I could - there's still a bit of a mixture of dirt straw dust. I am going to mist the whole run to lower the dust level today. I will go by Tractor Supply to get some shavings. Should I get pine shavings? And what should I do about the chicken's breathing? Should I wait till after I change the bedding or should I try to medicate them against a respiratory problem? Thank you.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Dont medicate them. Clean out the coop thoroughly and add the pine shavings. If there is improper ventilation; soiled bedding can cause ammonia fumes which will cause the symptoms you're seeing. Keep everything as dry as possible. Moisture is the chickens enemy.
Change the bedding, ensure there's good ventilation and watch your birds for a few days to see if they improve. If there's no improvement, we'll discuss other possibilities and possible treatments.


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