The Poultry Keeper

nigel · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:39 am Post subject: Coughing/Sneezing

A couple of my hens are doing an occasional but regular cough/sneeze sort of thing. Both are acting normally, showing no other signs, eating drinking and laying well.

I may be doing the over protective father bit, what do you think?

Knobby · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:54 am Post subject:

Mine sneeze sometimes......but in all my years of chicken keeping (4) Ive NEVER heard a chicken cough !!! Shocked

stephen · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 4:12 pm Post subject:

I thought it was more a sneeze, they shake there head from side to side when doing it.

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

Mine do it also from time to time. I have one girl who I think is actually allergic to scratch. Shocked

She digs in and eats it all the same, sneezing constantly while doing so.

Maybe they just have a bit of dust in their nasal passages. Confused

nigel · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 8:19 pm Post subject:

I think I might order some Respite - has anyone used this? and how effective is it.

deanojul67 · Joined: 01 Jul 2005 Posts: 342

a lot of mine sneeze quite regularly too Smile

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

('Bout time Hobbs made an appearence! Razz

)

nigel · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 7:01 pm Post subject:

UPDATE

As the coughing hadn't gone away we went to the vets tonight. He diagnosed GAPE WORM Crying or Very sad

I thought it was a chest infection. I am a terrible parent to my chicken children.

They have to be wormed with flubenvet for 7 days and we should be all ok. I'm going to increase the worming rate from twice a year to once every 3 months now as a preventative measure. Thank goodness for pre-dosed feed it saves so much time messing about with powder.

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

At least it wasn't as serious as I was thinking!

nigel · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 7:09 pm Post subject:

Or as I was thinking I'd convinced myself it was mycoplasma.

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

How funny,...me too! Razz

Lisa · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 8:45 pm Post subject:

Glad to hear its something so easy to fix!

Can you see the gapeworm in their throats?

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

pleased its not an infection, especially now the weather is changing again to the damp.
What feed is it that has the flubenvet in it ? I know it's been mentioned before, but I can't find it?
thanks

nigel · Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 6:32 am Post subject:

I'm not sure who manufactures the pellets as we buy them loose, more cost effective than a 25kg sack.

IIRC I read somewhere that it was Marriages and that SPR stock them.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

thanks, will check that out. the girls already have marriages, so will beused to their pellets