Like dogs and cats, people love to raise chickens, and therefore you can easily find them in many backyards. It’s always challenging to diagnose sickness in chickens. When you care for baby chicks, you might notice that your chick is sneezing. You start wondering, why is my baby chick sneezing? Is it the case with you as well? If yes, then read this article to find the answer.
Why Do Baby Chicks Sneeze?
Chickens sneeze because they’re susceptible to different respiratory illnesses. Some of the most common respiratory illnesses in baby chickens are bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, and avian influenza.
While your baby chick might have an illness, it might just be sneezing due to overcrowding and dust buildup in their pin.
What to do if Baby Chick Is Sneezing?
When you notice your baby chick is sneezing, first of all, quarantine that chick. It will prevent the spread of disease. Next, you should make sure to provide good ventilation, antibiotics, clean the coop, and contact a vet if the problem persists.
- Provide Proper Ventilation
Ensure that the coop area is adequately ventilated because sneezing problems are mostly due to dust in the air. On a similar note, you should have a proper heater in the coop if you live in a cold environment. The ideal temperature for chickens is between 70 and 80 degrees fahrenheight. Baby chickens require an even warmer environment.
It is also important that you give your baby chicks access outside so that they can have access to the sun and breathe better. The sun will provide essential vitamin D that will help build up their immune system and protect them from illnesses. If you don’t have one already, you should invest in an outdoor chicken coop.
- Provide Antibiotics
Antibiotics are also a great way to help your baby chicken fight a respiratory illness. The best antibiotic for a chicken fighting a respiratory illness is Vetrx Poultry Aid.
Aside from antibiotics, you can also try adding vitamins or calendula extract to your chick’s water.
- Clean the Coop Regularly
You can help your baby chicks by providing them with a clean coop. Ensure that the food bowl is clean and there is no water built up in the bedding and litter. You can make hygiene easier by purchasing easy-to-clean trays. Ensure that you clean the coop at least once a month.
Cleaning the coop regularly can also help prevent your chicken from swollen feet.
- Contact Avian Vet
If you chick continues to sneeze, it is important to diagnose the issue as soon as possible to avoid further damage. Respiratory diseases such as mycoplasmosis can lead to other health problems if left untreated. Early detection and treatment can prevent your baby chick from other sicknesses, and the avian vet can help you do that.
What Are the Causes of Respiratory Diseases and Sneezing?
Respiratory illness and sneezing in chicks can be caused by dust, poor ventilation, moist bedding, temperature, new chickens,
- Dust
When humans are exposed to dust, they start sneezing. It is the same with chickens. Dust irritates the airways of chickens which results in them sneezing in an attempt to remove the dust particles. To avoid dust from accumulating in your chicken coop, you should change the bedding regularly, keep the coop clean, and remove uneaten food.
- Poor Ventilation
When the coop doesn’t have proper ventilation, it will allow cold and other irritable particles to come in. As a result, your chicks can get sick and develop a respiratory illness.
- Moist Litter
When the litter or bedding is moist, it’s a perfect place for bacteria to grow. As a result, your chickens can ingest the bacteria and develop a wide range of respiratory illnesses. For this reason, it is important to keep the bedding dry and to replace it frequently.
- Extreme Temperatures
Sudden temperature changes are never good for your chick’s health. So, if you want to keep your chicken comfortable, avoid placing them in environments that are too cold or environments that change temperature quickly. When you maintain the temperature, it will ensure that your chicks don’t get sick. If you live in a cold environment, you should check out my article on how to heat a barn.
- Addition of New Chickens to the Flock
When you introduce new chickens to an existing flock, it can make them stressed. When they’re stressed, they are more susceptible to diseases. One great way to prevent stress in chickens is to give them toys. You should check out my article on the Best Toys for Baby Chickens.
How to Diagnose Respiratory Issues in Chicks?
The key to treating a respiratory illness in chickens is to spot the signs early. Below are some of the most common symptoms associated with respiratory illnesses in chickens:
- Coughing
A nasty cough is a symptom of CRD, and it should be treated early. This is also the case if your chicken is gasping for air.
- Sneezing
When there is an issue with their respiratory system, they sneeze a lot. So it’s easy to identify a chick’s sneezing.
- Loss of Appetite
A chicken with a reparatory illness will not eat much. As a result, their growth might be stunted and they may start to lose weight. Therefore, ensure that you diagnose the illness early so that your chickens get all the needed nutrition.
All of these symptoms could be a sign that your baby chick is dying.
How to Treat Sneezing?
Remember, there is no single treatment because the treatment depends on the diagnosis. For example, if the sneezing is due to dust and ammonia fumes, cleaning the litter and bedding will help fix the issue. However, some respiratory problems take time to be treated, so patience is the key.
If the problem is severe, contact the vet as soon as possible. Some herbal products and antibiotics can help you fix the problem, and the vet can suggest the best product. You can purchase the antibiotics from any local store, but there is no guarantee that it will fix the problem.
Respiratory illnesses can spread quickly, so it is important to treat a chicken as soon as possible. Clean coop at least monthly because viruses spread quickly. Therefore, disinfect the area before placing other chicks in the coop.
I hope that after reading this article, you can now easily understand the reasons for why baby chickens sneeze and how to treat them quickly.
