[Lion Learners]

I have a little flock of 16 chickens and one of them has started sneezing over the last couple of days. Not often, but every now and again you hear a weird phlegmy sound and it's always coming from the same one. She's perfectly bright eyed, there's no sign of any phlegm and she's acting normally. I haven't had chicken long and I'm finding myself getting paranoid over the number of diseases they seem capable of catching!

Does anyone know what might be wrong? Should I be worried or will she recover by herself?

Thanks
Liona

[FiB]

I thought mine was coughing/sneezing - but it turned out to be gape worm.....  After the sneeze/cough, does the hen keep its mouth open a bit, no sound, (the 'gape')?  If so its gapeworm and needs Flubinvet  (vet diagnosis by postmortem!  Wasnt quite what I had in mind when I took mine to the vet....)...
 
If not (no gape), I'm sure someone else will be along with their experiences soon.  Good luck, Fi

[Mammyshaz]

If she's fit otherwise my thoughts would be either a blade of grass or suchlike stuck in the throat or gapeworm. I'd be tempted to worm with flubenvet just to be on the safe side. If the cough stops you can guess it probably was gapeworm. In which case reworm 3 weeks later.

Keep a close check on the eyes and nostrils for any sign of discharges just in case the cough is the start of something more serious.

[Lion Learners]

Thanks for the advice, I've ordered the fluvenvet - hopefully that will do the trick!

[chrismahon]

She may be susceptible to dusty bedding or damp walls with fungal growth before the others - your early warning system. Check for adequate ventilation and dust. Flubenvet to start is a good idea.

[northfifeduckling]

some of mine have the occasional sneezing fit but so far always recovered. It always makes me laugh, especially if such tiny noise comes out of a giant cockerel 

[Lion Learners]

They've had their week on the flubenvet and she's no better but no worse. Unless anyone has any suggestions I think I'll leave her to it since it's not adversely affecting her.

A worry though!

[deepinthewoods]

i would definitely be checking the bedding and for fungal spores as chris said.

[northfifeduckling]

aren't fungal spores mainly a disease of summer (warm and moist)? It sounds just like a cold to me (apologies for the pun)

[Marches Farmer]

As it's persisted would consider mycoplasma a possibility and perhaps isolate her.