Are they off their water or are they drinking more?
When you pick them up do they feel thin?
How are they standing are their wings droopy?
Is the area area their eyes puffed up?
What are their droppings like?
Does her breathing rattle?
The eggs that they do lay are they ok, or are they thin shelled, mis-shapen etc

Answers to these questions can help to identify what might be wrong as sneezing could be related to a number of illnesses. Hens are prone to respiratory problems.

Sneezing birds may have an upper respiratory problem and there can be discharge from the nose with this.

There can be a number of causes-

poor ventillation (droppings give off ammonia),
sawdust (larger wood shavings sold in pet shops usually has the ‘dust’ extracted to prevent these problems),
straw may carry dust in it.
viruses – such as infectious bronchitis, pneumovirus, aspergilliosis, mycoplasma, infectious laryngotracheitis, Avian Influenza, Fowl pest / Newcastle disease, Coryza to name some.
All of these conditions show very similar symptoms which makes it difficult to know which it is, so the more symptoms you can describe or notice the more able to pick out what it might be.

My quail had mycoplasma and have been treated with baytril. Baytril or Tylan are antibiotics which vets give to hens.

Can you phone your vet and ask for advice over the phone, without taking your hen in?

I have added your comment to my farmingfriends forum to see if any of the members can offer any advice. http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=694
Hope your hens get better soon. Keep us posted.
Kind regards
sara @ farmingfriends

My hens are sneezing and some appear to have runny noses. They all live together in a shed which was built for goats and have free access to 1/2 acre paddock and garden.
Do they have a cold!! ? What can i do rather than going to a vet? They are eating but eggs have gone down in number.

They have been VERY free range reared and live with a small flock of mixed hens and Aylesburys. I have 7 children so the khakis are used to company and don’t mind being petted at night in their shed.

We live in Keswick in Cumbria – collection would be best early in the morning or after dark when they’re roosting, we have a huge garden and they will be difficult to catch at any other time of day.

http://ourlittlecornerofparadise.blogspot.com/2010/02/flocks-of-pigeons-at-barleycorn.html

Great idea about the cabbage and sprout stalks will do that.

The hens are eating the eggs in the morning before I let the poultry out. My friend Sarah suggested segregating the hut into a duck and hen side which sounds like a good idea, but will try the cabbage and sprouts stalks first.

Kind regards
sara @ farmingfriends