Snotty and gunky eyed Black Maran!! please advise! :(

Last week I got my girls, one of them had sniffles and was sneezing but feels overall good,

yesterday my Black Maran started to look very down.

She is a bit overweight of unknown age I would guess 3...?

She has not laid any eggs at all.

this morning we found her with a really snotty nose and mucus dangling from her beak, she has barely eaten and been sleeping pretty much all day while the others were free ranging all day .

Now in the evening one of her eyes has gunked up and she just seems lethargic, she only lays down.

She has had mucky poo since we got her and she is the only one with poo on her tail feathers.

today we noticed the poo was green and very loose.

I saw her drink a bit and she has been pecking a little bit on bits and bobs around the garden but most of the day she spent in the run in a corner away from the sun sleeping.

she is not sneezing at all, but she is ill,

Please tell me what to do or what it could be.

Im worried about my Maran Eve but Im also thinking of the other girls,

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Kat

Does she smell awful around the face? It could be something called Chronic Respiratory Disease (mycoplasmosis) or Infectious Coryza, which usually smells really bad. Are they separate from your flock? Did you just get them recently from someone? Get them separated and her in quarantine now. Both the previously mentioned diseases make a bird a carrier even if they recover. Avians don't get colds like humans do, but herpes type viruses that make them carriers. Green poop means she is not eating much. My policy, if this ever happens to me, is to euthanize the bird after I get it away from the others, disinfect everything and watch for symptoms in the others. If you have one of the carrier diseases, then if you don't remove it now, it will be in your flock forever and you wont be able to ethically sell birds or hatching eggs from them. Not everyone agrees with me, but I will never treat respiratory illness.

Your situation is exactly why everyone should insist on a long quarantine period if they ever add birds to the flock. So many have lost their entire flock by purchasing ill birds lately.

There seem to be two schools concerning treating or not treating. One says "don't treat, let them build resistance or die trying, keep a healthier flock over all". This might sound harsh to some, but having had chickens for years I completely understand why (even if I don't choose this way myself as often). The emphasis is on the good of the entire flock. As was pointed out here, too often birds are carriers. Your flock might make it, but if you ever add birds they'll get sick. Then you risk your entire flock again. Even if you don't add, maybe a bird didn't initially get and resist the disease. They can get sick later and again risk your entire flock. It's a tricky call.

The other school says "treat and stop this case, and hope they build resistance." Both have their merits.

The one thing I think both sides can agree on is to never ever use antibiotics without knowing for sure that there's an infection and that the antibiotic used is specifically for that infection. Way too many times people say "give them antibiotics" when a bird is droopy. And then neither of the above -mentioned schools is served and flocks become unthrifty and dependent on meds.

Anyway, enough of that rant.

I'd like to add that in addition to quarantining the birds, I'd give all your feeders and waterers a good scrub down. If I have a sick bird like that, I'll usually clean up the bedding, too, to reduce whatever droplets have been dispersed by sneezing. The birds you have have already been exposed. Hopefully they'll fight this and develop their own resistance without having to actually fight off an active disease.

Also, make those birds more comfortable. You can get VetRx and clean their faces up (wear gloves and something you can throw in the wash directly afterwards with bleach, pls). Clean them up with warm water and paper towels, qtips to help their nares. Then get your VetRx and swab the nares, the opening in the roof of their beaks (new q-tips each time, VetRx slightly diluted in very warm water), rub some under their wings and on the top of their back where they place their heads when they sleep. The VetRx directions say to put it in their water so that when they drink, they coat their own beaks. This isn't an antibiotic - it's like Vicks for chickens and will help them get oxygen through better breathing.

The runniness of the droppings could indicate that their infected sinuses are draining down their throats. Dark green usually indicates not eating enough. Give them the best food you have and help bolster their good-bacteria defenses with probiotics to help prevent a secondary bacterial infection of their guts. You can do it every other day. Plain yogurt in crumbles, acidophilus capsules, probios or fastrack from the feedstore, Ornabac from the pet store (Petsmart/Petco).

If you do choose antibiotics, treat for the full direction without skipping one day. Choose one specific to bacterial respiratory infections. Only treat the ill birds, not the ones not showing symptoms. Don't take the feedstore guy's advice on treating - ask here if you choose that route.

In any case, good luck - we hope to hear some good news.

And to the above, I'd add that antibiotics will not kill a virus, so unless you know the cause of it, bacterial or viral, you may be throwing money down the drain and doing the bird no good anyway.

Thank you for your advise and wise words,

I took my girl inside last night and she is in a large box with shavings water and food, but she is very unwell, she most deff has Infectious Coryza it suits all the symptoms, the very smelly nasal fluid aso...

She is gurgeling while breathing, It is gutting!

You get so attached to these lovely birds and it is heart breaking when they get ill, not to mention the worry about my other ones happily pecking away outside.

I am not putting them all down , I cant bare it !

But I will keep an eye on them and see if anything breaks out, today I am getting a vet to see if there is anything we can do for poor old Eve

Sad days,

Kat

Unfortunately, Eve will remain a carrier and infect other birds for the rest of her life is she does indeed have Coryza. The only way to eradicate it is to cull all the ones showing symptoms. Read gumpsgirl's long thread on eradicating it from her flock when she brought in one lone chick she got at a swap or auction. It will help you make decisions about this.

A little update on my girls, I called the breeder which was a twat more or less, Ive had my girls for little over a week and Eve was probably not the healthiest hen to begin with .

She had a messy vent and poo stuck to her tail feathers.

The man who sold her to me ( not the owner) insisted she was under a year old ( dont think so somehow)

But I DIDNT KNOW!

I was uneducated and thought chickens are chickens, now thanks to the forum and you guys and alot of searching around I know a think or two about chickens and what to look for aso.

they are vaccinated against mareths ( spell check) but not against newcastle or coryza.

I have an appointment in 3 hours with a farm vet ! ( finally)

In the UK you cannot get antibiotics or any type of chickens meds over the counter in any way have to take them to the vets .

As a first visit it will cost me $200 !! my my .....

As long as they can establish what is wrong and further treatment for my other girls.

If they say there is nothing we can do and determain what is wrong with them I will reconsider further action and have them put down.

!!!!

My heart is breaking for my Eve , she can barely breath and I have to force feed her water droplets ...


Made her some porridge with rye, corn , oats flaxseed and bio greens last night to try to make her eat something but she hasnt touched it ;(

I have her in my kitchen indoors and she has stunk the place out, I know Coryza stinks but I am not sure if CRD smells too??

Thanks yet again on all the replies , will keep you updated ,

Kat

This is what she looks like

she isnt as snotty anymore but I am putting that down to being dehydrated,

she cant stand properly as she keeps falling down.

Infectious coryza is supposed to give them puffy faces , but Eve isnt puffy could it be CRD?



Kat

as I was typing this last post my poor Eve had a spasm and cried out and died ...




Kat

I am so sorry your Eve died! At least she is no longer suffering. I believe animals that die go to the Rainbow Bridge. So, she is in a better place now. I hope you can find out what it was and treat the rest of your flock. I don't know much about chickens, as I have ducks, but I feel your pain in losing one of your babies.

Take care,
Kathy