Chicken sneezing, watery nose

[hstave]

Hi, All,

Hope you can help. I have a bantam orpington who is sneezing a bit, with some watery discharge from her nose only when she sneezes. None of the other birds in our flock are exhibiting the same behavior, and I've noticed it over the past three weeks. Poo is fine, normal, she's not got any haze or foam or anything around the eyes, they're bright and clear. She is still running my flock (she's my only bantam, but she's definitely mother hen), running around, eating normally (loves those cackleberry treats), free-ranging just fine.

Any idea? Allergies? I am thinking it's a good idea to get her to the vet on Monday in any case, just to have a look, but it'd be nice to have feedback from anyone who might be able to give me an idea, and keep me from worrying too much over the weekend.

Thanks!
Heather

 

[BantamLover21]

Sounds like she could have a mild respiratory disease. It may eventually go away on its own, or you can treat with a broad-spectrum antibiotic like Oxytetracycline (Terramycin, Tetroxy HCA-280, etc.) or Tylan50 injectable. You can usually find those antibiotics at a livestock supply store; they are often sold for other animals (cattle, etc.).

The Oxytetracycline (I'm going to abbreviate it OXT) dosage is 2 teaspoons powdered OXT per gallon of drinking water, given for 7-14 days. Don't give dairy products during treatment. Improvement, if any will occur, should be seen after 2-5 days; however, continue treating for the entire recommended time.

They Tylan50 injectable (it also comes in a water soluble form, but I prefer the injectable version) dosage is 1cc for large-fowl, .5ccs for bantams, injected into one side of the breast once daily for 5 days. Alternate the side of the breast that you inject into, and use a small gauge needle, as Tylan can make the injection area sore. Again, don't give dairy products or probiotics during treatment.

Allergies are unlikely. The only other cause I can think of is if your coop's bedding is dusty, or has a lot of ammonia in it. But I would think other birds in the flock would be showing the same symptoms if that were the case.

 

[Wyandottes7]

She probably has a minor respiratory disease. Chickens are particularly susceptible to respiratory diseases in the fall and winter. It doesn't sound too serious, but I'd isolate her from the other birds. Respiratory illnesses can spread easily and quickly from bird to bird. Give her some electrolytes and probiotics, and make sure that she is out of drafts.

If the disease gets worse, or more birds get infected, I'd start some antibiotics. If you have a lot of birds, or don't feel comfortable injecting, a water soluable antibiotic like oxytetracycline would be best. Its often sold under names like Duramycin and Terramycin.

A better antibiotic would be Tylan50 injectable. It is given as an injection into the breast muscle, once daily, for five days. The dosage for large fowl is 1cc, and for bantams, it is .5ccs. If its working, you should see improvement by the third day. Here is an article on giving injections to chickens: http://shilala.homestead.com/injection.html You'll need some small gauge needles (20-22 gauge).

Hope this helps!

 

[hstave]

Thanks! As for dust or ammonia, I try to sweep as much dust out of the coop as possible when I clean out the bedding each week. We use straw bedding.

I do have some electrolytes that I can add to her water, and probably the others' water as well (we absolutely must have it for the hot Texas summers). As for probiotics, I have yogurt for the chickens, but if I do need to start antibiotic treatment, it might be best to keep her off for the time being. The others can probably benefit from a bit of the yogurt.

I will also look into the broad spectrum antibiotics, as well. Looks like I can find the Tylan50 at the Tractor Supply by my house if I need it.

I really appreciate your help. Fingers crossed, she gets better soon with minimal need for medication.