chickens nostrils are full of dirt....to clean or not to clean?????????

[lorain's fids]

My 5 girls have been very busy digging and scratching in the dirt lately. The other day I noticed on one that her nostrils were full of dirt, I checked the remaing 4 and sure enough all of them had dirt in their nose. Yesterday I tried cleaning them, unsucessfully. What I had done was got a cup of warm water and lots of q-tips so I wouldn't be double dipping the dirty q-tip back in the water, then I swabed the outside of the nostril, the q-tips was filthy but there was still dirt inside. So I am wondering what to use, if anything at all.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

I recommend leaving them alone. Pecking and dust bathing are natural chicken behaviors, and chickens know a lot about how to be a chicken.

We have a very dry, dusty climate here, and have never had a problem with our dusty-nosed chickens. Shoving a Q-Tip into birds' nostrils is asking for trouble, in my opinion.

 

[teach1rusl]

For some reason my BO ends up with dirt caked nostrils pretty frequently. Have rarely noticed it with the other girls. It drives me crazy when I see it, because it looks like she wouldn't be able to breathe. So I just try to avoid looking at it...lol. Typically they're clear within the next day or so.

 

[chickrunfun]

trying not to look at their nostrils seems the best. Our Jeanie is close to being renamed pigpen because she's always dirty, right down to her nostrils. Doesn't seem to bother her so I do my best to just not look at her nostrils.


I mean...just LOOK at that! They're practically black!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Ok, glad to know I'm not the only one bothered with dirty nostrils This maybe an older thread but glad I checked. It's so tempting to try & clean with Q Tips yet didn't think I should So I'll try not let it bother me so much....

 

[Joanna Ryder]

i think all my chickens fill up those nostrils before i come in the run just to drive me nuts !

 

[Mrs. K]

I have never even noticed this....

 

[bobbi-j]

I have never even noticed this....

Me neither.

 

[ElmCityChickens]

This happened to my chickens. Her comb was slightly purple and I've decided to clean her super dirty nostrils that are mostly blocked. I've found that the best way to clean them is putting salt and water into a small spray bottle that spays gentle mists. Holding her down and spraying in a way that the dirty water drips out of her beak and into the ground. It worked immedietly, her comb was instantly red again, and her nostrils clean.