Chickens with snot coming from their beaks. Help ASAP

[cafarmgirl]

VetRx is not a medication. It is a mix of oils from certain herbs plus camphor, etc. It is not meant to go in eyes. It will not cure anything. It is like Vicks VapoRub and very aromatic. Be extremely careful with any aromatics around avian species. It is fine to rub feet and combs with it on occasion, but it has little affect on anything respiratory.

Oxine solution in a vaporizer on the other hand is a good tool, especially for fungal infections that do not respond to antibiotics. I have used it and it works wonderfully to kill all sorts of germs and clean out the lungs.

I do not recommend ANY antibiotics except for a true infection like a wound or in battling what you know for certain to be pneumonia and not something contagious. Antibiotic use should never be taken lightly with chickens. Folks are desperate to do something so they throw meds at their birds, not knowing what they are treating or if antibiotics will even have an effect. That is never a good road to go down, keeping antibiotics around for respiratory stuff and using them at the drop of a hat.

I do use antibiotic's for respiratory diseases and I do so on the advice of my avian vet. I do not use them willy-nilly nor do I just throw them at my birds any time they seem off. But respiratory disease are the exception in my book. Here is what my avian vet says re antibiotic's for respiratory disease:

Any time a chicken gets a respiratory disease, regardless what it is, if they are producing mucous, have wet coughs, snotty sneezes etc., the risk of pneumonia and bacterial infection is very high. If you wait until you think you know a bird/birds have pneumonia your rate of mortality is going to be much higher. Sometimes pneumonia is classic, as in wheezing, rattling etc. However it can also be nearly silent. My roo's only symptoms were that he was very lethargic and had only a slight, soft cough, he also felt very warm like he had a fever. It was only at the vet when we listened to his chest with a stethoscope that we could hear the rales and rattles in his chest.

When we had our outbreak of infectious bronchitis I, at first, did not treat, other then supportive care. The first two birds who got sick, my roo and a hen, quickly developed pneumonia. They were the hardest to treat and had the hardest time recovering. Per my vet's instructions the remaining birds were started on antibiotic's as soon as they became symptomatic. No it doesn't cure the disease but the complications were prevented and they recovered much more quickly and easily then those who progressed to pneumonia. So if a person is wanting to get a flock through an outbreak of respiratory disease with as low a mortality rate as possible then yes, I do believe using antibiotic's is appropriate and if they can do so under the guidance of a good avian vet like I did, all the better.

 

[Elaine Elder]

I have 2 bottles of vetRx. One is over 5 years old. It had directions to put in eyes. The bottle I just bought has totally different directions. Read and follow directions on products. The package of sulpha drug I just got says mix 4 packages into 1 gallon water to make solution. Previous packet different manufacturer. Said 1 packet per gallon. So read all product labels carefully. Just because I post something does not make it the gospel. Your birds. Your responsibility to care for them the best that you can with the information you collect.
I wish everyone on this forum the best of luck with all your endeavors. I hope your sick chickens get well and you live a long and prosperous life.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: Very good advice, Elaine. Exactly what I always tell people. Lots of us have tons of experience, but we each take responsibility for our own flocks and it's on us to research and verify advice given. I do what has worked for me to keep my own flock healthy for years, as I say in Speckledhen's Ten Commandments of Good Flock Management , but ultimately, each person's flock management and health is on their shoulders.

 

[speckledhen]

I do use antibiotic's for respiratory diseases and I do so on the advice of my avian vet. I do not use them willy-nilly nor do I just throw them at my birds any time they seem off. But respiratory disease are the exception in my book. Here is what my avian vet says re antibiotic's for respiratory disease:

Any time a chicken gets a respiratory disease, regardless what it is, if they are producing mucous, have wet coughs, snotty sneezes etc., the risk of pneumonia and bacterial infection is very high. If you wait until you think you know a bird/birds have pneumonia your rate of mortality is going to be much higher. Sometimes pneumonia is classic, as in wheezing, rattling etc. However it can also be nearly silent. My roo's only symptoms were that he was very lethargic and had only a slight, soft cough, he also felt very warm like he had a fever. It was only at the vet when we listened to his chest with a stethoscope that we could hear the rales and rattles in his chest.

When we had our outbreak of infectious bronchitis I, at first, did not treat, other then supportive care. The first two birds who got sick, my roo and a hen, quickly developed pneumonia. They were the hardest to treat and had the hardest time recovering. Per my vet's instructions the remaining birds were started on antibiotic's as soon as they became symptomatic. No it doesn't cure the disease but the complications were prevented and they recovered much more quickly and easily then those who progressed to pneumonia. So if a person is wanting to get a flock through an outbreak of respiratory disease with as low a mortality rate as possible then yes, I do believe using antibiotic's is appropriate and if they can do so under the guidance of a good avian vet like I did, all the better.

You have a vet's care, though, and most never do. They are going on just what they see and hear and what people here advise them, so MUCH room for error. Best to err on the side of caution in that case. When someone is flying blind, seeing symptoms that can be for anything, without a good way to deduce what they are dealing with and no vet to examine the bird (or a vet who even knows which end of a chicken is up), they risk setting up an entire flock of carrier birds and therefore, risk other people's flocks as well. So, my advice is always for people who are just doing this stuff on their own. Situations can determine if a bird has pneumonia rather than something contagious, same with fungal stuff. Some people just don't have the ability to think that through and figure it out, unfortunately.

 

[Elaine Elder]

Google Microplasma s. and Microplasma G.

S. is like a cold. Let it run its course. only treat with antibiotics if secondary infection becomes apparent.

G. is deadly, all birds are usually culled, pens and coops disinfected with bleach, and wait 30 days before moving new birds into that area.

Avian Influenza - Birds are called. Each state has regulations regarding A.I.