Head shaking with runny nose.

[Peity]

Hi everyone. This is my first post here, so I apologise if I am posting this on the wrong section, or if I'm repeating info already posted here.
Well I am a newbie to the backyard chicken world! So far we love having our chooks and are enjoying them as pets. We started with three girls about 3 months ago. We got them from a reputable hatchery that has been operating for years and years. They are really healthy chooks and were immunised as chicks. All three of the original girls have started laying. We decided to add two more to our flock as we are a family of 6 and love our eggs, so go through a lot. So we went back to the same hatchery and bought two more, and integrated them into our flock. About two weeks ago I noticed one of the new girls, Gladys, flicking her head around occasionally. I thought she just had an itch or something and didnt think too much of it. I noticed over the week that she kept doing it so I picked her up and gave her a cuddle. I noticed she had a small amount of clear "snot" coming out of her nostrils. She had dirt stuck to it, which drew my attention to it. She looks really healthy otherwise. Her eyes are perfect, feathers are shiny and healthy and she seems happy. I rang the hatchery and they said I needed an antibiotic called Triple-C, which I purchased and have been putting on their water for the past 4 days so far. I think it is Tetracycline from memory. I need to treat for 7 days and then see how they are. Gladys is still flicking her head around and the snot appears to have dried up a lot but something is still irritating her. I googled and am panicked that she has CRD? The other girls are fine and don't seem to be showing any signs. I am really limited in terms of space so quarantining isnt really practical and they have already been together for two weeks, so I'm assuming they would have already caught it if it was contagious?
I'm unsure what this is, and the hatchery said they can get little colds here and there, but I've found conflicting info on the net, saying chickens don't catch colds! Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Regards, Peita.

 

[KrisH]

CRD is fairly rare, but it is possible to get a sinus infection. Keep doing what you are doing for now. sometimes they get something, could have been dust or water in the lungs/air sacs causing irritation.

watch out with vaccinations. they can be good or bad, but unvaccinated birds that come in later can actually get sick BECAUSE you other other birds were vaccinated for certain things. either none, or everyone should be vaccinated.

RobertH

 

[Peity]

Thanks do much for your response. It's encouraging to heard that CRD is relatively rare. I had visions of our poor flock having to all eventually be culled! The kids would be devastated! I will continue with the Triple-C and hopefully that will knock it on the head. Just a couple of other questions : firstly with crd do they always have watery/mucky eyes? And secondly, if it does happen to be crd that she has, and she plods along ok with it, is it ok to eat her eggs when she starts laying if she still has the bacteria jn her system?
Again, thanks so much for helping!

 

[KrisH]

Thanks do much for your response. It's encouraging to heard that CRD is relatively rare. I had visions of our poor flock having to all eventually be culled! The kids would be devastated! I will continue with the Triple-C and hopefully that will knock it on the head. Just a couple of other questions : firstly with crd do they always have watery/mucky eyes? And secondly, if it does happen to be crd that she has, and she plods along ok with it, is it ok to eat her eggs when she starts laying if she still has the bacteria jn her system?
Again, thanks so much for helping!

eggs should be fine AFTER the reccomended withdrawl time from the antibiotic. The C in CRD is Chronic and if i remember is not curable except by culling, and i THINK that is the entire flock, but it is too early to think about that.

RobertH

 

[Peity]

Ok great, thank you. Have been ditching the eggs (including our first double yolker!) unfortunately and will do so for the exclusion period. Thanks!