Hen sounding congested with a smelly mucus coming from beak!

[Raeganmh02]

Maybe this is because I am so paranoid about anything “unusual” I see on my chickens now, but do these images look like fowl pox? I noticed them on my favorite Dominique hen (Molly) and on a road island. I just now noticed them while sanitizing the coop. They look similar to some images I found.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Maybe this is because I am so paranoid about anything “unusual” I see on my chickens now, but do these images look like fowl pox? I noticed them on my favorite Dominique hen (Molly) and on a road island. I just now noticed them while sanitizing the coop. They look similar to some images I found.

Looks to me like someone is getting pecked at, which may mean the recipient of pecks isn't well. I have no experience with pox though. Also could be mite bites. As 1 hen had mites, odds are others have them, too, so better check them over well. Mites hang out in the bedding & perches, sometimes hide in wood cracks or joints.

During molt recently a few of mine had some pecks, but I call it grumpy molt time, 2 weeks later no sign of pecks anymore here.

 

[Raeganmh02]

That is very likely, they have been pecking at each other a lot. I will keep an eye out and check under their wings for mites this evening. My sick roo also has some sort of white blister like wart growing on the end of his comb. If it is pox, it can easily be headed from what I’ve read. Since it’s a virus, they are unlikely to get it again once they have had it. At this point, I’m just praying that they get the “least” of all the possible options

 

[Liz Birdlover]

That is very likely, they have been pecking at each other a lot. I will keep an eye out and check under their wings for mites this evening. My sick roo also has some sort of white blister like wart growing on the end of his comb. If it is pox, it can easily be headed from what I’ve read. Since it’s a virus, they are unlikely to get it again once they have had it. At this point, I’m just praying that they get the “least” of all the possible options

When checking for mites sometimes I have found a chicken to be completely clean except for one spot on back of the head, or right around the vent, or around the preen oil gland above the tail, so check those areas as well as under wings and on upper leg where the wing covers the leg.

 

[Raeganmh02]

Thank you, I will do that. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Eggcessive]

If you are wanting to treat for canker, I would ask you vet to prescribe Metronidazole—Fish Zole, the over the counter generic, is available online. The marks on the combs could be fowl pox, but others had said that the yellow plaques (of wet pox) have no bad odor. To me it looks more like peck wounds, but a few look like pox. Wet pox is a virus and will not respond to antibiotics.

 

[Raeganmh02]

UPDATE! I am pretty sure my chickens have Coryza! The first hen to get sick is now going downhill really fast, and now one side of her face is swelling. Her breathing is back to sounding terrible. She is acting lethargic and has a lot of mucus! When I pushed on her swollen face, bubbles gathered in her eye immediately (as you can see in the image). I’m pretty upset. Is it true that no matter WHAT, if a bird contracts Coryza they are carries for the rest of their life? My only and best ever rooster Albert has it pretty mild right now. He only has the stinky breath so far (no mucus or bad breathing yet). I just don’t want to loose him. I’ve been giving my rooster lots of oregano oil, probiotics, and electrolytes. I have also been putting cinnamon, garlic, and a little ACV in his feed which he has been eating.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would be tempted to get a necropsy by the state vet on the chicken who is going downhill, to try and find what is going on. It is important to know if you are dealing with coryza, canker, MG, wet fowl pox, or something else. Treating the others with the correct medicine would be easier with a proper diagnosis. Since you got chlortetracycline from the vet, I would go ahead and use it in case of MG. Here is a list where you can find your state poultry vet to contact for a necropsy if needed:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Raeganmh02]

Thank you! I am going to talk to the vet tomorrow about a necropsy so I can be sure. At this point, I am willing to pay the price just to know! I guess there is still the possibility that it isn’t Coryza, and her face could be swelling due to something else. Do you know if fowl pox or any other sicknesses cause a puffy face?

 

[Eggcessive]

Swelling of the face and eyes is common with MG and coryza, and sometimes when E.coli has become a secondary infection.