Hen with a runny nose, please help!

[Ruthm]

Hi, I hope someone can help me. I purchased three hens nearly two weeks ago and the Bluebell has a runny nose, no other real symptoms, although today she seems quieter and not eating as much. They were all vaccinated when I bought them and I feed them on layers pellets in the morning and corn, cabbage, carrots etc in the afternoon. I phoned the guy I bought them off and he suggested buying Collodial Silver which I have ordered via the internet. The other two, the Goldline and the Blacktail have settled in well and seem very happy but the Bluebell has not settled as well. They roam around the garden during the day and they have a large coop to sleep in. I have had two eggs although they are only seventeen weeks old. Is there anything else I should be doing for her? Ruthm

 

[speckledhen]

Vaccinated for what? Cocci? Mareks? Neither of which have bearing on a runny nose. There are also other vaccinations as well.

Is it clear discharge? Is is all the time or occasional? They sometimes dip their beaks underwater and it will run out their noses or they can eat something hot and that can happen as well.

Any other symptoms? I don't know what colloidal silver will do, not my area of expertise. Most respiratory illness make birds carriers, but with only a slight clear discharge, I wouldnt necessarily go there.

 

[Ruthm]

I think they were vaccinated for mycoplasma. The discharge is constant and it has dried on her feathers when she has tucked her head near her wing. It is clear but also sometimes slightly gungy. I do hope she will be okay. Although we have only had them a couple of weeks and I am a novice, we love them. Apparently Collodial Silver is an antimicrobial. Any other suggestions please?

 

[tammye]

you may want to separate her from the others until you know what is going on with her, if she is sick with a respiratory illness she will pass it to the others. at least give her some electrolyte solution in her water for a boost and look for any chest congestion, sneezing, discharge, rattles while breathing ect...

 

[stargirl]

Moving to a new home is really stressful for hens, and seems to leave them more open to illness. It sounds like your bluebell might be a bit more stressy than the others.
I've read lots of times that chickens can get colds, just as humans can, so perhaps it could just be a case of the sniffles?

If you pick her up and have a listen to her chest, you should be able to tell if she has any crackles. This is a good indicator of something more serious. Also look out for bubbles in the eyes and opening her beak to breathe.

I found adding garlic and apple cider vinegar to the water really helps to clear my girls congestion.

 

[Ruthm]

Thank you all so much for the advice, I am so worried about her. I did give her some mashed up garlic in with her greens this morning, I thought it would not do her any harm and I noticed that she was opening her mouth a bit, so I am off to put some electrolytes in her water and have a listen to her chest, and yes I do think she is a bit more stressy than the other two. The other two follow me into the house and love all the attention but she has always been more reserved. I will let you know how I get on. I do hope it is just a cold. Thank you all again

 

[stargirl]

Try not to worry too much - even if it does turn out to be a more serious infection, its in the early stages and it should be easily treated with antibiotics.
If the other two are symptom-free its much more likely to be nothing to worry about

 

[Ruthm]

Thank you so much for the reassurance. I do hope she will be okay both my daughter and I will be devastated if we have to lose them. I have checked her and she does seem to be breathing okay but she still has constant clear discharge. I fear it is too late to quarantine her as this is her third day with a runny nose. I have put electrolytes in her water and kept her in the coop away from the other two today. Can you please advise me on how long I should wait before I think about antibiotics as the guy I bought the hens off said they rarely work

 

[Ruthm]

I am so pleased my bluebell has made a full recovery after much nursing and clearing her nose of mucus. Thank you all for your help. I think she just had a cold!