Hen's nostril eroding without respiratory symptoms

[SkyAJK]

Hello and please help.

Firstly Happy New Year 2026.

2 years old Wyandotee hen Goldie's nostril is eroding.

No sneezing, no watery nose, no sign of respiratory ill health.
Eating well, poops normal and active.

Last month I noticed her nostrils are clog with dirt, I cleaned them and found them to be quite dirty deep inside, it seems to be fine after cleaning.

Today I found her left nostril is eroding and photos attached.
Her right nostril is not looking all good, it will probably get worse soon.

I soaked my chicken's feed in water over night as it is crumble and quite dusty. The rest of the flock does not have dirty nostril except for Goldie. I found wet feed on both her nostril and her beak.

Why is her nostril eroding and what can I do for her? Thank you in advance

 

[azygous]

Nares can get clogged with fine dirt or dusty feed and need cleaning out. This chicken likely has had this foreign matter stuffed full of decaying matter and this tissue may now be infected.


As with any infected tissue, it needs to be cleaned out and the nares stuffed with an antibiotic ointment.

I take a toothpick and sand the sharp point so it's rounded. Then I pick all the gunk out of the nares. Then, taking a very fine nozzle oral syringe, I lay the chicken on her side and flush saline first through one nare, then flip her over and flush the other. Solution should run into one nare and out the other in this operating.

Then squirt some Neosporin or similar wound ointment into both nares each day until it heals.

Check her ears also to be sure they aren't also infected. You should see a clean hole when pushing the ear flaps forward. If clogged, perform the same operation on the ears as you did the nares.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she injuring her beak on some chicken wire or wire fencing, feeder, etc? Do you see her scratching at her face? I would try to clean her nostrils with some warm saline once or twice daily. A drop of hydrogen peroxide can help to soften any crud. They sometimes can get feed, mucus, or dirt stuck in the nostrils.

 

[SkyAJK]

Thank you @azygous and @Eggcessive

Is ok to use nose spray bottle instead of nozzle oral syringe?

I do not have nozzle oral syringe and I am worried I might get water into her lung.

Is Savlon antiseptic cream ok to use? This is what I have at home. If it it not ok, then I will buy the one you suggested.

There is no scratch on her face and there is no injure on her beak. It is dirty mostly from the wet feed stuck on it.
We have plastic fence with big holes, so I don't know how she got this mess.
I will wash her nostrils and beak twice a day.

 

[azygous]

No danger of any liquid getting into the lungs from irrigating the nares. Nares are open all the way from one nare to the other so fluids squirted into one nare will go out the other nare. Use a squeeze bottle, it won't hurt anything. Any antibiotic ointment will work as long as it is free of pain relievers.