Possible Respiratory/Sinus Infection In Khaki Campbell

[boopsqueak]

One of our Khaki Campbells, Catriona, has been occasionally coughing and having sneezing fits for the last two or three days. Other than that, she seemed fine, just as jolly, loud, and boisterous as ever, huge appetite, drinking, bathing, and following her adored drake, Alligator Bob, with gusto. This morning, she seemed particularly crazy, eager to escape the run and flirting with the drakes ridiculously. This afternoon, she seemed a little under the weather, and then later began to present the telltale signs of being ready to lay a rubber egg. There isn't anything terribly unusual about this, as Catri has a history of laying rubbers, usually at the beginning and end of the laying season, and during drastic weather changes (we went from having relatively chilly weather to warm during the past few days). We manage this tendency with calcium gluconate, 1 ml every other day for a few days at the beginning and end of the laying season, and when weather changes seem imminent. We didn't give her any calcium during this last weather change, as she has been doing very well so far this year.
This evening, she had evidently laid her rubber egg, for she seemed a lot perkier (and one of our chickens was covered with egg). But when one of my sisters picked her up, she noticed that Catriona's nostrils appeared to be covered over with dried mucus! We brought her to water and allowed her to clean her nostrils out, and she got most of the crust off, but a long piece of thick mucus also came out of one nostril.
We currently have Catriona in a dog crate in the coop. She seems very happy and perky, she started playing in the water with silly squeaks as soon as I put it in for her. Her breathing seems a wee bit heavier than normal, but other than that unimpaired (and the heavy breathing could be because she laid a rubber egg before or because of the warm weather). We isolated her so that she doesn't contaminate the other bird's drinking water if she is infected. Does this seem likely to be an actual infection, or could it be just some sort of respiratory irritation? Also, could it be related to the drakes biting her head during mating? Our one drake, Nelson, is pretty rough, and I've heard of overly aggressive drakes causing their hens' eyes to foam by biting their sinuses. Could she have an injured sinus? I don't think she has MG or Coryza, as I don't think we have these in the flock and have added no new birds recently.
Thank you for your help!

 

[Debbie292d]

One of our Khaki Campbells, Catriona, has been occasionally coughing and having sneezing fits for the last two or three days. Other than that, she seemed fine, just as jolly, loud, and boisterous as ever, huge appetite, drinking, bathing, and following her adored drake, Alligator Bob, with gusto. This morning, she seemed particularly crazy, eager to escape the run and flirting with the drakes ridiculously. This afternoon, she seemed a little under the weather, and then later began to present the telltale signs of being ready to lay a rubber egg. There isn't anything terribly unusual about this, as Catri has a history of laying rubbers, usually at the beginning and end of the laying season, and during drastic weather changes (we went from having relatively chilly weather to warm during the past few days). We manage this tendency with calcium gluconate, 1 ml every other day for a few days at the beginning and end of the laying season, and when weather changes seem imminent. We didn't give her any calcium during this last weather change, as she has been doing very well so far this year.
This evening, she had evidently laid her rubber egg, for she seemed a lot perkier (and one of our chickens was covered with egg). But when one of my sisters picked her up, she noticed that Catriona's nostrils appeared to be covered over with dried mucus! We brought her to water and allowed her to clean her nostrils out, and she got most of the crust off, but a long piece of thick mucus also came out of one nostril.
We currently have Catriona in a dog crate in the coop. She seems very happy and perky, she started playing in the water with silly squeaks as soon as I put it in for her. Her breathing seems a wee bit heavier than normal, but other than that unimpaired (and the heavy breathing could be because she laid a rubber egg before or because of the warm weather). We isolated her so that she doesn't contaminate the other bird's drinking water if she is infected. Does this seem likely to be an actual infection, or could it be just some sort of respiratory irritation? Also, could it be related to the drakes biting her head during mating? Our one drake, Nelson, is pretty rough, and I've heard of overly aggressive drakes causing their hens' eyes to foam by biting their sinuses. Could she have an injured sinus? I don't think she has MG or Coryza, as I don't think we have these in the flock and have added no new birds recently.
Thank you for your help!

Hi!

I would proactively start her/them all on a vitamin boost. That way if she's getting something, that'll help her fight it better. Most minor respiratory illnesses our flock gets, they can get over it themselves. We use Poultry Cell for both the chickens and the ducks, and put it in their drinking water for a day, then skip a day, then do it again. I'd alternate it for a week or two and see if she's not getting better.

If not, she may need an antibiotic.

 

[boopsqueak]

Hi!

I would proactively start her/them all on a vitamin boost. That way if she's getting something, that'll help her fight it better. Most minor respiratory illnesses our flock gets, they can get over it themselves. We use Poultry Cell for both the chickens and the ducks, and put it in their drinking water for a day, then skip a day, then do it again. I'd alternate it for a week or two and see if she's not getting better.

If not, she may need an antibiotic.

Hello, thanks for your advice!
We ended up starting her on amoxicillin yesterday. (Perhaps a paranoid decision, but last year we had a very sweet Cayuga, Flora, die of bacterial pneumonia, and I didn't want to take any chances). She seems to be doing quite well. There is no more discharge from her nostrils, but we are still keeping her isolated.
We could try using the Poultry Cell in her water. Do you think that would cause any problems if she tried to blow her nares in the water?

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello, thanks for your advice!
We ended up starting her on amoxicillin yesterday. (Perhaps a paranoid decision, but last year we had a very sweet Cayuga, Flora, die of bacterial pneumonia, and I didn't want to take any chances). She seems to be doing quite well. There is no more discharge from her nostrils, but we are still keeping her isolated.
We could try using the Poultry Cell in her water. Do you think that would cause any problems if she tried to blow her nares in the water?

No, just mix it per instructions. 1 tablespoon = 1/2 gallon is what I wrote on my bottle of it. I don't do it day after day though, every other when they're seeming ill, or once every couple of weeks just for a boost.

 

[boopsqueak]

No, just mix it per instructions. 1 tablespoon = 1/2 gallon is what I wrote on my bottle of it. I don't do it day after day though, every other when they're seeming ill, or once every couple of weeks just for a boost.

Okay, thank you!