QUESTIONS ABOUT COLD SYMPTONS

pokey

Warrior Princess
11 Years
Jun 1, 2008
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upstate
OK, i have one pullet that i found today with the bubbles in the eye, and looks like there was some nasal discharge, but has dried up. she has no odor and is eating and drinking just fine. is it not possible for chickens to get a common cold or allergies this time of year? i am even having sinus problems due to the weather. i have quarrentined her with antibiotics, but if this is something simple, i don't want to cull her needlessly.
 
We have had to struggle with this problem for a few weeks now. Some of the polish get sick for a few days, then they are out with the rest. My wild/game fowl have all been sick, some worse than others. I have a red jungle fowl rooster that was absolutely in horrid shape and he pulled through just fine. Isolate your bird, give them antibiotics for a few days and be sure they are hydrated. Some have told me to go ahead and use electrolytes and vitamines. If your bird is realy sick it will simply die, but isolate it. I had ONE fatality during this. It was a very old polish hen.
I wish you luck. Be patient and very deligent. At roost time go to EACH bird and listen to thier breathing. If it is labored, isolate it and treat it.
Yes, this is a difficult, time consuming and labor intensive time, but you will feel good knowing that you did whatever you could.
 
I do wish everyone would educate themselves about chicken diseases and their symptoms and decide what their health policy will be before they get chickens. My own decision is to never use antibiotics to treat respiratory illness. And I do mean never. I will cull the bird, meaning kill, not give away/sell. Thank goodness, my resolve has not been tested, at least with contagious illnesses. And it wont be easy, since every bird I have is a pet, not just livestock. I spend much time with them daily so hopefully, things wont get out of hand before I know I have an issue.
rimshoes, that was a good suggestion, to listen closely to your birds every evening, a very good practice! That way, you can isolate the bird immediately and do whatever you've decided to do, treat or cull.
 
It is VERY important that people know what is meant my Culling thier chickens.
It is NOT taking them from the flock alive. One must kill those birds that will be detrimental to the flock, it happens, it has happened to us. If you have a bird that is miserable yet not a detriment to the flock, this too must be dealt with. I hate killing animals (other than possums, racoons and armadillos) and always give thier sprits to the greater good. Culling is a serious decision to make. Let no denial enter into it. If you can not kill, hire someone to do it, it is important, be fair to the flock and even to the bird in question.
I have hired a friend to kill, I paid them money.
We have 20 or so broilers in the freezer that we raised. I love chickens and I like chicken.
 
well, i don't remember the name at this sec, but it is for poultry, and i have used it before.it is one of the ones from tractor supply and i did isolate the bird. i do treat my birds first after isolating them, this is my preference because i want to give them a chance. i practice safe bioprevention, my coops are kept clean, my birds are wormed for parasites regularly, and no new birds are present. i think she may have a respiratory problem but i don't think it is crd. she seems totally unaffected today, but i will treat her a few more days as well as isolate her.
 
Its true that if you do not bring in new birds and practice good management, the chances of something really bad is diminished. However, wild birds carry things, so that is one avenue for contracting CRD and other things. Everyone must decide whether to treat or cull, and what the ramifications are if you keep a bird who has been ill should come into play in your decision making. Most people never really know what it was the bird had because most do not take them to a vet to be tested, so we are flying blind much of the time with chicken diseases.
 
is it possible for pigeons to tranfer disease to chickens? someone who lives a few miles away has a pigeon that shows up here, it is not in the coops, but it hangs around until i call the guy to retrive it. i also did not want to cull the bird because i was afraid she has something simple and i would kill her out of ignorance. i was just hoping you guys would know, but i think it's not as serious as i thought at first.
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OXINE!

I am not a big fan of chemicals, but my research on Oxine (chlorine dioxide) has resulted in this product being used as part of my own backyard poultry biosecurity/health regime. I feel it is safer than bleach, it breaks down quicker, and even the World Health Organization realizes its super-efficient ability to kill bacteria, viruses, and PROTOZOA. (Does it work on coccidia? Hmmmm . . .) It has been used in the cleanup of natural and man-made disaster areas, and it has actually been around since the 1940s.

I bought mine from First State Vet Supply, and I use it in three ways: 1) cleaning-strength solution for my waterers, feeders, perches, and periodically in the coop itself; 2) misting/fogging strength in the coop occasionally (at night) to prevent respiratory illness and to eliminate coop bacteria, mold, and other pathogens ~ and I do it EVERY night if I start hearing any sniffling or sneezing; 3) safe dilution in waterers one day a week to reduce harmful bacteria/protozoa in the digestive system (it is important to also rotate a probiotic afterward to restore helpful bacteria to the gut).

My own approach is to reduce pathogens to a reasonable level and strive to keep my birds fit, clean, well-fed, and low in stress. I figure if they are in good shape and I practice good sanitation, their natural immunity will protect them better than medication. I like prevention much better than treatment.

Hope that info helps!
 
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