Quick question about treating boogers

[Chasley]

i have a 4 1/2 month old pullet. not sure what bread it is but im starting to think its something in the bantam group because she is still so tiny. anywho, she has got some boogers and sneezes quit a bit. i'll be going to the feed store later today to stock and need to know what to look for. what is the best treatment for the boogers?

thanks for the help.

C

 

[jab91864]

Lot of folks swear by Vet Rx swabbed on the beak/nostril area. I've used eucalyptus oil when I've thought I might have a need.

If it were me I would probably make sure I was giving some terramycin powder in the water along with garlic and ACV. But that is just me.

Best of luck.

Julie

 

[Teach97]

treat the bird not the boogers...

...I did it again

 

[speckledhen]

Chickens do not get colds like humans do. Nasal discharge like that means they have contracted a disease, bacterial or viral and without testing, you cant know which it is. Most diseases make chickens carriers for life, able to infect others even when they seem okay themselves. My policy is to cull for respiratory if it ever happens here, never to treat. Even if they recover, they are never well, which is what carrier means. Read the following articles for some good info:

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/laryng.htm
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page22.htm
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/ib.htm


VetRx is only a symptom reliever, does not actually treat or cure anything respiratory.

 

[GardenerGal]

I agree with the previous post about diagnosing what's causing the symptoms before trying to treat it. It could be a number of ailments.

My flock had infectious coryza go through it a couple years ago. It got into my flock (which had been clean for over 5 years) because someone found a stray hen and thought it was mine, and tossed it into my barn! Some of the birds died of it, while others had mild symptoms and recovered on their own. But they are permanent carriers.

Because, unfortunately, I was too sentimental to cull the survivors(they are ornamental bantams), I chose to run a "closed barn" instead, meaning I will not sell or swap away any of the birds in that flock, and maintain strict biosecurity and don't allow anyone into the barn except with special "barn" clothes and boots, etc. I had to put the entire flock on erythromycin (Gallimycin) as a precaution against subsequent outbreaks. I haven't had any problems since, though, and it's been over a year. But it will always be a closed flock.

You have to get crazy-strict to keep infectious diseases under control.

As for taking care of the "boogers" themselves. A couple of my birds recovered but, typical of infectious coryza, continued to get outbursts of the disease from time to time. If I didn't removed the boogers, eventually they would back up into the birds' sinuses and cause the entire head to swell. Really, the "boogers" are pus that drains from the sinuses and hardens to a crust on the outside where it contacts the dry outside air.

I took sterilized (in bleach, then rinsed) splinter tweezers and VERY CAREFULLY (bird wrapped gently in a towel to immobilize it) removed the plug - it usually came out in one piece... but I also cleaned out any remaining "booger" so that the nostrils and nasal passages were clear. Then I dabbed a little triple-antibiotic ointment just inside the nostril (not clogging the nasal passages).

 

[speckledhen]

You have to get crazy-strict to keep infectious diseases under control

Very true. Sorry for your Coryza problem. Obviously and quite sadly, it certainly wasn't your fault, GG. As Gardener Girl stated, she now has a closed flock, no birds in and no birds out. And you must even be careful that you dont walk that disease out on your clothes and shoes when you go to the feedstore or farm store so you dont cause heartache for someone else. I never buy started birds, ever, from anyone. And everyone who comes must disinfect the soles of their shoes before coming into the area near the coops.​