Rotten smell from beak?!

[susierw]

My 6 week old golden laced Wyandotte that I just got has a snotty nose and really bad rotten smell coming from her beak...would this be sour crop? She is acting normal, looks healthy and Her crop feels normal but the smell is soemthing I havnt experienced with any other of my chickens! I have the anti thrush medication that I've treated a chick for with before, should I use this for a few days?

 

[azygous]

Seems there's more of a possibility of the problem being a respiratory infection, but treating the chick for yeast infection can't hurt. If it doesn't clear up, you will then know it's respiratory.

 

[susierw]

Yeh it's strange it's only one nostril the other one looks like the slit isn't big enough to breath out of!! Have added apple cider vinegar to the water and will keep her on medicated chicken food for longer hopefully that helps!

 

[PoultryPrince]

I sure hope that everything goes well, I have two hens with a repertory/sinus infection right now.. one of them has it only in one nostril as well and I've been treating her for days but since I was out of town when it hit her it got to ingrained to kick quick.. I'm going to guess that your hen probably has an respiratory infection as well I've had a lot of my birds come down with them over the years and the smell is always one of the first things that tips me off to it, except the runny nose that is. my two birds both have that horrid smell around them and it stinks to high heavens to doesn't it?
If what your doing doesn't work I'd recommend trying some nano silver (or liquid silver as I call it,) if you have any, I have a pretty good success rate with using it against infections and such. It might help to keep her warm at least at night, if it gets very cold where you're at and she's out with the flock, that's also help me with a lot of my birds who fell ill.

 

[Eggcessive]

My 6 week old golden laced Wyandotte that I just got has a snotty nose and really bad rotten smell coming from her beak...would this be sour crop? She is acting normal, looks healthy and Her crop feels normal but the smell is soemthing I havnt experienced with any other of my chickens! I have the anti thrush medication that I've treated a chick for with before, should I use this for a few days?

A common problem is that a nostril can become clogged with food and secretions. This blockage can turn to a cement-like consistency. Take a look at this link about how to remove such a blockage: http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/PluggedNare/PluggedNare.html
Here is a picture of one such blockage:

photo by Seminolewind of a blocked nostril

If there are respiratory disease symptoms such as watery eyes, nasal drainage, wheezing or sneezing, then infectious coryza might be a possibility. Here is some info on that: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/82/infectious-coryza/

 

[susierw]

how do you use the silver? in the chook feed or down the throat? she still smells today, will continue on with the nystatin 3 times a day, apple cider vinegar in water and natural yoghurt for a couple days and see what happens. I noticed her tongue is brown at the end too which the other chicks don't have! She's out during the day and sleeping inside at night with the other chicks, none of which are displaying similar symptoms.

 

[PoultryPrince]

how do you use the silver? in the chook feed or down the throat? she still smells today, will continue on with the nystatin 3 times a day, apple cider vinegar in water and natural yoghurt for a couple days and see what happens. I noticed her tongue is brown at the end too which the other chicks don't have! She's out during the day and sleeping inside at night with the other chicks, none of which are displaying similar symptoms.

The nano/liquid Silver I get I normally will have them drink in their water or I'll have them drink it directly. Spraying it on or up their nose has worked to, though they hate it, (can't really blame them) but it works. You could also spray it on their feed I guess. I sometimes use an eye dropper in the case where I've had hens with eye infections. My one hen that has a bad infection in her left nostril has the same discoloration on the roof of her mouth back where her nostrils are, so I guess it has something to do with the infection. As long as she's warm at night then I wouldn't worry, I have a "sick bay" for my birds that I often will bring the sicker ones too at night just so they can keep warm and get a little extra food and warm medicated water. Chuckle, I might take it a bit far but... yeah...

 

[susierw]

Thanks for that! Couldn't get my hands on any silver so bit the bullet and went to the vet much to my families amusement!! After 3 days of nystatin and no change it was time! The vet took some swabs and said there was loads of bacteria on them, and prescribed an antibiotic called Enrotril which she will have twice a day for a week! As well as being seperated from the others

,came home and inspected the other chicks, and typically one silkie is displaying symptoms and slight smell...so she's on antibiotics too! So now I'm a nurse at work and home too

Gotta love this chicken keeping!

 

[Eggcessive]

Enrotil is enrofloxacin, a powerful antibiotic, and although it has been against our FDA rules to use in chickens in the US, is used to treat serious bacterial infections in animals. Does your vet feel like this is a respiratory infection causing the odor, or a crop infection, hence the Nystatin antifungal as well?

 

[susierw]

Enrotil is enrofloxacin, a powerful antibiotic, and although it has been against our FDA rules to use in chickens in the US, is used to treat serious bacterial infections in animals. Does your vet feel like this is a respiratory infection causing the odor, or a crop infection, hence the Nystatin antifungal as well?

Yeah the vet said it was respiratory, and saw loads of bacteria on the nose and mouth swabs she took. Query if it's infectious Cortyza..she said this antibiotic treats that too. I am in Australia, not sure if rules are different but she said to not eat eggs for 6 weeks, but since they are chicks it won't be for 6 or so months anyway!! The nystatin was me who started it as I didn't know anything about respiratory infections and thought the smell was coming from her crop! How wrong I was!