I have been in contact with Dr. Peter Brown (the chicken Dr.) through e-mail this morning and he says this definitely sounds like Coryza. I have a long hard road ahead of me to try and get through this mess. There will be some of my birds that will have to be culled, but not all, which is somewhat reassuring. Here is what he lists about Coryza.
The following symptoms closely characterize Coryza: Runny nose ( sometimes just a moist clear liquid at the edge of the nostril or nostrils ) . In more severe cases the mucus will be thicker and an off white to yellow in color and the nostrils may crust over and completely plug one or both nostrils. Facial swelling may occur just under one or both eyes and may be severe enough to completely swell shut one or both eyes. This is important as usually there is a secondary bacterial infection in the eye as well. Open the eye lids up and look to see if there is a white to grayish looking film covering the eyeball. If this film is present I would suggest that you flush the eye immediately with a boric acid solution ( you can use any of the human grade eye washes containing Boric Acid that you can find at
Wal-Mart ) and then add Chloramphenicol Eye ointment at least 2 to 3 times a day until the film goes away. Failure to correct or recognize this problem early on will result in blindness in the infected eye. Other symptoms include,sneezing,loss of appetite and rattles. Something else that might tip you off as to whether this disease would be Coryza or not would be the presence of mucus soiled feathers on the back,neck and face from wiping the mucus from the nostrils on the feathers. This symptom is not always present but should play a part in your decision making. Coryza also spreads very quickly in relation to some of the other diseases, once it gets started. Last but not least mortality plays a part in Coryza,if left untreated.
One of the most important things to know about Coryza is that a carrier state does exist. Some birds get Coryza and are treated and vaccinated and they get over it,while other birds continue to give you trouble. These birds are your carriers. When at all possible identify and eliminate all carrier birds. The treatment for Coryza is as follows: Use one teaspoon of Gallimycin powder and one teaspoon of Aureomycin/Sulmet powder in one gallon of drinking water for 7 days and then takeout the Aureomycin/Sulmet and boost the Gallimycin powder up to two teaspoons in a gallon of drinking water for an additional 7 days. When treatment is complete vaccinate all birds that are three weeks of age and older with ½ cc of Coryza vaccine under the skin of the neck. Repeat the vaccination with the same dose of Coryza vaccine four weeks later. Reactors ( birds that still show Coryza symptoms ) usually show up from two to four weeks after the last vaccination takes place. These birds are your carriers and should be eliminated if at all possible. Dispose of all carcasses by either burning or burying them. Do not expect birds that are sick to exhibit all of the symptoms described in this article all at the same time. While this is possible it almost never happens that way.
I guess my biggest issue now is to find a place to relocate my bator before these chicks hatch and employ the help of someone to raise my babies for me for a month or so.
That part makes me so sad, but I have got to protect them somehow.
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