Sick Hen. Is this a cold?

[claraberner]

Hi, so I just created an account to ask this question! We just got a flock of new hens from a farm and one of the girls is sneezing a lot (or coughing?) and has a runny nose. Other than those two symptoms she seems fine. Does she need any special treatment or is it something that will pass? I'm afraid she already has been in contact with the rest of my girls. The property I got her from had a LOT of chickens though in an okay, free range environment if a little over crowded with different animals.

 

[pamsmithtulsa]

One of our new hens is doing the same. Her eyes are huge and she has a snotty discharge and her eyes are matted shut. Worried we brought coryza to our whole flock

 

[claraberner]

One of our new hens is doing the same. Her eyes are huge and she has a snotty discharge and her eyes are matted shut. Worried we brought coryza to our whole flock

That's awful! I hope not. Mine seems about the same. The woman we bought her from is mortified and offered instantly to treat the hen herself if we needed her to, while reassuring us that her chickens are all vaccinated (including against Coryza) so I'm planning to put some medication in her water and see if that clears her up since she seems to not be worsening and in need of emergency care. So we shall see!

 

[Wyandottes7]

Chickens do not get colds. They get respiratory diseases, which can sometimes be very serious, and will often infect the whole flock. Seperate your infected bird immediately. Keep her warm, well fed, and hydrated. Give her electrolytes and probiotics if you have them, as this will help her immune system. If the disease is viral, this is all you can do for her.

A more serious case would be if she has Chronic Respiratory Disease, Coryza, or another type of bacterial respiratory infection. To treat one of these diseases, get Tylan50 or Tylan200. Weaker antibiotics, like Oxytetracycline, may work, but in my experience, they do not. If using Tylan50, give your hen .5 ccs if she's a bantam, 1cc if she's a large fowl, injected into the breast muscle for three to five days. The dosage for Tylan200 is .1-.3ccs for a bantam, .5ccs for a large fowl.

No matter what respiratory disease your chicken has, she will likely be a carrier of it for her lifetime. She may show symptoms again, especially during times of stress, even once it has been treated.

I hope I've helped! Your chicken doesn't seem to be too seriously infected, but just keep an eye on her and the other birds. Make sure to isolate her and give her supportive care. Hopefully, she recovers fully.

 

[pamsmithtulsa]

We got lucky! Our girl is normal now! We quarantend her Saturday night and Sunday morning we wiped down her face with warm water several times a day to get the matting and the nastyness off. The breeder told us to give her 1tsp of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with one cup black coffee. We left that in her cage the first day and she drank it all!. I then gave her just straight water and 1tsp of the vinegar. Oh and she got a shot of Penicllian (1cc) on Sunday night as well. It was great to see her getting better each day.She was released back with the flock today and is happy as can be! Guess it was just an upper respitory infection!

 

[Wyandottes7]

Yay! I'm glad she's better.