Slightly runny nares, good appetite/activity levels

[KittieChick]

Hi all. I have an adult hen that I've had since November 24. Today I noticed that she has a slightly runny nose. She's also molting and has a whole batch of new feathers coming in. Nobody else in my small flock is showing any sign of anything.

So, good appetite, good activity levels, drinks okay, molting, good poops. Only one chicken with symptoms. Hopefully not any of these horrible things I've been researching. She doesn't fit any symptoms completely.

Any suggestions for treatments?

I currently am feeding FF and layer crumbles. Everyone ranges from around noon to bedtime on about ½ acre. I have small dogs running around the yard as well.

Thank you.

 

[Eggcessive]

With new chickens added to the flock, it is always a good idea to quarantine them for at least 30 days from your other chickens just in case they are a carrier of some respiratory disease or have lice, mites, and can be wormed. Eye drainage or bubbles, nasal drainage, cough, sneeze, noisy breathing, or swelling of the eyelids or face are the common signs of respiratory disease. I would keep an eye on her for any new symptoms. She could also pick up something from your others, if you have ever seen a respiratory issue. Make sure your coop ventilation is good, avoid dusty feed, dust in coop, ammonia odors, and wet or moldy spots in coop to minimize any respiratory symptoms.

 

[KittieChick]

Check on ventilation, low dust, no wet or mold. I have her in a small dog crate in the house. I have plans to breed a small flock of Cream Legbars and Beilefelders beginning in the spring.

Does this mean I need to now cull this sick bird as well as the remaining birds and do some kind of disinfection in my coop and yard? This makes me physically ill to think about how this will affect my flock.

Should I call the vet to see if she can tell me what it is?

 

[Eggcessive]

The only symptom you are seeing is the slightly runny nose, and she is separated from the others. Since she may be weak from molting and stressed from changing home, I would simply watch her for any new symptoms. Get her on some probiotics (Probios or Gro2Max are good, and put those and perhaps a multivitamin for poultry in her water 3 days a week. Worm her with Valbazen or Safeguard, or take in a stool sample to your vet for testing for worms. Make sure she has not signs of lice or mites. Just wash your hands between her and your others until you are sure she is no threat. Always quarantine any new birds and check them out for 30 days. Practice good biosecurity. Most respiratory diseases such as MG and coryza are only alive for 3 days on shoes equipment and other things, so cleaning a facility after a sick bird is not that difficult. Testing can always be done on a sick bird to identify an illness, and a necropsy by your state vet may also be performed on a bird that dies to find a cause of death. Here is a link to read about the common respiratory diseases, a link about MG, and ones for your state vet and labs that do testing.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps034
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

 

[KittieChick]

Yes, biosecurity!!! I have a friend who has a chicken infirmary. She's offered to nurse Iris there, but now if novoy else is ill, maybe I'll keep her in the house for a week to watch her.

Do you think she can pass her cold to my parrot, Jake? That would be my other concern.

 

[Eggcessive]

Mycoplasma is the one that I would be concerned about since it can affect all types of birds and fowl. It depends on the strain of MG as to how many symptoms a bird show--some are mild, some are very bad. I would hate to put down a bird who was just weak from molt, but I would hate for your parrot to become infected. Here is another good link about MG that tell what species are affected: http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...lasma_gallisepticum_infection_in_poultry.html

 

[KittieChick]

Thank you, Eggcessive! I have taken the hen to recuperate to the person I got her from. She has an isolation room she calls the infirmary. I just checked my crew tonight when I went out to close their door, and all are clear. They were slightly ****** that I was messing with their faces, though.

I decided it wasn't worth the chance for my parrot to be exposed to something. I'm hoping that it's just a molt/winter thing and that she'll recover nicely.