smelly chicken with dried mucus on beak

[Sparko]

Hello, I’ve isolated my sick 3 month old silkie from her siblings and my mom recently noticed that I smelled bad after handling her. I haven’t figured out the specific problem with her yet but hopefully this info would help identify it. She’s quite weak, has mucus on her nose, and does have some sort of odor (I’m not the best at smelling things). I’ve been giving her Axylin since yesterday.

How do I treat her? also, how can I clean dry mucus on her beak?

 

[Pyxis]

Has she had any respiratory issues like coughing or sneezing, or runny or bubbly eyes?

I ask because bad smelling nasal discharge is often the hallmark of coryza. Are these new birds? Have you had respiratory issues in your flock before?

 

[Sparko]

Has she had any respiratory issues like coughing or sneezing, or runny or bubbly eyes?

I ask because bad smelling nasal discharge is often the hallmark of coryza. Are these new birds? Have you had respiratory issues in your flock before?

First time owner here and they’re new. I haven’t really seen her cough or sneeze, but she does open and close her mouth in a “burping” motion.

She also has moments where she pauses and just “falls asleep” - before separating her she was walking around with the other two and my mom saw her laying on the ground “sleeping”.

 

[Pyxis]

It could be that all of them were carrying coryza, which is an incurable respiratory disease in chickens. They will carry it without symptoms until they are stressed - like being brought to a new home - and then symptoms will emerge.

I would say treat it as coryza and see what happens. Can you get Tylan or Sulmet antibiotics?

If it is coryza, you can treat the symptoms, but the disease won't go away. They would be carriers for the rest of their lives and will also infect any new chickens they come into contact with, so you would have to keep that in mind and not sell them or any other birds you put with them or chicks they hatch, etc - you wouldn't want to infect the flocks of other people.

They would also have symptom flare-ups and get sick again and need to be retreated from time to time throughout their lives.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What does the inside of her beak look like?

 

[Sparko]

It could be that all of them were carrying coryza, which is an incurable respiratory disease in chickens. They will carry it without symptoms until they are stressed - like being brought to a new home - and then symptoms will emerge.

I would say treat it as coryza and see what happens. Can you get Tylan or Sulmet antibiotics?

If it is coryza, you can treat the symptoms, but the disease won't go away. They would be carriers for the rest of their lives and will also infect any new chickens they come into contact with, so you would have to keep that in mind and not sell them or any other birds you put with them or chicks they hatch, etc - you wouldn't want to infect the flocks of other people.

They would also have symptom flare-ups and get sick again and need to be retreated from time to time throughout their lives.

Damn, that sucks Is it too late to vaccinate them? Also, I have Axylin which has Amprolium + Sulfaquinoxaline - today is her third day drinking water w/ that.

Would bringing her back to her flock reduce the symptoms she's currently exhibiting? (since there would be less stress)

Is it also possible it's just a common cold of some sort?

What does the inside of her beak look like?

I'll see if I could get a close look later, a bit difficult since she's not really used to me touching her yet.

 

[Eggcessive]

They get chronic respiratory diseases, not colds. They are with chickens for the rest of their lives, and they can infect other members of their flock. Coryza and MG are common ones that affect chickens, and there are some others. It is too late to vaccinate against them.

 

[Sparko]

They get chronic respiratory diseases, not colds. They are with chickens for the rest of their lives, and they can infect other members of their flock. Coryza and MG are common ones that affect chickens, and there are some others. It is too late to vaccinate against them.

Damn, that’s unfortunate. One of the other three is starting to act like the sick one - should I just separate the three of them for now until they get better? or would that worsen their condition? (because of the potential stress of being alone)

 

[Eggcessive]

If they have all been together, you might as well leave them together since they have all been exposed.

 

[Sparko]

If they have all been together, you might as well leave them together since they have all been exposed.

Alrighty, I’ll clean their coop later to help them be comfortable. Are their eggs still safe to eat if they start laying?