Smelly mucus in Chinese Silky

[shawns999]

Hi there,

new member from Australia - hello.

I have 9 chickens in nice big backyard enclosure at moment. A lot have come and gone over the last couple of years...most to respiratory infections.

I have a Chinese silky hen, 6 months or so old, who has a constant runny nose. Thing that is unusual about this time (compared to others that have had respiratory disease) is that the mucus is REALLY smelly.

Not sure what this means - obviously it is an infection but does it mean it is bacterial? acute? bad????

She is eating really well and does not wheeze or anything. Just the runny nose.

Any ideas about what it is (and treatment) would be appreciated.

 

[dlhunicorn]

could be indicative of a yeast infection (which will recquire meds such as nystatin) ... or coryza (if coryza will have other respiratory signs than JUST the smelly mucous).

 

[shawns999]

Thanks for writing back so quick and apologies for my delay in responding...was on holiday leave over xmas for some time. On another site I had been told that it was likely to be coryza however the symptoms have now gone without medication and I am therefore not sure whether yeast infection or coryza. If the latter I realise that she is a carrier...

thanks for your advice

 

[dlhunicorn]

It is often so very difficult to figure these things out and truth be told, unless you have a fortune to spend on diagnostics , it will always remain a guess.
What you can do however is be aware that since you have said you have had respiratory problems in the past, it might be that you have a case of a mild strain of MG at your property...this will cause respiratory symptoms with any stress (whether that be from weather conditions, nutrition, parasites , etc). Keeping your housing as clean as possible (regularly disinfecting and keeping the bedding etc as dry and fresh as possible) and keeping the feed fresh and dry will go a long way in managing this problem.
Vit A is also very important and often goes hand in hand with respiratory symptoms (vit A deficiency occurs easily and more often than you might think). Finding a good source for supplementation for the diet such as mixing wheatgermoil through your feed will help address this.
I would advise you to find a good nutritional supplement and one that is as complete as possible and formulated especially for poultry and use this on your ill birds and for your entire flock in times of stress .
You can also add a bit of ACV to their waterer (applecider venegar) ...
Whenever you have a bird show signs of this (mild respiratory symptoms) such as your little silkie, I would separate immediately, give that supplement and provide as stress free environment as possible and ensure the bird drinks sufficiently to avoid dehydration. A birds own immune system is a powerful thing and supporting that goes a long way in helping your bird get better.
Regularly keeping an eye open for signs of worms is another consideration to be addressed.