sneezing and clear discharge in hen

[Elohist1983]

I have a ameraucana around 5 or six months old who has been sneezing with little bit of clear discharge from nose for about 2 weeks. Stool is normal. She has no other symptoms. The other 3 hens have no symptoms. Recently added some straw to the run. What could this be?

 

[BantamLover21]

I have a ameraucana around 5 or six months old who has been sneezing with little bit of clear discharge from nose for about 2 weeks. Stool is normal. She has no other symptoms. The other 3 hens have no symptoms. Recently added some straw to the run. What could this be?

How dusty is the straw? Dust can sometimes irritate chicken respiratory tracts, causing sneezing. But I would think that some of your other birds would be affected if this were the case. It is possible, IMO, that your hen has a mild respiratory disease.

I would isolate her in a warm, clean place and just observe her for a few days. Give her vitamins and possibly probiotics in her water, if possible, and minimize stressing her out. Don't put straw in her isolation area; see if that makes a difference. If it is a respiratory disease, this supportive care may help.

If she gets worse, or you want to try treating her faster, you could get an antibiotic. I would recommend, if possible, getting Tylan50 or Tylan200 (the 200 version is just more concentrated). Preferably, I would get the injectable Tylan form instead of the water soluble form. Oxytetracycline (sold under names like Duramycin, Terramycin, Tetroxy HCA-280, etc.) would be another choice, though it isn't as effective as Tylan. Both antibiotics can generally be found at a livestock supply store, with prices ranging from $9-$15 for Oxytetracycline and $15-$30 for Tylan.

The Tylan50 injectable dosage is 1cc for large-fowl, .5ccs for bantams, injected into one side of the breast once daily for 5 days. The Tylan200 injectable dosage is .5ccs for large-fowl, .1-.3ccs for bantams, injected into one side of the breast once daily for 3-4 days. Alternate the side of the breast that you inject into, and use a small gauge needle, as Tylan can make the injection area sore. In the case of powdered Oxytetracycline (I'm going to abbreviate it OXT), the dosage is 1 teaspoon OXT per gallon of drinking water for 7-14 days. During antibiotic treatment, do not give probiotics, dairy products, or apple cider vinegar.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Is the straw dusty, and had you noticed any symptoms before adding it? New, dusty straw might cause her to start sneezing. However, I think a more likely reason is that she has a mild respiratory disease.

Chickens are susceptible to many respiratory diseases, which range in effects from mild to severe. Respiratory diseases can spread quickly, and its pretty easy to get one in your flock. In most cases, birds that recover from respiratory diseases will be carriers of the the disease, and may show signs again at times of stress. Other times, though, they will be perfectly healthy for the rest of their life.

I expect that your bird has a mild respiratory disease that should go away on its own. Try giving her electrolytes and probiotics to build up her immune system. Apple cider vinegar also has healthy properities.

If it gets worse, or if your other hens catch the disease, try antibiotics. Tylan50 is one of the best antibiotics for respiratory diseases. It is usually easy to find at livestock supply stores. To give it, you'll also need some small syringes and needles (20-22 gauge needles work well). The dosage is 1cc for large fowl, .5ccs for bantams, injected into the breast muscle once daily for five days. Keep in mind that antibiotics will not cure a viral respiratory disease, only bacterial ones.

Other antibiotics like oxytetracycline are available. Terramycin, Duramycin, and Tetroxy HCA-280 are all version of oxytetracycline. These antibiotics are water soluable, so if you have a large flock, they might be a better idea. However, these antibiotics are not as strong as Tylan, and may not work.

Keep your infected bird out of drafts, and you might want to consider isolating her.

Hope this helps!

 

[Elohist1983]

The straw has been rained on so I don't think it is dusty.