Sulphur/yellow urates AND snuffles.

[Nominal]

We’re… having issues. A couple of our ladies have been sneezing, runny nares, most of them are acting normal - we have a vet appointment next Thurs (we can call and maybe get a drop off earlier if it’s an emergency), but one of our snuffly girls has been having sulphur tinged droppings.

She had a rough day a few days ago so I separated her first, she was acting more stoic than usual (she’s our wild child), standing around staring and not attacking me for treats. She sat down a few times instead of climbing everything. Her comb was really pale on the second day, better (not perfect) by today and she’s acting more like her normal self. Of the girls we have four Australorps and two Brahmas, about eight and a half months old? The girl in question (lorp) no egg in four days. We're getting 1-2 eggs/day right now total (was assuming some of this was the off-season). How urgent is this? Is this blackhead, could it be something else? Is this still within normal range and am I overreacting?

I’d super appreciate any advice here. Trying not to panic (really what I do best).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We’re… having issues. A couple of our ladies have been sneezing, runny nares, most of them are acting normal - we have a vet appointment next Thurs (we can call and maybe get a drop off earlier if it’s an emergency), but one of our snuffly girls has been having sulphur tinged droppings.

She had a rough day a few days ago so I separated her first, she was acting more stoic than usual (she’s our wild child), standing around staring and not attacking me for treats. She sat down a few times instead of climbing everything. Her comb was really pale on the second day, better (not perfect) by today and she’s acting more like her normal self. Of the girls we have four Australorps and two Brahmas, about eight and a half months old? The girl in question (lorp) no egg in four days. We're getting 1-2 eggs/day right now total (was assuming some of this was the off-season). How urgent is this? Is this blackhead, could it be something else? Is this still within normal range and am I overreacting?

I’d super appreciate any advice here. Trying not to panic (really what I do best).

Blackhead in chickens is not that common and is usually not associated with respiratory symptoms like coughing, sneezing, mucous, etc.

Have you added new birds to your flock recently, closed up ventilation, is there a heavy ammonia odor in your coop?

Runny nares, sneezing, etc. sounds like respiratory illness. Perhaps Infectious Bronchitis. Mycoplasma is another disease fairly common in poultry, so it may be that.
You can try giving an antibiotic like Tylan/Tylosin to see if that helps with symptoms, but if you have a vet appt., it may be wise to see what their diagnosis may be.


A yellowish tinge to the urates could indicate something going on with the liver, but I'd work on hydration to see if that helps.