Snotty chicken,

[gadders]

Hi All

Am a novice chicken keeper who bought 3 hens yesterday and one of them has a snotty nose. We have kept them separate just incase she has something infectious. I have read that chickens don't get colds, but she is a bit weezy and has all the human symptoms! Other than that she is fine... any advice???

Thanks
Lynn.

 

[lilypad]

Hi Lynn!

It sounds like a respiratory infection which will most likely need antibiotics, I'm not sure where you are but tylan is good for resp. infection
She might look fine but chickens are great at hiding their symptoms so may be feeling a little rotten, I would treat her and the other chickens she is with as soon as possible.

All the best, I hope she is better soon x

 

[Wyandottes7]

I agree with Lilypad; it sounds like a respiratory disease. Though the symptoms seem similar to a human cold, a "cold" in a chicken is usually more serious. You have done the right thing isolating her from the other birds, as respiratory diseases spread quickly.

Keep her warm, and make sure that she eats and drinks enough. Giving electrolytes and probiotics will help keep her immune system strong and help her heal. Scrambled eggs, applesauce, and yogurt are other foods to give a sick chicken that will help. Supportive treatment is all you can do if the disease if a virus.

If the disease gets worse, or if you don't see any improvement within a week or so, get antibiotics. Tylan is one of the best antibiotics for respiratory diseases. Tylan50 works best for chickens, but there is also a Tylan200 version. The dosage for the Tylan50 is 1cc for large fowl, .5ccs for bantams, given once daily for five days. You'll need 20-22gauge needles and some small syringes.

If you don't feel comfortable giving injections, you could try a water-soluable antibiotic. Oxytetracycline, in the form of Terramycin, Duramycin, or Tetroxy HCA-280 is a common antibiotic. It might be able to treat a bacterial respiratory disease, but is not as strong as Tylan. So, consider using Tylan instead.

Hope this helps!