Sneezing and runny nose

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MidsYk

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Any advise please? We got two new PoL to join our one remaining old girl about 8 weeks ago. One of the new girls 'Red' hasn't yet laid an egg. We've also noticed she has dirty vent feathers and occasionally sneezes. Today i noticed a her nose was a little runny. She appears to be a bright happy chicken otherwise. We give Vermex once a month and i've also bought Flubenvet but haven't used it yet.
When we first got her she took to sleeping outdoors on top on the coop, this may have been down to the initial bullying which has now stopped. The other new girl 'Dotty' is laying and we have no concerns. The coop is clean (sawdust in the next boxes) and we use diatomaceous powder. I don't like to think that she's not well, any thoughts welcome.
 
I would at the very least isolate her. She's displaying what, in chickens, are always worrying symptoms - which isn't necessarily saying that she is seriously ill or infectious - but respiratory illnesses can become serious quite quickly in birds, because of how their respiratory system works. A bird's lungs are small, relative to the size of its body. This is because the lungs are just part of their respiratory system. They have several air sacs through their body. So respiratory infections can quickly spread through the body, and be the devil to shift. If you don't want to cull her, then I would isolate for a day or two, and if she's not better by then, see a vet.
 
The runny nose has a couple of possible causes, I think:
It is likely that she is reacting to a per-existing presence of mycoplasma in the run, just like joining a new class where you haven't developed a resistance to the colds that are going around (and ever present but not a problem.) Stress makes it worse and being introduced is somewhat stressful. If this is what is happening then it should settle down and she will build an immunity. Wiping runny noses with saline solution is a good idea to stop nares getting blocked.
The second possibility, which unfortunately runs contrary to the first, is that she has brought an infection with her. Then, like LadyA says you need to separate her which wont help with integration. Separating her for 24 hours at least may be very informative as you will be able to observe her better.
Particularly the runny bottom which, I think, will be a completely separate issue to the runny nose.
I'm thinking you have to isolate her so why not put her on Flubenvet for a week and see if it clears up the rear end. Only Flubenvet will knock out a worm infestation, Vermex may discourage them but wont eradicate them, it would be a good precaution for newcomers and wont do any harm. If you can isolate her in view of the others that would help the second introduction. If the old girl and the young one are getting on reasonably well it would be a shame to go backwards with them but... Its difficult!
The other option is to take both young ones out for the time being and reintroduce again when they are both fit (and wormed)
Diatom powder is really good stuff but if you are in the UK then red mite shouldn't be problem just now and it is a respiratory irritant so needs to be used with caution.
 
Good advice from LadyA and Rick. i'd just like to add that you could consider changing the sawdust for something less dusty, such as Aubiose or wood shavings. And as Rick says, go easy with the diatom, or stop using it for a while now the hot weather and red mite season is largely over for the winter. It's dangerous stuff if inhaled as it consists of fine particles of silica which abrade and dehydrate mites, but also affect the respiratory system of both birds and humans. It's better to make it into a slurry with water and paint it on round the perch ends and any other crannies in woodwork, as it then stays in place better and is safer. Just try to reduce the amount of airborne dust of any kind, and ensure plenty of ventilation in the coop. if your run is safe, do leave the pophole open at all times.
What breed is your pullet, and is she vaccinated? what are you feeding them on? Where did you get her from? She may be late coming into lay now the days are getting shorter, and if she's a purebred she may even wait until January, but if this is so, at least she will be able to put all her energy into getting better without the extra effort of laying eggs.
 
Thank you all for your responses. We will Isolate her over the weekend and give her some flubvenet over the next week (for her dirty vent feathers). I didn’t realise that diatomaceous could cause potential irritation as I’d always been told it was good for various things. I will give the coop a good clean out and not add any more for now! Will also look into other bedding options, if things don’t improve. I have previously phoned a vet about chicken health but the response wasn’t great unfortunately.
Much appreciated guys!
 
Like marigold we always make a paste of the Diatomaceous earth and put into the nooks and crannies. Can't add anything else to the advice as previous posts by have covered it all
 
I bought 3 vaccinated point of lay hens a couple of weeks ago. After a week I noticed the whiteleg horn was sneezing and very congested. I think she bought a respiratory illness with her, as yesterday my two older hens developed symptoms. She is a bit better now. I do keep new hens isolated from old for a few weeks, but let them out onto the same patch of garden (at different times) to free range. This is the first time new hens have brought an infection in to my flock - who dont seem to have any immunity to this infection. Poor things are uncomfortable (in this heat!). Is there anything I can give them to help them through it?
 
If they're vaccinated POLs it's more likely that it's an allergy, either two dust or pollen in this hot weather. You could make sure they all have lots of shade, plenty of fresh water, and maybe water the ground to damp down any dust? Is the inside of their coop dust free, what bedding do you use?
The stress of moving to a new home and interacting with new birds and people often triggers some kind of heath problem in new birds. Probably the result of stress reducing their immune systems' ability to cope with challenge. It's a good idea to keep them separate until they seem better, but if they're eating and drinking and seem lively, I wouldn't do anything apart from giving them as quiet and peaceful a time as possible.
 
They have lots of shade and water, and its not a dusty environment. It seems to pass from bird to bird. My old buff bird is starting to recover. The old blue bird is still suffering, but at least is drinking lots of water. The new bird, white leghorn, seems much recovered. Dyou think it could be a mycoplasmosis? if so will my flock have it forever? ie be carriers? I take your point about stress - it is definitely stressfull for new and old hens when newcomers arrive.
 
I would imagine the newbies will be vaccinated up to their eyeballs against mycoplasma. Are the previous ones vaccinated birds? Nothing you can do except wait and see, I think.
 
Yes, the old birds are vaccinated too _ brought from the same breeder 3 years ago. It just looks more like an infection than an allergy. Looks like the old birds will pull through though _only one is very snotty now. And although i love the sun am relievedfor them that the hot weather is cooling down ..
 
I have just emailed the breeder to see if they were vaccinated against mycoplasmosis.
 
The birds were vaccinated against mycoplasmosis and did recover completely althoug i must say my two older birds were very poorly indeed. Still, all well now, though i do hear the occasional snuffle/sneeze from one of them. My only worry is, I get 3 or four new birds evry couple of years. Will they automatically come down with it?
 
The only way to be sure you've cleared it from your flock is to have an all-out/new in policy, with a really thorough clean-up of the entire premises and equipment between batches. Then re-stock with vaccinated POLs from a trusted source. I hope I don't sound hard-hearted when suggesting this, and of course the choice is yours, but if you intend to keep elderly and probably infected pensioners you will never get rid of mycoplasma.
Please understand this is just one way to manage a flock, and I do realise this is hard for people who keep their hens mainly as companions and pets. I'm not saying you haveto do it - =just that if you don't, you may have to live with the consequences in future generations of hens. Of course, first you need to be sure of the diagnosis. If you are positive that there are no allergens in their environment, then the most likely cause is an infection. If the pophole is closed at night, especially if the hens go to roost in there with damp feathers, the atmosphere will be very humid and any bacteria will be passed around them all in the air they breathe. Like in the doctor's waiting room, very uncomfortable for the hens.
 
It was definitelyan infection. I dont close the coop door at night (except maybe when it snows). I hear what you're saying - and i know farmers often cull old flock before bringing in new birds. I understand the health benefitsof this in terms of infection control - but i dont cull my birds (too chicken!) - and they usually meet a natural end when the time comes on a bed of straw with food and water by. The exception being if a bird is sufferinga lot and then i do bring to the vet to put down.
 
That's very understandable, and a lot of us feel that way. You obviously understand the issues involved and the choices we all have to make sooner or later. Culling old friends is a sickening job, and I hate doing it - but once it's over, and everything is lovely and clean and fresh, I do like shopping for newbies!
 
From Suemac
One of my girls seems to have a permanent wet bottom and is sneezing. I have wormed all 4 with layers pellets mixed with flubinvet as per instructions on bag for 1 week. Water has cider vinegar added and no other food given. She eats well is active comb is red eyes bright. However have noticed she is losing tail feathers but not noticed bullying at feeding station or anywhere else. Is there anything else I can do? I would find it hard to isolate her and other 3 are not showing any similar problems even after living together for some months.
 
Do you guys use antibiotics on your birds? As a follow on to my previous posts re mycoplasmosis infection two years ago ~all my (vaccinated) birds recovered. But one of the older birds began to gasp and cough a bit again, before she died last year.
I now have only two birds left (fox took two earlier in the year) and the older bird is starting to gasp /cough again.
London vets are really expensive ~I usually only use them to euthanise ~also on principle I don't usually give my hens antibiotics. But I could possibly by tylosin over the Internet. What would you do?
Also if the hen dies I will have a welfare issue as only one hen left ~on her own!
Not sure I could get new hens anywhere due to lockdown/avian flu.
 
Suemac, Wet bottom is a problem, isn’t it? It sounds as if she has an infection, which is quite common in hens. You’ve been doing all the right things, especially the worming, but these long-running infections are hard to overcome. Antibiotics might hit it, but it’s not a good idea to give antibiotics to hens because they would pass into their eggs and then reduce your body’s own ability to respond to bacterial infections. Also, it’s very expensive taking hens to a vet for treatment. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth it because she is a well-loved pet, or whether at her age it might be best for her to be pts. As she’s sneezing, it might be mycoplasma, which is highly infectious and even if the others resist it, they may become carriers who could infect any other new birds you add to the flock whilst they are still part if it.
Meanwhile, it would help to trim her tail feathers so she can be a bit cleaner. Washing her vent in warm water helps for a while, but as it removes the natural oil from feathers it also makes it harder for her to keep them clean.

Hi Roisin, that’s quite a dilemma for you. I agree with you about avoiding antibiotics for hens, although if she’s a pet bird that you want to keep going to avoid the single-hen issue with the other one, it might be worth it if you avoided eating any eggs she lays.
I think it would be a mistake to introduce any new birds until both of your present ones have been pts, as if the flock had myco in the past, any survivors would probably be carriers and the only way to break the chain of infection would be by an all-out, new-in policy.
Are you sure that new hybrids won’t be available quite soon? The current restrictions will soon be eased and local suppliers should be open.

See also Poultrykeeper https://poultrykeeper.com/respiratory-problems/mycoplasma/
 
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