4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[-sarahjayne]

We have 4 chooks and Rhonda our isa brown had a cold / infection thing when we got her.

We took her to the vets and saw a very knowledgeable man who was worked with poultry on many occasions, and he told us she had some kind of infenction (cant remember for the life of me now though). Prescribed her some Baytril, a 5 day course and she was fine at the end. He gave us 2 courses as he said it could come back.

All my other girls are fine and have not had this, and seem immune to the problem, and none of them smell at all.

Rhonda lays well and looks healthy but she realls smells.

She still has a bit of a snotty beak and im wondering if its that? We ruled out sour crop because her crop always empties and shes very lively and very(!) nosey.

 

Does anyone know whats wrong and how I could fix it?

I think I might give her the course of baytril again..

[Ms Tilytinkle]

Hello -sarahjayne

 

Probably not at all the correct answer to your query, but one of mine really smells when she goes through a phantom broody phrase . .then .. I keep lifting her out of the nesting box, when eventually normality resumes the smell diminishes from her! But this same smell returns if ever the others get a little broody.

 

Ms Tillyhopesyouhaveadayofsunshineandblueskiesandwarmth.

[The Dogmother]

Are her botty feathers mucky perhaps?

 

If they are not, but the smell seems to be coming from her vent area, is her vent sore or scabby looking? It might be vent gleet - herpes type virus that needs vet treatment.

[jlo]

I am afraid that I can't help as I am interested in the answer myself.

 

Bella also has a bit of a snotty beak and whiffs oddly at times. It doesn't seem to be coming from her vent. It is more like it is coming from her beak. Like you, I don't think that she has sour crop and the smell does come and go a bit.

 

She is perfectly well in herself; eats for Britain and is laying pretty regularly so I am not too worried aout her but it would be nice to have her on my knee without having to hold my breath!

[The Dogmother]

If the smell comes from the beak, then they could have a candida infection which hasn't yet developed into sour crop. Dose the water with ACV and give them live yoghurt and Bokashi Bran, that will help a lot. Cut back on any fruit.

[-sarahjayne]

So I went out and gave her a good check over and her body smells too, not just her beak. I think I should give her a bath, but ive never washed a chicken

How would one go about this?

[theherd123]

Warm water in the sink with a drop of Ecover washing up liquid. Bathe away and then wrap in a towel and blast with the hairdryer from a distance

 

My chooks love it!