Its Time To NAME THAT EYE PROBLEM!!!Update: PG 11 bottom of Post #101

The Wolf Queen

Songster
10 Years
May 2, 2009
3,003
61
211
Albuquerque, NM
Long story short I have a little chick going on 2 months and his bottom eye lid is all droopy and somewhat bubbly. I planned to sell him so is this a deformity or an infection or what, and if its a health issue how do I treat/fix it????? Help Please!!!
Here's a pic
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Well, you can't sell him until you know for sure - so have him tested or please don't sell him or any birds in with him.

Ask your local state extension agent or ag college for a poultry tester near you that would be more economical than a caged bird avian vet.

It could be M. gallisepticum (very contagious), or a lesser Mycoplasma infection that can be treated at home. But you MUST know before you sell.

Because the rest of your flock is potentially involved even if you culled this bird, it's worth it just to not cull him and have a culture done on the secretions of his eyes. That'll tell you exactly what organism is causing it and you might still be able to sell him or at least his progeny and flock mates. So don't cull until you test.
 
In advance I didn't plan on selling him till he gets better or I prove its just an injury or deformity.
The thing is, that I think its non contagious cuz at 1rst I though his eye was just a little droopy (hardly looked like anything at all at the time) and all his life he has been in with a whole bunch of other birds and all of them have clear eyes except him. Just to be safe how to I contact those people that you mentioned and does anyone think it could be an injury? Ive noticed that I do have one bigger bird and she tends to go for the face and feet. Could she have scratched his eye? or loosened the tissue causing an infection? Oh and it doesn't seem to bother him. When I picked him up and touched the eye he just blinked normally and doesn't seem in pain. I must admit I'm an amateur but could the bubbles/tears be from they eye getting so much air or an allergy?
 
I am licensed in the ocular field for humans and in a human, a droopy lower lid is called ectropion. I don't know what has caused it, or if it could be disease related, but in humans, droopy lower lids causes excessive tearing which can lead to dry eye. In severe cases, the dryness can lead to corneal erosion. Not as likely in a chicken though, they blink infrequently compared to humans anyway.
Do you think it was born this way?
 
I dont think so
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That why I thought maybe it was the dominant pullet pecking at him, and maybe I didnt notice it and it just healed that way. Like I said it doesnt seem to hurt him it just has little clear tears, im guessing, that bubbled and thats the only symptom. But now three horses has me really freaked out
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. Im SUPER worried now
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... I need a hug
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How old is he? Does it change in size and shape? What do you mean by bubbly... the lid itself or a bit of mucus at the lid margin? Does it seem to you that the upper lid is a bit lower too, like the whole eyelid structure is low or just the lower lid is low? (i dont know what he normally would look like) When you went to touch the eye, he reflex blinked? Was it a complete blink? Does the cornea appear to be clear? if you shine a gentle light in his eye, this way and that does it always reflect a little spot of light or are there opaque (dry) areas on the surface? Clear tears sounds better than mucus. Runny nose? Can you feel any swelling or lumps under the droopy lid? Why don't you send that photo to a veternary school? I think students would be able to help you a lot.
 
WOW you talk faster than me LOL. The hug icon is : hugs withought the space. OK now im gonna try to answer each question 1 by 1 LOL. He is a little younger than 2 months. I really only looked at him twice and if anything the lid just got droopier (other time it was just a little pink and I thought it was his rooster pink skin). So basically I just noticed it got droopier. Just the bottom lid is lower. When i touched his eye he did a complete blink. His eye is completely clear and shiny. He has no other symptoms (no mucus nada). No swelling. Ok I think that answers your questions. phew thats a mouth full LOL.
 
As far as an eye goes, it sounds ok. But I did notice a lot of eye problems listed on here and that they are kind of a sign of some other diseases. I just don't know much about chickens yet.
ok, trying a hug.
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did that work? what icon? lol Not up on internet lingo....
 

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