HELP Our hen has a swollen eye! Swelled shut, smells like infection

[Snack Giver]

UPDATE. I did not cull my original sick bird. I gave tylan injections and a triple antibiotics to her eye for the last 4 days. She is almost back to normal. Since yesterday I have my other 5 birds on a water-soluable tylan as a precaution (avian vet recommended). The original bird is almost back to normal we are happy to not cull her. We love her. I was told by my vet that 99% chance all my birds are already exposed anyways. I'm not burning anything down. I won't introduce new birds to this flock, butI won't cull until necessary. Nobody lives forever, these 6 birds included. I don't plan to euthanize unless they are in pain. Right now everybody is cheery and normal.

 

[sinkorswim]

Glad your sick bird is almost better.Glad things are returning to normal and glad you have decided on a closed flock.
addicted2chickens

 

[chickendaddy'swife]

Would using a humidifier with Oxine in the hen house work as well as a fogger? I am wondering if the hens would "freak out" when it was fogging them.Day or nite to fog? How long should I leave the fogger on??
Thanks everyone!

 

[Snack Giver]

Sadly, our little Maran has become sick with her microplasm again. Her eyes are now both dripping and the one side is swollen again. I don't know what i can do to help, except to keep her comfortable and help her get around. She now has a hard time seeing. Last night we put her up on the perch ourselves at bedtime. We took her off this morning. We took a warm washcloth and cleaned her eyes foe the last 3 mornings. She's not moving around as much as she had been, so we are bringing her favorite foods and water bowl to her. She gets watermelon, lettuce, and sunflower seeds. My wife and I have decided to let nature run its course and not try to do another cycle of antibiotics again, it can't be healthy to give antibiotics all over again 2 weeks later. Or am I wrong? We were told our other 5 birds must also have it, so I don't see the advantage in seperating and isolating her (making her alone and unhappy). Strange thing is, the other birds all want to sit with her, as if they know she doesn't feel good. Nobodys being mean. That makes me happy and yet I'm still sad at the same time. I wish I could do something more. Good luck to any of you who have birds with this disease, I feel for you.

 

[Oakieridge]

Sadly your little Marans bird may not make it. I would get some Denegard to have on hand and treat all your birds with it for 5-7 days and then every month treat with a lower dose to keep them healthy.

 

[GoChick]

Hi Snack Giver,
I did a lot of research on MG as at some point I thought my birds could have it - fortunatelly they did not.

Anyway, from my research, THE BEST antibiotic is Denagard. It is used all over Europe, with great success.
You decided not to cull, and you know the whole flock must be infected by now, so I think you should go ahead and treat the whole flock with Denagard, including the poor Marans. I guess this is the only chance by now...

Good luck... it's so heartbreaking when our birds get sick...

 

[Birde]

When my pair of Mille Fleur got sick I brought them in & kept there eye area clean & did my best to keep them open. I had to separate the to as birds not meaning harm will peck at the eyes. When my hen could not see I feed her meal worms by sticking her whole head in the container. It was the only thing she really ate. I did manage a little feed using the same method. I tried not to stress her. It's important not to stress them. It was a long week but they both pulled through just fine. You must separate you sick bird.

 

[chickendaddy'swife]

I am sorry to hear about your Maran. I had the same "bug" and treated my flock with Denagard in the water-then vitamins/electrolites, and got a fogmaster jr. and fogging with oxine. Oxine also in there water. They are much much better so fingers crossed so far. Again I sorry for your misery and saddness.

 

[Snack Giver]

Today I started anti-biotics for the entire flock again. Nobody else is showing signs, but the 3 waterers are used by all birds. Duramyasin is the name. It goes into the drinking water, its a orange powder. Its an all purpose multi-animal antibiotic. For chickens it claims to treat CRD and MG. Instructions are different for each animal so I followed them carefully.

I hope it does something soon, my bird is now getting listless and is sitting solitary. If she gets so bad she won't eat or move, I will ask my neighbor to help me cull. That is only if she obviously is in horrible shape. Right now she can barely see. Wife cries every morning, this is quite a learning process.

 

[Bird Me]

Hi Snack Giver and others,

I've read this entire thread and am having the same exact problem with one of my girls. She got sick a couple of weeks ago, so I isolated her and put her on antibiotics and an eye antibiotic gel. She got better in a few days and I released her to be with the rest of the flock. Now she is sick again but this time it has been well over a week of her being isolated. I've doubled the dose of antibiotic and continued with the eye gel. She's better but it has been slow to happen. I was told to cull her for the safety of my other chickens but it sounds like they already would have MG???

I have my chickens only for eggs and as pets. I don't breed. My question is, should I cull the outwardly sick one or if she gets better, keep her because they most all likely have it anyhow??? This has been devastating but I've come to terms with needing to cull her. I just want to make sure I'm making the right call.

Thanks.