Scratching one eye

[kidschickens10]

This chicken has been scratching its eye off and on for several days. I mainly only notice it when it is in the roost. It would also shake its head then too. Again only in the coop/roost, when in the run area seemed fine. It is eating and drinking good. But a few days ago I noticed a scab under its eye(not sure if it was caused by it or another chicken pecking it) and today it is bleeding from the scratching. New to chickens and not sure what to put on it or to do. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This chicken has been scratching its eye off and on for several days. I mainly only notice it when it is in the roost. It would also shake its head then too. Again only in the coop/roost, when in the run area seemed fine. It is eating and drinking good. But a few days ago I noticed a scab under its eye(not sure if it was caused by it or another chicken pecking it) and today it is bleeding from the scratching. New to chickens and not sure what to put on it or to do. Thanks for any advice.

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of the eye and of your chicken?
How old are your chickens?
What type of food/treats do you feed?

General care for an irritated eye would be to flush with saline, remove any pus/discharge or debris then apply an ophthalmic ointment like Terramycin or Vetericyn.

If you notice most of the scratching while in the coop/while roosting, look closely through the feathers for Lice and Mites. Look inside the ears too since ear mites or infection could be the cause of head shaking. If you find any, then treat your chickens and housing with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust.

Look forward to your photos and more information.

 

[kidschickens10]

They are 4-5 months old, reg scratch. I have put some diatomaceous earth in coop and have put vet rx in water but not right now.

 

[kidschickens10]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of the eye and of your chicken?
How old are your chickens?
What type of food/treats do you feed?

General care for an irritated eye would be to flush with saline, remove any pus/discharge or debris then apply an ophthalmic ointment like Terramycin or Vetericyn.

If you notice most of the scratching while in the coop/while roosting, look closely through the feathers for Lice and Mites. Look inside the ears too since ear mites or infection could be the cause of head shaking. If you find any, then treat your chickens and housing with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust.

Look forward to your photos and more information.

I posted but it did not link to the reply sorry.

 

[kidschickens10]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of the eye and of your chicken?
How old are your chickens?
What type of food/treats do you feed?

General care for an irritated eye would be to flush with saline, remove any pus/discharge or debris then apply an ophthalmic ointment like Terramycin or Vetericyn.

If you notice most of the scratching while in the coop/while roosting, look closely through the feathers for Lice and Mites. Look inside the ears too since ear mites or infection could be the cause of head shaking. If you find any, then treat your chickens and housing with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust.

Look forward to your photos and more information.

 

[kidschickens10]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of the eye and of your chicken?
How old are your chickens?
What type of food/treats do you feed?

General care for an irritated eye would be to flush with saline, remove any pus/discharge or debris then apply an ophthalmic ointment like Terramycin or Vetericyn.

If you notice most of the scratching while in the coop/while roosting, look closely through the feathers for Lice and Mites. Look inside the ears too since ear mites or infection could be the cause of head shaking. If you find any, then treat your chickens and housing with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust.

Look forward to your photos and more information.

I checked its ears and both looked clean and white. Is it possible it got scratched or pecked early one and it just keeps irritating it. Also would a sore cause it to shake its head? Here are two more pics I got when i checked it ears. I could not get its bad eye open. It will open it but every time I went to take a picture it closed it. The other picture is the other and to me it looks normal. The skin is more red that what appears in the picture.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It looks like she has an injury to the eye. Scratching it can make it worse, I would still flush it well, take a good look for anything that may be in the eye/remove it, then apply the Terramycin or Vetericyn eye a couple of times a day.

 

[kidschickens10]

It looks like she has an injury to the eye. Scratching it can make it worse, I would still flush it well, take a good look for anything that may be in the eye/remove it, then apply the Terramycin or Vetericyn eye a couple of times a day.

Where would be a place to get those? Here is a picture of her with her eye open. Would a sore cause her to shake her head. I just dont want it to be some kind of upper respiratory infection. She is eating and drinking and not liking to be separated, so she doesnt seem sick, other than eye. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and help me with this.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you look inside her beak, anything unusual there compared to your other birds?
I'm wondering if she is trying to scratch the beak and is hitting her eye, the lower beak looks a bit scabby to me.

As for the eye. The lower lid has been torn due to the scratching. Eye is a bit sunken, but that could be due to irritation. For the time being I would keep her cage so the other birds don't pick at the eye and make it worse. If possible put the cage near the flock so they can see each other, but make sure they can't reach in and peck her.
The Terramycin and Vetericyn can usually be found at Tractor supply, if not you can order it online.

Blunting her toenails may help reduce injury to the eye when scratching, some people also put bandaids on to cover the nails to help soften contact. If you use bandaids or tape, remember to be gentle when removing them as to not damage skin - a little oil will also make removal easier.

 

[kidschickens10]

Can you look inside her beak, anything unusual there compared to your other birds?
I'm wondering if she is trying to scratch the beak and is hitting her eye, the lower beak looks a bit scabby to me.

As for the eye. The lower lid has been torn due to the scratching. Eye is a bit sunken, but that could be due to irritation. For the time being I would keep her cage so the other birds don't pick at the eye and make it worse. If possible put the cage near the flock so they can see each other, but make sure they can't reach in and peck her.
The Terramycin and Vetericyn can usually be found at Tractor supply, if not you can order it online.

Blunting her toenails may help reduce injury to the eye when scratching, some people also put bandaids on to cover the nails to help soften contact. If you use bandaids or tape, remember to be gentle when removing them as to not damage skin - a little oil will also make removal easier.
View attachment 1472460

I got some VETERICYN from Tractor supply yesterday but it is the spray kind. I looked at and inside both my Marans and could not see a difference. The one with bad eye had just gotten a drink so beak looks wet. Here are pictures of both sides of beak. Do you just cut toe nails to blunt them? (seems like a silly question but new to chickens). My 9 year old daughter took the pictures so a little blurry.