Swollen Eyes, One Chicken Dead- Help

[TarHeelBlue]

I had one chicken which looked as if he had been pecked, and his eye got infected, but he died. So I am guessing this wasn't the problem because now I have another hen that looks as if she is starting to have eye problems. I have put her in a separate "hospital" pen, but I'm not sure what this is or what to do for it. Can anyone help? She is keeping her eyes shut (but can still open them) the other chicken had one eye that swelled up really large, couldn't open it and I guess I was too late with antibiotics. I have no clue what should be done.

 

[Judy]

As you can see from the chart at the bottom of this link, eye problems are common in chicken respiratory diseases. Are they having any breathing problems, sneezing, nasal discharge, etc.?

Respiratory diseases are a devastating development; I hope this is not what you are dealing with, but the deaths make me suspicious. I am so sorry.

Your state vet or poultry lab may be able to help you determine what is going on and how to deal with it.

ETA: evidently the OP didn't miss the link I forgot to post, but here it is, anyway:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[RedneckChikns]

If you dont have the heart to cull....get them on Sulmet and or Auramycin and you got a LONG ROAD a head of you getting them well....could take up to a month or two even with daily treatment. Baytril will work faster but is of course more 'spensive and youll usually need to get through a vet. Bleach your coop and watch your other birds. When they are well I would hesitate to ad them back to the flock. Could be any kind of creeping crud/respitory, CRD, Coryza. You have a long battle ahead of you if you want to save them....then I would GET RID OF THEM. Feed and Water you hospital cage LAST and IMMEDIATELY drop your clothes in the wash and keep seperate shoes if you have to walk into a coop that they are in. Take it very seriously. Good Luck!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Denagard is your best antibiotic for resp. disease. You have to order it online and I would put all your birds on lincomycin until that time. You should be able to get it at the feed store or TSC. You will need to treat your entire flock for 10 days, minimum.

 

[TarHeelBlue]

I was afraid of that, but thanks! I have them on Duramycin-10 which I started yesterday. Took the sick one and put her in the "hospital". How does this stuff go from one to the other??
Will the Duramycin help? I am going to TSC to see if I can get any of the other stuff that you suggested. So far none of the others look sick.

 

[Folks]

Sounds cold and heartless to some. But CULL!
Cull in such a way that no liquid or solid material will be ingested by the rest of flock or other animals.
I live in an area with a lot of hawks, vultures, osprey and the occasional eagle. If I have an animal that is NOT sick but is injured I do what I call "The Circle of Life Treatment".
I'll take the injured, terminally injured or naturally dead from injury on my ATV and take to an area where I know one of the birds of prey will locate and dispose of it as nature intended and all my efforts in hatching, brooding and raising my bird doesn't go to waste.
Know one simple rule I heard from an old feed store owner. "Never Bury Your Dead" If they had/have a disease bad enough to cause death or culling you don't want it in your soil or transferred to other animal.
Our local land fill here has an area where the pound puts their released dogs and are more than happy to let you add your newly culled or death animal to pounds release hole.

Though I could not cull when a Black Cochin bantam hen had a super swollen head. Then I walked by my Buff Brahma standards pens and couldn't imagine them being ill and having to decide on them. Glad we stack old feed bags to the side. Did it and never saw it.
Now I feel my flock is safer.

 

[TarHeelBlue]

I have her isolated, and it seems that she is getting a little better. (At least not any worse.) I am getting antibiotics in her and putting them on her eyes too,just in case. Yesterday we totally cleaned out the coop, disinfected it and replaced all the pine shavings. I have the rest of the flock on antibiotics too. so far, so good. There is no drainage from her nostrils, nor her beak, just her eyes look icky. I noticed that she does seem to have very watery stool, but she hasn't eaten much either. anybody else have any suggestions?? (I just can't cull (ie KILL) her, and have her isolated in my garage.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Excellent news!! She may do well on the Duramycin and I think you are smart for going ahead with treating the whole flock.

Once all is well again, you may want to consider using Denagard as a preventative. Clinical studies have shown no build up of resistance to it. Prevention dose is 8cc per gallon of water. You give it once a month for one week. Tastes bitter...put some Karo syrup in the water to combat the bitterness.