PLEASE HELP :( - Two hens with swollen watery eyes with bubbles

Date sort Score sort
Clairedazzle

Clairedazzle

In the Brooder
8 Years
Aug 4, 2011
19
2
22
Lawrence
I noticed a few days ago that one of my hens(Margie) had a swollen eye. I looked closer and there seemed to be some tiny bubbles in the watery stuff of the eye, and was all crusty around it. I tried reading what to do about it, I cleaned off the eyelid and surrounding area with a cloth and warm water, then flushed with saline. Then I put some yogurt on it because I read that it would help and is probiotic. As soon as I let her go she rubbed most of it off. Today she looks so much better and is able to open her eye completely, BUT, both eyes on a different hen(Hilda) are watery and have bubbles now. She is obviously feeling under the weather as well. I didn't notice with Margie, but Hilda does have diarrhea that is sort of yellowish.

Obviously, this is something contagious. What should I do?

Should I get some antibiotics and treat all four of my chickens?
I really don't have the money to see a vet, or to have tests done, does anybody know what antibiotics would be my best bet?

Please help, I love my girls. :(
 
Sounds like they may have Mycoplasma- infectious and will spread through your flock- A/B will treat effectivley. Tylan is a good one to use if you get a choice as there is no egg withdrawel. You should treat the whole flock.
 
Go for the Tylan, in the meantime, gently open their eyes, if they are swollen shut. It helps ensure they can see, so they can eat and drink, and also helps the goo drain. If their eyes seal shut, it's much harder for them to get over it. They will likely die if not treated, this is one disease you need to treat, and treat everyone.

And you should toss the eggs when treating with Tylan, especially if you sell. The bottle will give you a definite timeline of when meat birds are safe to eat again, but it doesn't explain egg restrictions. Our avian vet from CSU said 4 weeks of tossing eggs, especially if you sell, Tylan is very bad stuff for pregnant women, and when the eggs are out of your control - you don't know who might be eating them. Also, if you have separate flocks, don't let the other flocks eat the spent eggs, it can spread the disease to them, too. You need to make sure that the water treated with Tylan is their ONLY water source, or they won't all get treated properly. If they have a stream, or puddles or anything else that they might drink out of, you won't get it out of all the birds, and they can continue to spread Mycoplasma later. This stuff can be devstating, and is very fatal, and very contagious.
 
Sounds like Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, Tylan may work for the immediate response, but Look up info on Denagard. I use it for my flock with the MG and it works very well if used as instructed.
http://www.livestock.novartis.com/literature_library/Swine/4600000697_MAY09.pdf

yes, it says for Swine, but if you look into it you will see that plenty of folks use it for the poultry MG. Do some research on the MG and you will find lots of info. Good luck....if you keep on top of it with the denagard you will not lose any more chickens! (not to mycoplasma anyway)
 
Last edited:
Thank you for your responses.

All I could find locally is Duramycin-10 will that work?? I will look into the Denagard, but I need something now.

Also, I was wondering if the eggs are effected by the infection, before antibiotics. Are they still safe to eat? I read that mycoplasma never really goes away, so will the eggs be safe after the antibiotics and 4 weeks of tossing eggs, even? I know I will have to throw the eggs away while I am giving the hens antibiotics. Sorry this is the first time I have had to deal with any illness in my flock. Thanks so much, again,for your input already!
 
Clairedazzle said:
Thank you for your responses.

All I could find locally is Duramycin-10 will that work?? I will look into the Denagard, but I need something now.

Also, I was wondering if the eggs are effected by the infection, before antibiotics. Are they still safe to eat? I read that mycoplasma never really goes away, so will the eggs be safe after the antibiotics and 4 weeks of tossing eggs, even? I know I will have to throw the eggs away while I am giving the hens antibiotics. Sorry this is the first time I have had to deal with any illness in my flock. Thanks so much, again,for your input already!
Click to expand...
Duramycin 10 and tylan will treat MG. Eventually your sick hen will build resistance to them. Rcentner is correct. Denagard will treat MG. There isnt any resistance nor egg withdrawal to denagard. Birds will still remain carriers of the disease requiring monthly preventative treatment. MG can be passed through eggs. You wont be able to sell eggs to be hatched. MG is not transmittable to humans, the eggs are safe to eat.
If you use duramycin, there's a 21 day withdrawal period. If you use tylan 50 injectable, there's no withdrawal. If you use tylan soluable, there's a 1 day withdrawal period:
http://www.cfo.on.ca/_pdfs/PoultryWithdrawalTimeChart-Mar30-07.pdf
Denagard isnt cheap. It can be ordered from QC Supply, but it will last you a long time. Dosage for the initial treatment dose is 16cc's per gallon of water for 3-5 days. The monthly preventative dose is 8cc's per gallon of water for 3 days.
Here's a link about denagard:
http://www.denagard.com/pig-poultry-public/en/index.shtml
Here's a link about MG:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps034
 

Similar threads

C
Hen breathing hard while nesting, watery eyes
Replies
3
Views
212
Wyorp Rock
Wyorp Rock
My Three Chicks
Pullet keeping 1 eye closed
Replies
3
Views
135
Wyorp Rock
Wyorp Rock
K
Watery/bubbly eye in an Easter egger
2
Replies
10
Views
1K
Tanner123
T
B
Rooster Eye Problem (No respiratory symptoms)
Replies
2
Views
97
bokbokbokBOKBOKBOKBKAAA
B
P
Sick peafowl-coughing, bubbles in eyes help please!!
Replies
2
Views
338
Poultrylady2022
P

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom