2 bantams with eyes swollen shut, runny eyes *Updated-still need help*

skya328

Songster
11 Years
Nov 10, 2008
207
4
119
Dallas, TX
In my tractor I have 5 assorted bantams, 4 Polish, and 3 Buff Orps. One of the banties is about 3 months old, the others are about 6 weeks old. (I think.) Yesterday we noticed that the older one had her eye half shut and it looked a little watery. Today we noticed that the other had both eyes watery, with one being completely shut and swollen. By the time I took the pictures of them the younger one had both eyes shut. They both also have their mouth open a little bit and the younger ones feathers were a little fluffier than usual. We have done some searches on here and some people say with similar symptoms that it might be a Vitamin A deficiency. I'm not sure what the issue really is, though. I have another coop right next to the tractor with 15 adults that I'm a little concerned about.

Here is a picture of each of the girls. Sorry the picture of the younger one isn't as clear. She wouldn't hold still even though she couldn't see me!

ETA: I just went outside to check on everyone. I noticed that a third chicken (another banty) is coughing! Her eyes are clear but she coughed/sneezed three times in the couple minutes I was watching them. I'm starting to get pretty nervous...

This is the older one. She's still pretty perky and the eye opens once in a while.
bigbanty.jpg




This is the younger one. She seems a little disoriented and both eyes are pretty much shut. Only her left eye is swollen. The right is just watery and shut.
littlebanty.jpg



Any help is greatly appreciated!
 
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I am still having issues with these two birds. In fact, half of the birds in the tractor are having some symptoms. The younger one is much worse today. We treated everyone with VetRx last night. We also got some Polyvisol for them. We didn't read until after we got it to get the kind without iron. All the store had was with iron. Will that be a problem? I also gave them yogurt this morning but nobody was interested in it. I am thinking about taking out the yogurt and giving them some Duramycin-10. Does anyone have any suggestions other than that?
 
Have you looked up chronic respiratory disease? Gail Dammerows Chicken Health Handbook-good go to guide if you have or can get a copy. Are there any other symptoms, such as diarrhea, etc.? Vitamin A deficiency is uncommon unless you make your own feed. Commercial feeds should have complete nutrition.
 
I'm not sure about the droppings. I have the little one separated by herself. We were out for a while today and when I came back she was sitting in the small bowl of water I had out for her. There was poop in it, but since it was in water it was hard to tell. It looked ok from what I can tell.

Other symptoms are: weezing, mouth open, eyes shut, little one is not eating but everyone else is. Little one doesn't move around much or make hardly any noise. She drank water when I dipped her beak in it, but that's it. I think I'm going to boil some eggs and see if I can get her to eat that. I felt her crop and it is completely empty.
 
if it is CRD or Coryza, I read your suppose to
Use Gallamicine mixed with arumicine 1 tsp of ea. dry mix them in a jar then add it to a gallon of your hens water.
Sorry for the bad spelling.

Also if possible don't let her touch the ground durrring her time of illness.

I read somewhere the do better if they dont touch the ground when medicating.
Maybe a rabbit hutch or a wire cage.

Also try useing (clear eyes) You can buy it at a walmart. people use it for eye irritation or dry eyes. Buy the one with the ingredeint Boric Acid.
The boric acid helps the eye from being eaten out by her liness./ cheesy eyes.

LA200 might do the trick. depends what all her symtoms are.

I would recomend buying the book TO ANYONE ( THE BACKYARD FLOCK) it's about $20-$23.
Super cheap, & Super Usefull.
All my chicken freinds are alway calling me to diagnose illnesses in their flock when they occur.


It teaches basics on how to raise,feed, water, & medicate or locate symtoms in their early stages or before they occure & spread. Good Luck.
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My best guess is infectious bronchitis infectious or laryngotracheitis. Both are very contagious. Give electrolytes in drinking water, keep warm and well fed.Watch for secondary infection such as air sac disease. Survivors will be immune but become carriers. Very common disease. Other possibility is infectious laryngotracheitis. Similar symtoms but spreads less rapidly and is more severe. Sadly, not much treatment for either. Also, check the one I mentioned before. So sorry you are having problems, I know how I feel when one of mine is sick. Keep me posted on how they are doing and if you find out anything else.
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I apologize, It is The Chicken Health Handbook, by Gail Damerow , has all kinds of info, plus diagnostic guides and disease descriptions. Sounds like the book Josh 44 mentions is a similar book. If you are going to raise chickens I would definitly pick up one or the other! Good luck and keep us posted. Will check back later.
 
Thank you for the info! I will see what I can find in the morning since everyone is closed now. DH and I went out to rinse the little ones eyes out. The left eye was really swollen. We rinsed and rinsed, then we decided to try to see if we could get the eye open without hurting her since we had rinsed the outside so much. Well when it opened a TON of nasty stuff came out. It looked like cream cheese.
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It was sooo gross. But we rinsed it a little bit more and got more white goo out. Hopefully that will help her.
 
Coryza will often have a rank smell about the face with a pussy eye and nasal discharge. MG typically has clear nasal discharge, watery eye and often bubbles in the eye. Not sure with IB, but it often goes hand and hand. Most can be treated pretty well with Tylan injectable, LA200 injectable or Baytril. If these are pet chickens, then you can get a liquid baytril from allbirdproducts.com for use in parrots, pills or injectable must have a RX from a vet. It is a strong antibiotic and should be used as a last resort. Tylan and LA200 are easier to purchase.
 

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