2 week old chick with eye issues

[SchruteFarms]

Hi,
I got 4 chicks two and a half weeks ago. One had to be assisted hatching, had spraddle leg, curled toes and wasn’t eating or drinking on her own. I hand fed her for a week but she died.
One of the other chicks had food kicked in her eye a couple times and I had to clean it. It started getting watery, so I assumed the eye had an injury. I started using Terramycin antibiotic ointment on it and used it for a week and it was still watery, not swollen or crusty. I also treated her with Tylan 50 for 5 days and she still had one watery eye. Last night, I went in to check on them and she had bubbles in the corner of her eye. My husband said one of the other chicks had been pecking her at that eye the last couple days. The chicks were sneezing every so often when digging in the pine bedding until I took out it out yesterday. Now, this afternoon the bubbles are pretty much gone! I don’t see any other symptoms except for that one eye!

She is acting normal, eating, drinking and pooping like normal. The only thing I can see wrong is the one eye. Should I be worried about the bubbles in her eye last night? I am worried about her bringing something into my flock.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Sounds to maybe respiratory so the Tylan 50 should help. Don't have the experience just going by notes, sorry. You came to the right place for help, Someone with more experience will peep in or search the forum for respiratory issues.

 

[SchruteFarms]

Sounds to maybe respiratory so the Tylan 50 should help. Don't have the experience just going by notes, sorry. You came to the right place for help, Someone with more experience will peep in or search the forum for respiratory issues.

Thank you for your response! The Tylan didn’t do much, should I do another round? There is no swelling or other symptoms. So I’m wondering if its possible it isn’t respiratory, and is more of an injury.

 

[aplummer101]

Wish I could help. In commercial poultry I would say the ammonia is to high but with your I am sure that is not the case. Is there any other symptoms and how is the overall demeanor of the bird?

 

[SchruteFarms]

Wish I could help. In commercial poultry I would say the ammonia is to high but with your I am sure that is not the case. Is there any other symptoms and how is the overall demeanor of the bird?

I’m stumped. No other symptoms and seem to be acting normal. And it’s just the one eye. After two weeks with a watery eye, I feel like it would be in the other one too if it were respiratory.

 

[SchruteFarms]

Wish I could help. In commercial poultry I would say the ammonia is to high but with your I am sure that is not the case. Is there any other symptoms and how is the overall demeanor of the bird?

Correction, the only thing I’ve notice is this chick and one of the other ones, they shake their heads often.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Still thinking respiratory, how are you keeping them? What kind of bedding? Chick is young, not sure about another round of Tylan....

@casportpony @azygous @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

Bubbly eye without other symptoms is probably just an eye irritation. That's how it presents when a chicken eye is irritated by something. The fact that the Tylan did very little to change the situation is more or less indication of a simple eye irritation.

The best thing you can do is treat the eye with ordinary saline eye drops to keep it lubricated so infection does not occur.

Occasionally you will get a baby chick that is fixated/obsessed with shiny eyes. Two things you can do to head this problem off. One is to create a diversion by sticking shiny things up on the walls of the brooder for the chicks to peck at that draws their attention away from chick eyes.

The other is to identify the problem eye pecker and give this chick a poke on the back each time it goes after an eye or even tries to peck another chick. The discipline works extremely quickly, and it can curb the behavior in just a day or two.

The head shaking deserves examining crops and ears. Get a flashlight and have someone hold the chick while you check in their ears for anything sticking in there. Crops that are too full may be uncomfortable and cause a chick to move its head in a snake-like fashion. A little gentle massage of the crop can give relief.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I thought of "irritation" but too green with symptoms. Thank you azygous for a fast reply!

 

[A.M. Eggs]

I have a hen named Scruffy who has a bubbly/wet eye. She has had it since she was a small chick and now she is almost seven months. I believe that its some kind of genetic anomaly of some kind since it isn't hurting her or the other chickens. Your chick could be like my Scruffy or she could just have an irritation.