6wk chick eye problem-possible infection or mg?

teeville5

Songster
8 Years
Mar 24, 2011
1,563
5
141
Michigan
This is my 6 week old chick, Crybaby. Earlier this morning, I noticed her right eye looked different. Kind of glossy and slightly bigger than the other eye. My thinking at the time was that maybe she had her eye accidentally pecked by one of the others. I moved her to a small dog crate and have watched her all day. She isn't favoring the eye or keeping it closed and has been eating, drinking, pooing normally all day. While checking out different posts tonight, though, I have become more concerned as to what this is whether it be a possible eye infection or even mg. I haven't noticed any other symptoms such as coughing or nose discharge. However, one thing I have noticed in the past few weeks, is some of my chicks have sneezed.

This is my first time raising chicks and I got all 20 together from the local tsc at 1 week old and they haven't been exposed to other birds since that time although they went outside for the first time yesterday and I know that could be possible exposure. I did have 1 chick who recently died of unknown causes that was sick for 3 weeks, but she never had an eye issue.

Right before starting this post, I went to check my other chicks and to my dismay have found others with the same issue on their right eye as well. I'm afraid of what this could be. I just lost a chick that I tried caring for and it broke my heart so I really don't like even the remote possibility of losing more. I don't know what to do now. I can't separate them from the ones who don't have the issue because I have nothing I can put them in that they cannot get out of.

Since I have only just noticed this today, is it possible that going outside for the first time caused them to get a bit of an eye infection? It was in the 80s, but very windy. Or am I looking at something far worse? Also, what can I do for them to treat either infection or mg? Please help because I am at a loss what to do at this time. Thanks.

83798_img_4203.jpg

she kept moving so it's not a good pic, but you can just make out the pink crescent at the front of her eye in between the arrows.
 
Do you have one that is bad about pecking others' eyes? Being outdoors could of course cause sneezing if they got irritated by something in the air. I hope that is all that is going on, but I'm sure you realize thre could be a disease present.

Here are a couple of links that might help you sort it out:

http://www.welphatchery.com/poultry_health.asp

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

Sorry you are having this problem.
 
I looked at the links, but it didn't really help because so far the only thing I'm noticing is the glossy, watery eye. There isn't anything else noticeable such as coughing or discharge. All the chicks are active and eating/drinking/pooing normally. This morning the only thing different is that it is showing up in her other eye now as well. I looked at the other chicks and a lot of them have the eye thing, too. One in particular had an eye that looked worse than any of the others, but again there wasn't anything that looked like pus or discharge. The eye just looked really watery and seemed a bit darker than it ought to be. I'm thinking of going ahead and treating with tetracycline, but I just don't know if it will help. DH says try it on the separated chick to see if she improves and then treat the others if she does.

Is tetracycline good for all respiratory problems or do I need something more specific?
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom