Baby chick eye issue

[KHasChickens]

We just brought home 4 baby chicks...a few days old. Got home and upon inspection, found out One's eye is not normal. Anyone know if this is a birth defect, disease or injury? I have no problem with a one-eyed hen...just want to know if this is something that could spread or if I should be treating it somehow. She's acting just fine and other eye is normal. Eye does not look like it can or will open at all. Advice? Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'd flush/rinse the eye with saline, try to get it open and see if there's some debris, piece of fluff or something in the eye that has caused it to become irritated. Remove any debris or pus that you see.

Flush daily and apply Terramycin eye ointment into the eye.

Hopefully it's something in the eye or she may have even been pecked in the eye which can cause some swelling/irritation.

 

[KHasChickens]

Thank you for the reply! There is indeed an eye in there...was able to get the lids partially opened and flushed. And then put some simulation in the brooder to divert pecking since her swollen eye attracts attention. Will make a chick seperator if needed, but dont have materials yet. Will start the ointment once it arrives. Now how to keep a chick from getting its feet up and scratching it? A cone of shame situation or vetwrap the feet for a few days? Read about those ideas. How do you vetwrap a chicks feet so they can't scratch? Would a cupcake wrapped with a hole in it work?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can use Original Neosporin in the eye if you wish and are waiting on the Terramycin.
Ointment will help the eye not feel so itchy.

For baby chicks, to help lessen the impact of scratching with the feet, cover the toes/nails with a bandaid or the vet wrap will work.

Not sure if she will tolerate a cone of shame, it may inhibit her eating/drinking. You can try it though.

 

[KHasChickens]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have flushed it and applied the Teramycin. Put her back in with the other 3 and she's just acting like her eye is 20x worse after I messed with it, which maybe it is way more aggravated now. She's now standing dazed in a corner by herself, occasionally rubbing or scratching it and cheeping in distress when she does. I hope that the short-term trauma (for us both) leads to a healing eye. Poor little thing. We will see how it looks in the morning. Thanks again.

 

[KHasChickens]

Update: chick's eye is doing much better! She has it open as would be usual and it looks *almost* normal. A little cloudy, but soooo much better. She is very non-plussed with me right now and cheeping like her life is ending while trying to wipe all the ointment off onto her back, but cuddles back up with her sisters under the heatplate and then seems to resume a normal chick life. Will continue the ointment for a bit longer. My husband was amazed at the difference. Thank you for the support--so glad we were able to help her!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad she's doing better! She's a cutie
Thank you for the update.