Bubbly, Watery, Drooping Eyes

[KDailey]

I noticed several of my chickens are getting watery eyes that have bubbles in them sometimes and the lids seem to "droop" funny. They seem to be fine one minute and the next their eyes look like this and just a few days later I find them dead. I thought it may be a funny strain of the respiratory illness that causes their sinuses/eyes to swell but I'm not sure. It seems the ones that have swelling seem to last a lot longer than the ones whose eyes get bubbly/watery but the swelled up ones look worse.

Any ideas? I was giving them Tylan 50 but it doesn't seem to be working. I had around 20 chickens around 2 months old and I'm down to just 2 from that group. I've got a bunch of chicks that are still in the brooder right now but I really don't want them to mingle with the others if this is serious. I don't want any disease in my flock.

Main question: Is this something that my birds will carry forever if they get it and will they transfer it to the rest of my birds even if they get over it and aren't showing any symptoms or will they only transfer it when they're sick?

 

[KDailey]

nobody can help?

 

[Terri O]

I think you might have what my hen has. Look for my post that is "what should I try next" Dawg has advised me to cull her...the thing mine has is probably Coryza. Sulmet will get rid of it but yes, they are carriers. If you only have the 2 left it might be a good idea to cull them and then clean and bleach everything before bringing the new chicks to the coop....sorry. TErri O

ETA: here is the site that Dawg recommended. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[MandyH]

Does the head area stink? It could be coryza. If it is they will be carriers for life and will transmit it to any other birds they are near. Click on the link in my signature line and look at coryza.

 

[Terri O]

Thanks Ole Miss---that is another very helpful site! TErri O

 

[KDailey]

They don't stink. They're just watery and bubbly and then turn up dead.

 

[KDailey]

I'm in Texas and I was told that in texas, it's hard to find a bird that doesn't have these respiratory problems because of our extreme heat. Is this true? Would I be wasting my time and killing birds I love in vain by trying to completely eliminate this from my birds?

 

[Chicken gurl]

Mine have the Bubbly drooping eyes but they don't have any swelling around the face and none have died. They have had it for about a month now, still don't know what it is....

 

[Chicken gurl]

I found out my chickens had Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG). I started treating them with Oxytetracycline in the water for two weeks, 2 1/2 Tablespoons per gallon of water. It has since cleared up and I have taken them off the medicine and have them in the withdraw period