Chicken eyes watery/bubbly & lethargic

[AHash]

I have a one year old chicken that just had three ~4 month old chickens introduced to her (I did not quarantine new chickens). This was about a week ago. After three days of being together, I noticed my one year old a bit lethargic and coughing...but eating and fiesty. We started treating water with Tetracyline for all four birds. She laid an egg the next day and we thought she looked better. The next day her eye looked like a chicken pecked it...small amount of blood and third eyelid not going over eye and looked watery and bubbly. She laid an egg that day and was still off a bit, but moving around. This morning, both eyes look droupy (sp?), she is more lethargic, puffing up, haven't seen her eat or drink. I just brought her in the house to see if I can tell if she is pooping and keep her a bit warmer. I have watched her and she has scratched at her face a bit and now I suspect maybe no chicken pecked her, but she might have scratched herself. I would take her to the vet, but he is not back in the office for three days. Any help would be greatly appreciated as this is my first chicken medical issue.
Thank you so much,
Amy

 

[katrinag]

Well first off when ever you get new chicken you NEED to keep them seperat for 30 days.
I would keep her in by herself and contiune with the antibotics.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Beside keeping the chicken inside and seperate from the rest, you might wash her eye out with a saline solution that is ok for eyes. For instance the kind used to clean contact lenses. This is good to have on hand anyway for chicken emergencies.
Basically keep her safe, warm, isolated from other chickens, feed her extra protein and possibly electrolites, rinse the eye once or twice a day with the saline solution.
There might be something else going on too, so I would watch her closely and consider taking her to the vet, if she doesn't improve real soon.
I usually put my sick chicken in a laundry basket lined with a towel and a blanket over the top. Chickens do need to eat a lot and frequently and need water all the time also. Sometimes I put the laundry basket on its side, so the chicken has a nestlike place to hunker down in, but if she feels up to it she can get out and roam around the room. I keep them in the bathroom, because it is easy to clean up the messes.

 

[spook]

unfortunately I think it may be a virus, like MG. Antibiotics will not help her, although time will/may. Don't cull her at this point.
Did you feel her butt end, is it the same temp as her other end? Does she have a sour smelling crop (smell her mouth). Then after she poo's is it normal, green, yellow, brown. (Sounds like I'm being tough and I'm no veterinarian).
In 3 days I'd assume it is the other birds weakened her immunity and this is a common thing MG, it resembles a cold, cough, clear liquid in their nose, but still eating.
At this point, continue the treatment to its full reccomended amount, and try to remember never to add a new bird in with your other birds, it upsets the natural balance and could mean you having to go out and cull your birds.
Only treat the secondary infections, if they have a cough that is sounding like its thick and beak, toes, with blue/gray tint, ears pale and blue tint. That sounds like pneaumonia and get the antibiotic into them.
As for your girl that you have in the house, I'd suggest giving her scrambled egg- cooked of course, a bunch of green stuff, lettuce even string beans out of a can (no sodium), oatmeal, yogurt, and build her strength.
If she goes down hill, call your vet as soon as he will be back.
Please, read up on BioSecurity, read the link on my profile, it will save you heart ache.
And do not toss a new bird in the middle of a older flock. A week is like a year to birds, and would you like to be dropped in the middle of a alligator pit and said these are your roomies, they will love you!

(Don't mean to harp- we are all foolish and start learning after something like this happens. Keep your girl in for a while, then when you put her back out, place her in a isolation cage/kennel so she can see the new birds, old birds for a day or two, then let her out! Good luck

and I hope things turn out oK!
Kel

 

[AHash]

I have been giving her the anti-biotics in water and giving it to her as I have not been seeing her drink. When I just came home, she was drinking on her own and she ate some yogurt and pooped again. Her eyes look worse though...more puffy and now appear puffy around the whole eye. I am watching for her scratching at them and not seeing that, but if she is scratching at them...what would be the reason for that?
Thanks again all,
Amy

 

[spook]

Wow, I'm not sure. Have you washed them out yet? If you do not have saline you can make it, also if you have a tea bag, place in hot water, let the tea water cool down, using a cotton ball, dip into tea and dob her eyes. Allow some of the tea to run in and stay on eyes/in eyes. The tannic acid in tea can stop that "cold" in the eyes of kids, cats and birds.
Sounds like your doing fine without much help, that is great!
I'm so happy she is doing all those bodily functions a bird should!!! Try some scrambled egg, this will also help to build up her body.
Keep up the good job, sounds like shes a keeper!
Kel