Chicken with a Funky Eye?!?

[summerdarling]

Hello all!
Brand new to BYC and brand new to chickens in general! We just started our backyard flock last weekend! So please forgive the many things I do not know!

Anyways, I'm concerned about my favorite hen, Fern. Fern is a year old silkie hen and is the lowest hen in the pecking order. When we brought her home last Saturday, I noticed that I could tell Fern apart from the other identical silkie hen because of her "sad, sweet mama eyes". I pointed this out to my husband who promptly stated that her "sad sweet mama eyes" was actually just that one of her eyes had something wrong with it. I realized he was right. At first, it just sort of looked like one of her eyes was a little droopy, there wasn't any evident discharge or obvious trauma or anything. It concerned me a bit but I figured perhaps in their old flock she was pecked in the eye or something and it was an old wound...

Anyways, it's now a week later and today for the first time it looks like the eye is watery and Fern does seem to be acting a little off from her usual quirky self. She's still eating and drinking and laying well (4 eggs this week from her!!) but she isn't hanging out with the flock really and seems to be hanging out alone often.

I've added a few pics so you can see. Logically it seems like it's probably not anything to worry about, but for some reason I'm worried about her and just can't shake the feeling. So, I come to y'all! Any thoughts?

Also, FWIW, I have four adult hens in my flock, got them all as adults from a reputable, local backyard breeder. All are healthy and happy other than Fern's gimp eye...

Sorry the photos aren't the best. Also new to chicken photography...

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a contact number for the person you bought her from? She looks to have a serious respiratory infection such as MG or coryza that has caused the typical conjuntivitis and sinus swelling. These are carrier diseases that you don't want in your flock, especially if you have other healthy chickens. Antibiotics(Tylan, Gallimycin, Oxytetracycline,) can treat symptoms, and may help prevent some of the secondary infections they can get such as air sacculitis, but nothing cures them permanently. Any other chickens in the flock even ones who don't get sick will be carriers. Culling is the best solution or to return them. Here is some reading about the common respiratory diseases: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[summerdarling]

Wow! Really?! Again, I am so novice with all of this. But to me she certainly doesn't have the appearance of having a lethal disease! Can you tell me what you see on her that makes you think this? Not second guessing you here or saying you aren't correct, I just feel surprised by your response.

Does anyone else agree or disagree with this?

Also I do have the contact info for the woman who I got her from. I will text her first thing in the morning...

I hope my sweet Fern doesn't have a nasty infection

 

[summerdarling]

Another question, you mentioned that I should consider returning her. If all my hens are from the same flock or origin do you think they are likely all carriers? Should I return them all? Or can I keep them since they've all been exposed to the same bugs?

Also, if she does have one of these respiratory infections and I wanted to treat the flock, how do I go about doing that? I purchase antibiotics from a feed store?? Do I need a prescription for that?

Thank you so much for the help. Feeling a title overwhelmed!!

 

[summerdarling]

Oh, and one more thing to add--the reason I was ruling out respiratory illness is because only one of her eyes is affected, the other is perfectly fine, and she doesn't seem to have any other symptoms of illness really other than not hanging out with the flock, though I also think that might just be because she's the lowest hen in the pecking order.... Idk. Thoughts? Right now I'm thinking I may go to the feed store tomorrow and get a round of erythromycin for the flock if I can do that?

 

[Eggcessive]

Her facial swelling looks to be on both sides of her face. Watery eyes and facial swelling are symptoms of respiratory disease most of the time. In the link I posted, read bout MG, coryza. Antibiotics are available at most feed stores, and online. I wouldn't treat everyone, but I would separate her and treat only her. If others develop symptoms similar, or start rattles or coughing, then treat them. Sorry about this, but your breeder may have more to say, but chickens don't get colds.

 

[Wol1]

Wait wait wait! Don't fling antibiotics at it. Certain antibiotics are best for certain things but don't work for others. The first item is to figure out what it is.

The eyes are affected by sinusitis because their sinuses are different than ours. From http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww43eiv.html :
"A large sinus known as the infraorbital sinus, surrounds the eye and extends into the upper and lower beak. This sinus opens upwards (dorsally) into the middle and caudal nasal conchae. Because this sinus has a dorsal and not a ventral (downward) opening, it is very difficult for any infection of the infra orbital sinus to drain."

Here is a chart of medications: https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/medicine-chart At Tractor Supply Co. they have many of these medicines. I have also seen an ophthalmic medication.

Sources for the "what is it?":
http://www.apa-abayouthpoultryclub.... SYMPTOMS FOR DIAGNOSING POULTRY DISEASES.pdf page 2 "Eyes"

Or this:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/common-chicken-illnesses-and-treatments.html from which I copied the following:
Infectious Coryza:
Symptoms: Swollen heads, combs, and wattles; eyes swollen shut; sticky discharge from nose and eyes; moist area under wings; laying stops.
How contracted: Bacterial disease; transmitted through carrier birds, contaminated surfaces, and drinking water.
Treatment: Birds should be destroyed as they remain carriers for life.
Vaccine available: None.

An online avian vet manual:http://avianmedicine.net/publication_cat/avian-medicine/ with a section on the eye. This chapter shows that it can be anything from "pink-eye" to something dreadful.

I hope some of this helps, but maybe the previous owner has some information.

 

[summerdarling]

I should have clarified that those images are both of the same eye. Here is a photo of her other, healthy looking eye...

Thoughts? IMHO it really seems that this is some sort of infection isolated just to her right eye. It does look painful and icky and I really want to treat it but feel clueless...

 

[summerdarling]

Okay this is really helpful! Thanks. Let me pour over this with my morning cup of coffee....

 

[Eggcessive]

Sulfadimethoxine (Di-Methox, Albon, Sulfamed-G) is what you need for coryza, but since MG can also look like this, you could start off with Tylan50 injection 1/4 ml given into the breast muscle once a day for 3 days. Some who won't do shots will give it orally, but it works best as a shot 1/4 inch into the breast. If symptoms aren't disappearing, then switch to the Di-Methox. Seriously though, you don't want a respiratory disease in your flock, and giving her back no matter how cute is the best bet. I just hope the others aren't carriers as well. Now, if you can find a peck mark where she may have been injured and formed an abscess around her eye, that may be worth treating with amoxicilin or baytril from the vet, but it looks like MG or coryza. If you can take her to a vet that would be good.