Chicks with swollen, crusted shut eyes.

[SilkiesForEver]

Some of my chicks (month old D'uccles) have been battling Infectious coryza for some time now. They seem to be getting better with treatment but, I noticed that three chicks (that did not show signs of Coryza) have swollen, purple, crusted shut eyes. One eye is shut while the other is open and bright.
I have been dropping Coconut oil in their eyes and giving them Coconut milk.
(I only have pictures of one but they all look like this.)

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If you know of anything that would help Please let me know!
Thanks,
Jenae

 

[bargain]

I'm so sorry they are so very ill. As far as I understand there is no cure for infection coryza. I would be inclined to cull these as their disease can spread and make all your birds suffer. I know this is not what you want to hear but I just wanted to gently and quietly broach that subject. The situation looks so painful. Again, so sorry this happened to your babies.

 

[Terri O]

Hello--you do know that Coryza can be cured but they will be carriers right? It is a terrible disease and if you have it in your flock then I believe you will have it forever! I dont know if it is worth it to save a few chicks...IF they havent been out with the rest of your birds I would cull them. So Sorry...

 

[Dahlisgrams]

I am so sorry this is happening. I have to agree with the good advice you've already received, unfortunately. I have dealt with infectious coryza in a quarantined flock of young chicks that I had and when I had a necropsy done on one that passed, I was told that they'd be carriers and shedders of the bacteria forever, even if they were symptom free by the doctor that ran the tests. I culled. It was difficult but in the end, was the right thing to do for a number of reasons. I had asked if it was possible to provide them with a permanent coop/run just for them and was told that while it was theoretically possible to do so in a backyard situation, that the likelihood of wild birds contracting the disease from my chickens was a good possibility. I wish you the best.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I have read up on Coryza and found many cures. I'm thinking of taking them to a vet, but I'm not sure if there are any in my area.
I am not going to cull them, I have never culled birds and don't wish to start with them. I think if they have a chance
to live then I should do everything in my power to save them.
I do have a question about them being carriers though, if they survive will they pass it to my other birds if they come in contact with them?

 

[Dahlisgrams]

I have read up on Coryza and found many cures. I'm thinking of taking them to a vet, but I'm not sure if there are any in my area.
I am not going to cull them, I have never culled birds and don't wish to start with them. I think if they have a chance
to live then I should do everything in my power to save them.
I do have a question about them being carriers though, if they survive will they pass it to my other birds if they come in contact with them?

Yes, they can pass it any other bird they come in contact with, wild or domesticated, forever. This is what I was told by the doctor who did the necropsy on my birds. I had been willing to do anything to save mine too, including antibiotics etc, but it would have required constant, hypervigilant forever quarantine or an entirely closed flock even if they recovered. Shoe and clothing changes, constant washing and a completely enclosed space for them to live in. And even then there was the possibility of passing it on to wild birds via droppings. I had other healthy birds already and wanted to keep them safe. It was suggested to me that if I couldn't handle culling, that I shouldn't have chickens. That's always kind of stuck with me. I know there are those who have kept birds who recovered, but I personally couldn't take that risk. The overall big picture seemed to take precedence. It was incredibly hard but I had support and have no regrets.

It's a decision that's entirely yours to make. I just couldn't watch my chicks suffer any more than they already had.

 

[dorsey75]

We are struggling with coryza as well we believe, all the symptoms are there we need to have it confirmed by the vet. I made the horrible mistake of buying auction chickens and mixing them with my current flock. Now we are paying the price of our ignorance on that subject. We got them all on antibiotics (duramycin in the water) so far lost one three and a half year old banty and a year old RIR. All of my original 11 birds are infected and 9 new ones don't seem to be affected so far which is weird because the where not from the same owner. My only guess is that they had all been vaccinated for it. Its a horrible decision but if they have coryza for sure I'm thinking of total euthanasia. We have introduced small numbers of chicks several times and never had any problems at all.
We thought we could bypass the chick stage and just buy some ready to lay, different bread birds for fun. Bad decision!! We live in oklahoma open to suggestions just wandered if anyone else has dealt with this in an established flock. P.s. These birds are like pets to family the decision to euthanize does not come easy buy i don't want this spreading to other new chicks or more important the wildlife around here, there are alot birds that eat and drink from the same containers as the chickens. Thanks

 

[bargain]

It appears to be a horrible disease. I have read much about it. And I really don't buy from auctions and the few times we ever buy birds they are in quarantine at least one full month! The transmittal rate can be absymmal and if surviving, yes they are a carrier for life. I'm going to go get a resource page on this which might help. Be back in a few.

 

[Dahlisgrams]

We are struggling with coryza as well we believe, all the symptoms are there we need to have it confirmed by the vet. I made the horrible mistake of buying auction chickens and mixing them with my current flock. Now we are paying the price of our ignorance on that subject. We got them all on antibiotics (duramycin in the water) so far lost one three and a half year old banty and a year old RIR. All of my original 11 birds are infected and 9 new ones don't seem to be affected so far which is weird because the where not from the same owner. My only guess is that they had all been vaccinated for it. Its a horrible decision but if they have coryza for sure I'm thinking of total euthanasia. We have introduced small numbers of chicks several times and never had any problems at all.
We thought we could bypass the chick stage and just buy some ready to lay, different bread birds for fun. Bad decision!! We live in oklahoma open to suggestions just wandered if anyone else has dealt with this in an established flock. P.s. These birds are like pets to family the decision to euthanize does not come easy buy i don't want this spreading to other new chicks or more important the wildlife around here, there are alot birds that eat and drink from the same containers as the chickens. Thanks

Luckily, it never made it to my main flock, probably due to my extremely OCD quarantine procedures. I took more showers and did more laundry than I ever thought possible during this period. Honestly, I wrestled with the decision for over a week as it was a holiday weekend and I couldn't have the necropsies done until after the weekend, and then I had to wait for the results. I treated with antibiotics (Oxytetracycline HCI... though I was told that Sulmet is also somewhat effective against the bacteria) and was ready to build them their own coop/run etc before being handed the news. I think somewhere inside I knew from the beginning what I was going to have to do, but tried like heck to find a way around it. It was difficult to say the least. They say that culling gets easier but I hope to never find out. I wish you the best with your birds, whatever you decide.

It appears to be a horrible disease. I have read much about it. And I really don't buy from auctions and the few times we ever buy birds they are in quarantine at least one full month!

Totally agreed Bargain. If not longer!!! The chicks I had to cull were from a reputable breeder and because of that I *almost* put them with another day old group I had at the time, but decided to follow the quarantine protocol anyway, and am I ever glad I did. I also now have a closed flock and do not allow visitors in the chicken area. Maybe I've become paranoid about it, but it isn't something I'm willing to risk. I hope to never encounter it again. I just hope that my experience is useful to others. I think it helps to at least have as many facts as possible before making a choice.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Thanks for your help everyone! I realized that I had some antibiotics that we used for our sheep that can be used for poultry as well, so I put it in their water, so we'll see if that helps. I read online that aloe vera helps eye infections so I have been administering that in their infected eyes since yesterday afternoon, and I have seen a nice improvement! They are starting to to open their eyes and are getting a little more active!

Hopefully they will continue to get better!