Conjunctivitis in hen

[silarajc]

I've only had chickens a year, so I'm still on a steep learning curve. I spotted my hen yesterday with swollen flesh under her eyelid. My daughter finally caught her today. We have her in an isolation box in the garage now. The flesh yesterday looked pink and healthy, today it is taking on a gray blue tinge. Otherwise, the eye looks healthy and she is acting normal, eating and drinking. There doesn't seem to be any weeping, and I'm not observing any coughing or sneezing that I would expect with a respiratory virus. I did notice that side of her face seems swollen as well. I didn't know if it might be an injury or what. I did treat with Vetrimicin spray, but don't know what else to do. Sorry for the bad pictures...she did not like me taking them!

 

[Spartan22]

Possibly got peck in the eye?

 

[silarajc]

It is quite possible - I have a lot of chickens and they are in the coop until I let them out in the afternoon. There is no obvious wound.

Will the Vetericin be a good treatment, or should I drive out and get some eye antibiotic ointment?

 

[andreanar]

You can get some Terramycin eye ointment and try putting that in her eye. There are other issues this could be, like eye worm or others.

 

[Spartan22]

I’ll wait till some experts jump in here, so far I got lucky in 5 years I haven’t had to medicate any of my hens, they had some small cuts on feathered legs before and I just cleaned it up and put rubbing alcohol.

 

[silarajc]

Well, I used some saline nasal rinse solution and squirted it in her eye a few times a day, and in her nose (it looked dirty, I thought it might be a respiratory problem). She hated it, of course, but it looks like the swelling may be going down. How long can I keep her in isolation before the others stop recognizing her as a flock member? I can bring her box into the coop for a couple of days if I have to.

 

[jonalisa]

I would keep an eye on it and rinse with saline once or twice a day.
You're ok to keep them apart a few days or put her in a crate among them during the day and bring her in at night.