Dry skin/scab near eye?

[ShrekDawg]

I just noticed that one of my chickens appears to have almost like dry skin or scabs or something around her eye?

I feel awful because I admit I haven't really been out there at all lately except to check food and water and put them away at night so I haven't really picked her up to notice. But I am trying to pick them up to get them friendly again so I noticed now.

I'm wondering if you think just putting somw Vaseline or vegetable/coconut oil or something on it and moving them to a cleaner environment would help?

What I mean by clean environment is obviously I do try to keep it clean but right now the run is just dirt and obviously their chicken mess, can be pretty dusty sometimes. We're working on a new coop and run that will be deep litter. I added sand to half of it last week which seemed to help but it could probably use some more.

2 also sort of shake their heads sometimes? Including her. My belief is it's from wiping their beaks on the ground and/or getting something in there? But the breathe fine and almost all are laying.

Anyway, I know I can do better in certain aspects of care but I try not to let them sit out there in disgusting conditions, obviously, but clearly it still might be causing some problems?

Is there anything I can do besides going to a vet and besides moving them? Maybe I can put something down on the run floor for now? We've tried shavings but they hated it because they like to scratch the dirt but I might have to do it anyway.

I was thinking maybe free ranging might help too??

Anyway, I know this post is ridiculously long but I guess in short what I am wondering is

A. Can this be treated with either oil or medicine I can buy myself? The closest vets are like half an hour to an hour away and even if they were closer, I don't think my dad would approve a chicken vet. Plus if it's treatable at home, I'd rather do it myself. If not I will find a way to convince them or take the girls myself.

And

B. Do you think this will go away if I improve conditions and give more space?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh and they all appear healthy and active otherwise and this is the biggest girl of her breed (Buff Orpington).

I have 1 Barred Rock, 2 Black Australorps, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Easter Eggers.

The biggest are probably my Rock and Australorps then her, she might be tied with one Australorp, some of the EEs are big, and the other 2 Orps are a little scrawny. But active.

But my point is they don't act sick.

The only one that I am worried about is one EE who is being bullied badly but I'm dealing with that too.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Here's some pictures but it was really hard holding her and taking a picture at the same time because with 2 hamds I can hold her head and look at her eye better but I can't do that with one hand (holding phone) so the pictures aren't the greatest. But if you click on them and make them big and maybe zoom in some more you should be able to see it better

I think one picture might be of her good eye so you can tell

 

[ShrekDawg]

It's basically just little raw and teeny scabs in places i think but i could be wrong.

Also, I wanna say I'm not looking for anyone to yell at me about conditions or for letting this happen or not handling them more or anything like that, I already know I've probably made some mistakes but I've been slowly trying to fix them and just want to know how to help my chickens.

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be just little peck marks or tiny insect bites. Both are common in birds, but in late summer and fall, fowl pox scabs from a virus carried by mosquitoes can sometimes look similar. Here is an example of pox and one of pecking:

Fowl pox Peck wounds

 

[ShrekDawg]

It could be just little peck marks or tiny insect bites. Both are common in birds, but in late summer and fall, fowl pox scabs from a virus carried by mosquitoes can sometimes look similar. Here is an example of pox and one of pecking:

Fowl pox Peck wounds

Thanks for the reply. And hmmm well the good news I guess is it looks nothing like fowl pox (that poor bird, that looks nasty/disgusting and painful!) And some of them seem to have more the other picture, just not as much. So maybe it's just what you said, pecking and bugs? Or dirt? I admittedly hadn't thought of bugs and pecking. But would it be that close to her eye? Those photos seem to be more of the comb but what about the rawness/redness/little scabs around her eye? Could that be bugs/pecking too or just dry skin or something? I will try to get a better picture.

 

[Eggcessive]

You might want to get some Terramycin eye ointment from your feed store to put into her eye to help prevent conjunctivitis or infection. Plain Neosporin/Triple Antibiotic ointment or Vetericyn eye spray or gel would be good alternatives. Flies and pecking can definitely cause eye irritaion.

 

[ShrekDawg]

You might want to get some Terramycin eye ointment from your feed store to put into her eye to help prevent conjunctivitis or infection. Plain Neosporin/Triple Antibiotic ointment or Vetericyn eye spray or gel would be good alternatives. Flies and pecking can definitely cause eye irritaion. 

Thanks for all the help! I'll pick up some of that stuff!