Eye Problem?

[42chickenlane]

Is there a problem with the eye of my one month old chic? A few days ago, the one eye started looking partially closed. Thanks in advance for anyone’s help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you heard him sneeze or have any nasal drainage or bubbles in his eyes? His right eyelid is swollen, and that coculd be a sign of a peckwound or a respiratory disease.

 

[42chickenlane]

Have you heard him sneeze or have any nasal drainage or bubbles in his eyes? His right eyelid is swollen, and that coculd be a sign of a peckwound or a respiratory disease.

Unfortunately both are true. He has been sneezing occasionally the last couple weeks but he also does get pecked on sometimes by his brooder coop friend.

 

[Eggcessive]

Mycoplasma gallisepticum or MG is a chronic respiratory disease in chickens. There are other possible diseases that may look similar and testing is the only way to know which it is. MG can be passed through hatching eggs, and it can be spread by contact with carriers. Tylosin and several other antibiotics can help treat symptoms, although the survivors are carriers.

 

[Myrshine]

In my experience and research, this looks like classic Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD), or most commonly known as Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). MG is a bacterial infection of poultry, affecting all different species of birds. This disease is most commonly given from infected parents to the offspring, as the MG bacteria can be transmitted vertically into the eggs of developing embryos, making any chicks that hatch, always infected and sick with the bacteria. So please please PLEASE don’t breed from your sickly infected flock! MG is a permanent lifelong chronic disease- meaning, that you can treat or have the symptoms go away, but whenever the bird gets stressed again, the symptoms will keep coming back or get worse. All birds (even recovered birds) remain lifetime long carriers of the MG bacteria, spreading and shedding it through their feces, feathers, dander, respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids. This is a lifetime disease of poultry and is incurable. Since MG is a bacteria, antibiotics can help keep symptoms at bay until the symptoms resurface. That being said, most choose to cull all birds and start over fresh. If you’d rather not, then the other option is to keep a closed flock- no new birds in and no birds leave your sick flock.



Keep in mind that over-use and/or misuse of antibiotics also creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making the disease harder to treat than before. It’s critical in any livestock, especially poultry, to get any sick or symptomatic birds tested to find out which specific disease they have as soon as possible.



Here's more information about MG:



https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf



https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/protecting-your-flock-what-you-need-to-know-about-mg-ms/



https://afarmgirlinthemaking.com/respiratory-conditions-poultry-mycoplasma-in-chickens/