Eye Problems - Treat the Whole flock? [pics]

[The Monkey Mama]

I have a hen with a swollen eye. At first we thought it was from a weasel attack, or an injury, but I'm thinking now that it may be something infectious rather than an injury.

I have one other pullet who is just keeping her left eye closed - it isn't swollen or anything, but she's keeping it closed and seems to be moping a bit. I had another pullet do this about 6 weeks ago [just keeping the eye closed and acting like she didn't feel good] - and she died. Nothing in 6 weeks since, which is why I didn't think infectious at first.

I talked to a friend I gave some chickens to last week and she has one with a "bubbling" eye now [one I gave her]. So I'm thinking it must be infectious.

But I'm not sure exactly what it is [there is no nasal discharge, no foul odor, nothing but the closed or swollen eye].

I'm thinking I need to treat my flock. One thing that was recommended was injectable "tylan" [which my feed store doesn't carry, I'd have to order it online]. This was supposed to be the best thing, but I have 50 birds, I'm not sure how hard it would be to inject them all daily for 7 days or so....

Another suggestion was an antibiotic that I could put in their water to treat the whole flock, but it would take longer to work.

*Should* I treat the whole flock? Or just the two hens who seem affected? Is there anything detrimental to treating them all?

And is it weird to have only one or two sick chickens in a flock of 50 birds? It seems like if it were something horribly contagious that it would have spread more....

How would you handle this?

Thanks in advance,

Kelly

Here are pics of my bird with the swollen eye, just so you can see what I'm talking about [she is doing much better today - up walking around, eating, and being her usual curious self. Eye is still swollen]:

 

[HennysMom]

could be coryza.. does it smell?

I'm sure others will pop on with more experience in this area that have had birds with it or have seen this.

You can go to the top of this site and click on LEARNING CENTER - it has a ton of info there on conditions and diseases as well as sites to visit.

 

[The Monkey Mama]

It has no odor at all. I've read the site extensively, I can't find anything that describes an illness just with the eye thing - usually there are other symptoms [smell, nasal discharge, breathing problems, diarrhea, etc].

that's why this has me baffled.

Kelly

 

[HennysMom]

did you look up MG? PM Purple Chicken or Southernbelle - they unfortunately have alot of experience with it

Southernbelle just posted on another post here under the ER section re: another situation with a bubbly eye - and its how her flock started with MG.

its not for you.

Does it look like they were fighting or maybe a bite/sting? It looks like its puffy underneath the eye mostly though..

Wish I could help more...

 

[The Monkey Mama]

Oh no! I had NOT seen anything about MG till I just read this thread you are talking about. Oh my goodness.

How do I diagnose this? I'm going to look up our state vet and give them a call.

I am just about to throw up - IF this is what my birds have, then I have unwittingly given away birds [to three different friends] who may have been or were infected - AND I've sent a bunch of hatching eggs for free to several people around the country [online friends].

NO, actually I'm crying AND wanting to throw up. Our birds are our pets - my children each have birds that they have hatched from *eggs* and hand raised [I've hatched almost all our birds myself

]. If we have to cull the whole flock I don't know if we could survive the heartbreak.

*sob*

[Thank you so much for your help]

Kelly

 

[HennysMom]

lets not jump to conclusions yet honey... I know its scary, and Lord knows I keep checking my flock ever since I saw PC's post

I've developed OCD about it.

PM one of them and see if they cant help you - they may not see this post specifically, but I'm quite certain they can help you moreso than I can. SpeckledHen and DLUnicorn may be able to provide alot of assistance in this as well.

Lots of hugs and prayers its not MG and you can treat them.. I know, mine are my pets too.

 

[Southernbelle]

Is the eye itself crusty and greenish, or is it just the picture?

My hen with MG didn't look exactly like her. My girl had her eyes open, just swollen all around and bubbles in the corners of her eyes, no pus or crusties. I'd probably isolate her and see if it develops into sneezing and coughing or watch for someone else to get sick.

You can always get the opinion of the state vet - they may run some testing for you. For better or worse, I had to know.

 

[KellyHM]

If it's MG you can get some Tylan powder to put in the water and it will clear up the symptoms. Your birds can possibly become carriers, so it's best not to give them away unless people know about it. However, you do NOT need to cull your flock...that is a personal choice that a few people make, but is not necessary. About 1/2 the chickens in the US have been exposed, whether people know it or not.

 

[The Monkey Mama]

THANKS!

No, it isn't green or crusty, it must be the coloring in the pic. It just looks swollen [we thought at first it was weasel trauma, but there isn't any tearing or bite marks, just swelling].

A friend of mine reminded me that I've been having a mold problem in their coop because of all the rain, and she suggested that it might be that too - that makes a lot of sense to me since it is just a couple of them reacting.

I'm still gonna call the state vet I think just to be sure, and I'll definitely be watching them very carefully. But I'm feeling a bit more hopeful - I spent the morning crying thinking I was going to have to put them all down and that I'd contaminated all my friends' flocks too - hopefully that was an over reaction on my part.

Thank you for your reply!

Kelly

 

[The Monkey Mama]

[Oh, and I'm not usually such a basket case, but imagining having to put down all of my children's beloved pets was just a bit much for this soft hearted mama.

]

Kelly