eye pustules & irritation?

[rosemerry]

We have four pullets between 9 and 12 weeks old. One of them has had an eye problem for a week now, we think due to the the more aggressive one pecking her.
She has a lot of swelling/edema around the eye and we've been keeping her isolated. (the more she's scratched the more it swells)
In the space between the lid and the cornea there is a pocket of fluid and a granule that looks like pus.
This afternoon I noticed another chicken has started exhibiting the pustule between the eye and eyelid.

They are living in a box in the bathroom now as they're too young to be out and it's also very cold. We have been treating them with DE as per the instructions of the farmer we got them from for mites (and they all had lots of mites last week but none now). Is this a problem caused by irritation from the dust? Or something else?

(we have been treating the one with more severe swelling with bacitracin ointment to keep mites off her eyelid)

 

[CMV]

DE is absolutely ineffective against an established mite infestation. Get those birds some insecticide and use it on them post haste. The eye irritation is likely related to the mites, but also could be related to the DE. Mites can cause blindness if left unchecked in larger animals, but they usually kill chickens before they make them blind because chickens are fairly small. DE is comprised of razor sharp dust particles that desiccate insects by cutting tiny holes in their exoskeletons, so think of what it can do to unprotected eyes and lungs. Either one could be your culprit.

My recommendation is to treat all your birds with a pesticide. Treat the space they are in, as well. You will need to re-treat everything in 7-10 days. Monitor the eye problem. If it does not resolve in a 14 days, then time to look at other causes.

Good luck.

 

[rosemerry]

What sort of insecticide? Sevin dust? Where do you get it?

 

[rosemerry]

And should we use some type of a saline rinse or some other ointment for the eye?

 

[CMV]

Sevin dust would work and you can pick it up anywhere from Walmart to your local agricultural store. A saline rinse would be very appropriate. A little Neosporin in the eye may also help. You can use Terramycin ointment, but i have found plain Neosporin to be just as effective.

Hope this helps.

 

[rosemerry]

So it won't damage the cornea to add the bacitracin (neosporin) directly to the eye? We've been applying it to the periorbital area but not in the eye.

I'm posting a photo and we'll get to the store as soon as the ice thaws from the road. (being in TX we don't get snow, we get nice slick coatings of ice all over the roads... icecapades!)