Eyes crusted shut, swollen face...pls help me

[LauraD]

I have seen several people with this problem, but am still not sure how to give an accurate diagnosis. I first treated it as Infectious Coryza with sulfadimenthoxine in the drinking water. It only was showing signs in my 4 week and younger birds and only in my chickens. Today I found one of my grown guineas with her eye crusted shut, but no other signs. Most of the birds I treated got better, but not all. I have attached some pictures of the chicks that still have it and would love some advice! As you can see in the potos, some have bubbly eyes and some are so bad that the eyes are shut. They look awful and I don't have the heart to cull them, but I guess it is becoming time. These birds have been treated for 6 days now.

 

[KellyHM]

Have you tried to find a vet in your area that will look at them? The only way to get a true diagnosis is to do a culture, or something along those lines. If you have any that have died you should consider sending them to the state vet for a necropsy. Even if your presumptive diagnosis is correct, you may need stronger (injectable) antibiotics for the ones that are the sickest.

 

[LauraD]

There are no vets in this area that do chickens. I live in a rual town. The vets here handle household pets and livestock. Still looking for one around.

 

[spook]

Then ask one of the vets to find out what the number is for the state vet so he can give you a proper diagnosis. And for goodness sakes, do not allow anyone in or near your barn/house, wear only one set of cloths/shoes. If its contagious, you don't want to spread it through the neighborhood. (Not meaning to sound preachy, but to also sound preachy!) I would get to the feed store, pick up some Terramycin (that is the name brand), start giving it to them, if you don't have a feed store, call the local vet, ask if they would give you enough to get through the weekend and explain what it is. Also, use tea water over their eyes, this sounds more serious then just a picked at eye or small infection. Wash your hands super super well, protect yourself and family!
I would call the state vet and have one of the birds necropsied.
Good luck!

 

[birdlover]

I agree with spook. You need to take a newly deceased chicken or terribly sick chicken to the state vet for analysis. Unfortunately, it takes time for the results. There are so many respiratory illnesses with the symptoms your chickens have. In my opinion, they need something really strong like baytril to knock it out but you can only get that from a vet. Maybe the state vet can help you get some if there are no local vets that will. I went through something similar recently (though mine didn't look as bad as yours) and found out it was some new infection called orthinobacterius rhinotracheale (or ORT for short). When I read about it, it made my head spin because all sorts of other infections can set in, masking the original culprit. Your birds are too sick to try to treat on your own. You need help fast. And as spook said, do not let anybody on your property and do not wear your shoes/clothes that you wear around your chickens anyplace off your property. In fact, if you have driven your car with those shoes on, you need to sanitize the pedals in the car and replace your floor mat. I know this sounds like overkill but, believe me, its not. Also, I think you can call the agricultural dept. at the local state university to come out and see your birds but I'm not sure about that. I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. Many on here are having problems and it ain't fun at all!!!!

Ellen

 

[PeeperKeeper]

Do you know for sure this is Coryza? Is there a stench / bad odor from the chicks and guineas's sinuses?
Either way, Sulfa drugs may not be strong enough. Tylan or Gallimycin may be what you will need. Tylan can also come as an injectable.
Your options are 1. to cull the flock of all symptomatic birds. 2. treat and hope for the best.
My flock had Coryza. Do a search on Coryza here on BYC and look for posts from gumpsgirl. She had me read what she did and I followed it. I had to cull about 8 of my 53 chickens while treating with antibiotics and after that I've had to give vaccinations. I will not be able to sell any of my flock to anyone else and any new chick arriving here will have to be vaccinated and quarantined for 2 weeks before introducing to the main flock. PM me if you have any questions. The foul smell is the distinctive characteristic of Coryza. Maybe your chicks have something else?

 

[speckledhen]

I dont know that I will be much help. I'm not a vet, but I do know that most diseases, maybe all of them, that have this symptom make the birds carriers of the disease for life. And some can be passed through the egg to the chicks even. My solution is always to cull the birds who show these symptoms...to clarify, I've never had this in my flock, but if I do, I have decided beforehand that they will be euthanized immediately and the carcass burned. Yes, check for a bad smell around the bird's head, which probably means it's Coryza, but no way to know for sure without testing.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

You have the same thing I am fighting right now. I do not believe that it is Coryza, there is no foul smell and no thick snot.

I have a lot of sneezing going on and a few of the birds have ratles in thier breathing.

I have had on hen die so far.

I am treating all the birds that have closed eyes with Vet Rx and that expensive eye ointment for cats and dogs that I found at the local feed store in the refrigerated section.

I am treating with "Sulmet" in the drinking water as per instructions on the bottle. I wll continue to do this for 10 consecutive days.

If this does not work, I am going to use the expensive stuff.
Lincomycin-Steptinomycin next. This worked well with the last disease which was respiratory.

I have NOT identified what this disease is, I am baffled.

 

[speckledhen]

In case you dont have it, here is a good link for you. Helps somewhat in telling what you do have or dont have.
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/disbact.htm#mg

 

[spook]

Regarding CRD- please go to my article, I would love to hear what your opinions are. Now, culling or having carriers... but...as we adopt commercial poultry, they have had their shots, they are the begining of our small back yard flocks being burdened with this bacteria.
Here is a link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1258159#p1258159