My favorite little Silkie hen, Blanche, had crusted-shut eyes yesterday morning!!! Just two weeks ago a gave her a course of injected antibiotics for a persisitant but minor bumblefoot issue. She's in the middle of her first brood. One of the eyes even looks a little blood-crusted. One of the other 3 hens, Blondie, has been pecking her ruthlessly so I'm wondering if she pecked her eye. That would only explain one eye, though. I gently pried the eyes open, flushed with my contact lens saline solution, soaked each eye with a warm black tea compress and then applied Vetericyn opti gel. I set her up in my laundry room, away from the other 2 hens. This morning, only one eye was crusted shut, and it was freed with minimal effort. I repeated yesterday's routine. It's hard to tell how she feels since she's broody. She's eating and drinking a bit. No odors. Poo seems fine. Breathing seems fine. My neighbor gave me some drops she used for her kids conjunctivitis. Sulfacetamide Sodioum Ophthalmic Solution 10%. I guess I'll try that this afternoon. My 3 urban Silkies are like pampered poodles, yet I have had problem after problem with them. I thought chickens were hardier than this!
I would worry that she has a respiratory illness with crusty eye drainage. I would watch for other symptoms such as sneezing, bubbles in the eyes, nasal drainage, or selling of the face and eyes. If you have Tylan or oxytetracycline, I might give her some.
Thank you! Since (so far) she has none of these other symptoms, I won't worry too much. But I will continue to keep a sharp eye on her and keep her separated. I just finished giving her an inject-able antibiotic 2 weeks ago for minor but persistent bumblefoot so I'm hoping not to have to go the antibiotic route again so soon.
