Eyes swollen and watery!

[sjarvis00]

OK, I have a problem with some of my chickens and am having trouble diagnosing it. Some of them have watery and swollen eyes, loss of appetite, and they keep raising their head and opening their mouth like they are having trouble breathing. Any idea?

 

[Far North Queenslander]

From the limited info it sounds like an infectious respiratory disease. Their airway is getting blocked and without treatment it will get worse. If you live in a rural area or on a migratory bird flight path where wild birds have access to food and/or water containers, or deposit feathers/droppings in an area your poultry have access to then contact your local vet or your local Ag. department. These diseases usually happen as outbreaks and you won't be the only one with this problem. If anything is doing the rounds they may already know what it is.

 

[PeeperKeeper]

First you hope it is allergies. Any new bedding being used?
2nd question chronic bronchitis
3rd Coryza....nasty stuff,
Seperate all affected chickens and do a search on this site for respiratory problems or any of the above mentioned conditions.
Some will tell you to treat, others will tell you to cull.
We had the Coryza last summer, very long drawn out and very expensive to treat. In retrospect...I'd have been better off culling my flock of 64 chickens waiting 3 mos and then rethink establishing a new flock.

 

[sjarvis00]

We have had some different weather lately. Raining and 60s then sunny and 90s off and on for a couple of weeks. Could it just be allergies with the weather doing this. I have alreasy seperated the sick ones. How do you treat if it is coryza, or bronchitis?

 

[gumpsgirl]

It sounds like a respiratory disease to me and I'm either going to guess it is Coryza or Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD). A big sign of it being Coryza will be a terrible odor.

Here is a link so you can read about Coryza and here is an article on CRD or Mycoplasmosis to help you decide what they do have.
http://www.umaine.edu/livestock/Publications/AIC.htm

Mycoplasmosis (CRD, Air sac, Sinusitis)

Organisms in the genus Mycoplasma are a significant cause of respiratory disease in poultry. Of the numerous species of Mycoplasma that have been isolated from domestic poultry, three are of known significance. Mycoplasma gallisepticum is associated with chronic respiratory disease (CRD)/air sac syndrome in chickens and turkeys and infectious sinusitis of turkeys; Mycoplasma meleagridis is associated with airsacculitis in turkeys; and Mycoplasma synoviae is the cause of infectious synovitis in chickens and turkeys.

Chronic respiratory disease (CRD), air sac syndrome and infectious sinusitis of turkeys have a common cause. CRD was first recognized as a chronic but mild respiratory disease of adult chickens. It reduced egg production but caused little or no mortality. Afterward, a condition known as "air sac disease" became a problem in young birds. It caused high mortality in some flocks. Many birds became stunted, feed efficiency was reduced, and many fowl were rejected as unfit for human consumption when processed.

Infectious sinusitis in turkeys produces a sinus swelling under the eye as well as an inflammation of respiratory organs. It is a chronic disease adversely affecting growth and feed conversion. It may also cause significant mortality in young poults.

A peculiar bacterial-like organism known as Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is common to all three conditions. CRD and sinusitis in turkeys are caused by a pure MG infections while the air sac syndrome is caused by an infection of MG in combination with E. coli. These conditions are triggered by acute respiratory infections such as Newcastle disease or infectious bronchitis.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum is widespread and affects many species of birds. Eradication programs have reduced the incidence in recent years. It is primarily spread through the egg. Infected hens transmit organisms and the chick or poult is infected when it hatches. Organisms may also be transmitted by direct contact with infected or carrier birds.

The true CRD produces slight respiratory symptoms such as coughing, sneezing and a nasal discharge. In the air sac syndrome there is an extensive involvement of the entire respiratory system. The air sacs are often cloudy and contain large amounts of exudate. Affected birds become droopy, feed consumption decreases and there is a rapid loss of body weight.

Infectious sinusitis in turkeys occurs in two forms. When the "upper" form is present, there is only a swelling of the sinus under the eye. In the "lower" form, the lungs and air sacs are involved. The air sacs become cloudy and may contain large amounts of exudate. Both forms of the disease are usually present in the flock and frequently are present in the same bird.

Diagnosis of either condition must be based on flock history, symptoms and lesions. Blood tests are useful in determining whether a flock is infected.

The answer to the MG problem in both chickens and turkeys is eradication of the disease organisms. This goal has been achieved in commercial breeding flocks with voluntary programs conducted by the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and National Turkey Improvement Plan (NTIP). The treatment of CRD, air sac syndrome and the lower form of infectious sinusitis is not considered satisfactory. Many antibiotics have been used with varying success. Whether to give treatment is a decision that must be made on each flock based on economic factors. If treatment is attempted, give high levels of one of the broad spectrum antibiotics (Tylosin, aureomycin, terramycin, gallimycin) either in feed, drinking water or by injections. The "upper"; form of infectious sinusitis can be treated with success by injecting antibiotics into the swollen sinus cavity.

You are the only one that is going to be able to diagnose this because you have direct contact with your birds and can see exactly what is going on to match to the symptoms, unless you want to contact the state and have a necropsy done. That usually costs around $60.

At any rate, both are nasty diseases. If you need more help, feel free to ask. Sorry you are having to deal with this.​

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
Chickens do not have allergies and they never catch colds. Their systems are completely different than ours our.

If it is Coryza, you will need to put antibiotics in their water. This is an excerpt from a thread I started last summer when my flock fell ill with Coryza regarding treatment:

The following symptoms closely characterize Coryza: Runny nose ( sometimes just a moist clear liquid at the edge of the nostril or nostrils ) . In more severe cases the mucus will be thicker and an off white to yellow in color and the nostrils may crust over and completely plug one or both nostrils. Facial swelling may occur just under one or both eyes and may be severe enough to completely swell shut one or both eyes. This is important as usually there is a secondary bacterial infection in the eye as well. Open the eye lids up and look to see if there is a white to grayish looking film covering the eyeball. If this film is present I would suggest that you flush the eye immediately with a boric acid solution ( you can use any of the human grade eye washes containing Boric Acid that you can find at Wal-Mart ) and then add Chloramphenicol Eye ointment at least 2 to 3 times a day until the film goes away. Failure to correct or recognize this problem early on will result in blindness in the infected eye. Other symptoms include,sneezing,loss of appetite and rattles. Something else that might tip you off as to whether this disease would be Coryza or not would be the presence of mucus soiled feathers on the back,neck and face from wiping the mucus from the nostrils on the feathers. This symptom is not always present but should play a part in your decision making. Coryza also spreads very quickly in relation to some of the other diseases, once it gets started. Last but not least mortality plays a part in Coryza,if left untreated.

One of the most important things to know about Coryza is that a carrier state does exist. Some birds get Coryza and are treated and vaccinated and they get over it,while other birds continue to give you trouble. These birds are your carriers. When at all possible identify and eliminate all carrier birds. The treatment for Coryza is as follows: Use one teaspoon of Gallimycin powder and one teaspoon of Aureomycin/Sulmet powder in one gallon of drinking water for 7 days and then takeout the Aureomycin/Sulmet and boost the Gallimycin powder up to two teaspoons in a gallon of drinking water for an additional 7 days. When treatment is complete vaccinate all birds that are three weeks of age and older with ½ cc of Coryza vaccine under the skin of the neck. Repeat the vaccination with the same dose of Coryza vaccine four weeks later. Reactors ( birds that still show Coryza symptoms ) usually show up from two to four weeks after the last vaccination takes place. These birds are your carriers and should be eliminated if at all possible. Dispose of all carcasses by either burning or burying them. Do not expect birds that are sick to exhibit all of the symptoms described in this article all at the same time. While this is possible it almost never happens that way.

If interested, here's the link to the thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=69444​

 

[sjarvis00]

Thank you. I think it is coryza. Is it possible to medicate all my birds but inject on the sick ones with bacterin? or should I inject all of them including the ones that are healthy?

 

[sjarvis00]

Where do you get the vaccine?

 

[gumpsgirl]

If this is Coryza, then you need to understand that this is not going to be something quick. It takes awhile, even up to a year for your flock to fully recover from. It is up to you to spot the carriers and then cull them. This is one of the most important steps you can take.

I highly suggest you read through my thread, so you can get a good idea as to what you are up against and the proper steps you will need to take to get your flock back in good health. There is a lot involved with it.

You will not vaccinate any of your birds until your flock has gone through the antibiotic treatment and is no longer sick. Then you will need to vaccinate everyone, just incase a carrier is present so all of your chickens are protected. The vaccination is a two step process.

Here is a link to where I bought my vaccination from and the antibiotics. They seemed to have the best price on shipping for the vaccine, which has to be shipped in a special container with ice because it has to be kept cold. Make sure you order syringes too.
http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc...XSEH2N8FTEKF1&pf_id=16783&cmkw=coryza vaccine

 

[sjarvis00]

I have been all over your thread now. It doesnt sound like it will be easy. I have chicks coming in a few days that I ordered. But the good news is I have chicks already kept in seperate from the rest of my flock. Been dealing with this for about 2 weeks trying to figure out what it was. First it was only 1 bird sick then another and yesterday I lost one of my red stars. My chicks are not sick or even show signs of being sick. Since this started happening I dont touch them, I wash my hands and change my shoes before I go out to them, and I have been bleaching there feed and water containers everytime i refill them.