Gunk in eye

[mclanea]

Just noticed this... what is it and how do I treat it?

About the chicken:

• 1 year old RIR
• Never weighed her, my guess is 8-10 lbs, same size as the others hatched the same day
• Lays fine, 5-6 a week
• Exhibited this today
• No noticeable change in behavior, eat, or drinking
• She free ranges all day... the others seem fine.
• There have been some squabbles lately with 2 new pullets getting worked into the flock over the past month or so. (They've been around one another for months so no truly new members of the flock.)
• I've not done anything to remedy it at this point, would prefer taking care of it at home vs. a vet trip.

 

[mclanea]

I just went and picked her up... it seems like she can shake this little foam off whenever she wants and I noticed a little bloody spot on her wattle that you can see in the picture. Think she just got pecked in the head or something?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

can you feel or hear her breathing ? like a rattle/cold ?

 

[mclanea]

can you feel or hear her breathing ? like a rattle/cold ?

I picked her up and listened to her breathing, doesn't seem to be making any noise at all when she breathes... other than growling at me for picking her up when her friends were eating.

Should I just keep tabs of this?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

LOL Dont mess with her dinner..
eye bubbles can get serious. could be sinus or could be respiratory so yes, keep an eye especially on her breathing. the 2 hens you brought in a month ago, did you quarantine them ? . They could be carriers of any # of things. I hope she gets better quickly.

 

[mclanea]

We've had the other two since February as day olds. They were in a brooder for 4-5 weeks before we started introducing them. But their introduction has lead to some fights over pecking order.

Should I be on the lookout for anything else? That speck that's on her wattle behind her eye, should I do anything about it or look out for anything in particular? Seems like it's scabbed over.

Sorry for all the questions. We've had chickens a year or so now but this is the first medical thing that's popped up.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I cant see your picture well, could be from a peck or maybe look up fowl pox. Thats the only one right ?
Not from the babies then. I thought you said you just got them a month ago. My bad.

 

[mclanea]

I cant see your picture well, could be from a peck or maybe look up fowl pox. Thats the only one right ?

I picked her up again and gave it a closer look. It definitely looks like a scab. It doesn't go all the way through. My office is in the yard where they free range all day so I'll keep an eye on all of them.

I did read up on fowl pox just now. I'll also look out for that.

Really appreciate the help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Peck wounds, insect stings, and fowl pox from mosquitoes could be problems as Granny posted before. With pox there may be other scabs around the face or on the other chickens. Look for peck marks around her eye or stings. With those two things the eye should improve in a couple of days. If you start to see eye swelling, runny nose, coughing, or noisy breathing, then treat it as a respiratory sinus infection. You can flush the eye with saline eye drops or Vetericyn eye wash or gel. Let us know if things get worse.

 

[mclanea]

Quick update. It's been a couple of days, still no odd behavior from her, she seems to be breathing/eating/pooping/laying fine. The two symptoms are pretty much the same, though not as much bubbles in her eye as the other day.