Help...1 week old chick with crusted over eye

[northeastfla]

I just received a gift of 8 one week old Easter eggers and one of them has one eye crusted over (with a little pus) - the guy who hatched them said he didn't notice, but said that sometimes they peck at one another.... should/can I do anything for the little guy???

 

[northeastfla]

Please, Any advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

UPDATE on Willie... his other ("good") eye had a little discharge (dark) that I wiped away with a warm wet cloth. the bad eye APPEARS gone, but has a hard scab covering eye. Antiobiotics, neosporin, ANYTHING???

 

[dawg53]

You can put a small dab of neosporin in the chicks eye, it should help if she scratched her eye or was pecked. Keep her seperated from other birds.

 

[northeastfla]

Thanks SO much for the reply... my worry is that it could be some kind of disease (or else why is the other eye discharging???)

 

[dawg53]

It possibly could be something respiratory, but I dont think so. There would be other symptoms such as sneezing, runny nostrils etc...my thinking is that since the chick is only a week old, I doubt it even wouldve survived if it was a respiratory disease. Also, you wouldve seen it spread to your other chicks by now. It's best to keep the chick seperated until the eye heals, you dont want the other chicks picking/pecking at the wound. Use the neosporin twice a day for about 4 or 5 days, it should heal within that time frame.

 

[dawg53]

You mentioned "dark" in color discharge from the eye; that could be dirt/debris. You can flush the eye(s) with saline solution, then apply neosporin if you wish.

 

[northeastfla]

ONCE AGAIN...thanks for the advice - I will separate him and apply ointment!

 

[northeastfla]

Here is a pic of Willie...

 

[Suzierd]

Wow, poor guy. Hope he gets better.

 

[speckly chicken]

I just brought home a 1 week old chick with similar dried goop over the eyes. I separated the chick right away and the chick has managed to get the crust off its eyes, but it still looks a little goopy. The chicks doesn't seem to be having any respiratory issues and is eating/drinking heartily. Apparently there's a huge shortage of eye ointment (Polysporin or other brands) in Canada now and I can't find any. Did you find anything else that helped your chick? Of course it's a long weekend here so all the pet/vet stores are closed. Frustrating! Any help would be appreciated - thanks!

UPDATE: I ended up having to cull the chick. It was sick and miserable and apparently there is a Canada-wide shortage of Polysporin-type eye ointment. The poor thing was miserable. Fortunately I have 18 other super healthy and happy chicks, none of which seem to have any trouble. They are busy growing feathers and testing their wings. Glad to have them.