Help, my first sick chicken! Something with her eye...

[Des R]

I picked up six 6mo old cream legbar pullets and luckily kept them in their own coop and run away from my current flock. It's been tricky because this time of year I leave in the dark and get home in the dark. The first night I noticed one slept on the coop floor instead on getting up on the roost with the others. The second evening I went to lock up the coop and found her walking around the run. I was a little early this evening, so I didn't think much about it and picked up to put her on the roost. I noticed her feathers didn't feel nice, she felt dirty, like she's not caring for herself. Tonight I went out to lock them up (it's very dark) and noticed one was missing from the coop. I found her in the corner of the run and picked her up again. This time I looked her over really well since she still felt dirty and realized her eye is yellow and cloudy. It was hard to get a picture in the dark. She's still putting up a strong fight. Her other eye looks perfectly clear. What should I do? I have a Tractor Supply here in town...

 

[PeepersMama]

The first thing that comes to my mind is cataracts, but that doesn't explain entirely why she isn't going in to roost at night... She might have just gotten something in her eye that she can't get out. Try to rinse it out with contacts solution, that will probably give her some relief even if there isn't anything there to rinse.

Slowly move your hand toward her eye. Does she blink or try to move away? Don't wave your hand, then she will feel the air moving and will dodge it as if she can see.

 

[Des R]

I'll test that when I get home from work tonight. I ran out on my lunch and picked up some Terramycin Opthalmic Ointment at Tractor Supply. The eye has has yellow goop in it and given her overall poor feather condition and not going in to roose, I'm worried something bigger is going on here. I don't have another coop or run to separate her since her and her siblings are new and already in the isolation coop/run.

 

[chickcrack]

sorry to read this.
How's she doing? I agree with you I think there's something more going on than just the eye. Is she lowest in pecking order? Wondering if she's being bullied and kept from food/roost. Could have taken a bad peck to the eye. Fingers crossed for you. She's a pretty girl.

 

[Des R]

So, tonight I found her again under the coop and pulled her out. We gently wiped out her eye with a clean rag, gave her the first treatment of the ointment, and put her up on the roost. I feed bad I really haven't been home in the day light since I've gotten her. That will change Thursday with the holiday, I'll have 4 days in a row home to observe her better. I haven't observed her pecking order, I hadn't thought of injury. Either way the ointment would be my best shot, right?

She and her sisters are beautiful...

 

[PeepersMama]

I would put her in a dog kennel in the garage or basement for now. even just a pen of some variety will work. That will give her a break from flock goings-on and a chance to rest.

 

[chickcrack]

Des I agree with PeepersMama. Keep her away from the rest until you are sure of what's going on. If it does end up being something more serious it could spread quickly. If nothing else it will give her a chance for rest and all the food and water she can handle. Also allows you to check what she's consuming and pooping to make sure that looks ok. Very pretty! And the little Amish man looks curious lol.

 

[Des R]

Thanks guys! I'll move her to a kennel today. I still have the brooder supplies I can set her up with in there. I can't find anyone who knows how frequently I should be putting the ointment in her eye? Also, do you think I should be treating with an antibiotic or anything else out of caution?

@chickcrack , long time no talk to! I've been so busy, I'll message you this weekend with updates on the new awesome chicken house we finished! We converted a free 27' camper, so exciting! We've been working every night for weeks in the dark freezing weather and just finished! Well, finished enough the chickens could move in anyway... which is what made room for me to pick up these new girls and put them in the old coop. Again, picked them up in the dark and didn't look them over... lesson learned =(

 

[PeepersMama]

I'd put ointment on her twice a day, putting on less and less as she gets better.

 

[Des R]

Well, I've created my first "sick chicken pen" in the basement... so sad to leave her by herself but I know it's for the best. I treated her again tonight, and I'll do it again in the morning. Now I'm home for 4 days so I'll have a good chance to monitor what's going on. When we put her in the kennel in the basement she drank a TON of water, ate some food, drank a TON of water. She ate and drank for 20 minutes while I watched. I let her finish before turning out the light. So now I wonder if she's being bullied away from what she needs, or if I'm dealing with excessive thirst? It was so hard to get her off my lap and into the kennel, and I've only had her for 3 days, but she is the sweetest thing EVER. I just can't over how much she prefers the company of people. Now I see how easy it is to have a chicken safe in your house, lol. Someone should have warned me how easy it is to become a crazy chicken lady before I started this adventure.

Anyway, I'm thinking if I don't see improvement by the weekend I should start an antibiotic that can be added to her water... what do you guys think about that? I'm completely new to this in every way...