Help my Silkie is sick?!

[Jenny Loves Chickies]

We

I noticed this morning that one of my silkies, Ming, was acting lethargic. Upon closer inspection it appears one of her eyes doesn’t want to stay open and it almost looks like she has a beak injury? Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong and how I can help her? Thanks so much!!

 

[112Days]

Looks like a flockmate accidentally pecked her eye to me. I don't see a beak injury, just a slightly overgrown beak - they get more transparent when they get really long and are at higher risk of breaking. I'd keep checking on the eye and trim the beak a tiny bit.

 

[Jenny Loves Chickies]

Looks like a flockmate accidentally pecked her eye to me. I don't see a beak injury, just a slightly overgrown beak - they get more transparent when they get really long and are at higher risk of breaking. I'd keep checking on the eye and trim the beak a tiny bit.

Thank you so much for responding, the black area on the one side of her beak doesn’t look right to me, near her comb and even looks like on her comb? She’s eating and acting fairly normal otherwise and none of my other hens have any black spots. I’ve never heard of trimming their beaks, have you done that before?

 

[coach723]

You can trim beaks, hers is not terrible. If you put some large rocks, or concrete blocks in the run that gives them a place to hone their beaks naturally and it can help prevent them from getting too long. Some birds are more prone to over grown beaks. You can use a nail file, or small dog clippers, just don't take too much off, do only a little bit at a time.
https://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/poultry/feed-health/trimming-chicken-beaks-claws-spurs/
She does look like she has a small wound on the side of her beak. May have gotten the beak caught on something, so check feeders, waterers, wire, etc for places she may have gotten it caught. It doesn't look to bad and will probably eventually grow out. I would open the eye and take a look at it, it may have been pecked. You can flush it with sterile saline, or veterycin eye wash, to make sure there is not debris in there.
Veterycin also makes an antimicrobial eye gel. If it looks like there is any infection you can get terramycin eye ointment at many feed stores or tractor supply.

 

[Jenny Loves Chickies]

You can trim beaks, hers is not terrible. If you put some large rocks, or concrete blocks in the run that gives them a place to hone their beaks naturally and it can help prevent them from getting too long. Some birds are more prone to over grown beaks. You can use a nail file, or small dog clippers, just don't take too much off, do only a little bit at a time.
https://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/poultry/feed-health/trimming-chicken-beaks-claws-spurs/
She does look like she has a small wound on the side of her beak. May have gotten the beak caught on something, so check feeders, waterers, wire, etc for places she may have gotten it caught. It doesn't look to bad and will probably eventually grow out. I would open the eye and take a look at it, it may have been pecked. You can flush it with sterile saline, or veterycin eye wash, to make sure there is not debris in there.
Veterycin also makes an antimicrobial eye gel. If it looks like there is any infection you can get terramycin eye ointment at many feed stores or tractor supply.

Thanks so much!! I will absolutely add more rocks for them, we have boulders all over the place here. I opened it up and it doesn’t look any different than the other eye, I will grab some eye wash and ointment today just to be safe. I was worried it was some kind of fungus or bacteria but their coop is clean, dry and huge, and they free range in their big run every day. I ferment their food and also offer dry with free choice of grit and oyster shells. I checked all over to see if I could find a spot she may have gotten stuck, could the wounds have been from another hen?

 

[coach723]

It's possible, but there looks to be some tiny stress cracking around the wound, which makes me think it was caught somewhere. If it bled, or she was stuck, that could have attracted pecking by other birds. It happens, they will often get caught on fencing or wire trying to get to something on the other side.

 

[Jenny Loves Chickies]

It's possible, but there looks to be some tiny stress cracking around the wound, which makes me think it was caught somewhere. If it bled, or she was stuck, that could have attracted pecking by other birds. It happens, they will often get caught on fencing or wire trying to get to something on the other side.

That makes perfect sense! I went back out to check on her and noticed some fresh blood, so I put some vetricin and Blue kote on it with a q tip so I didn’t get it in her eye, she is so sweet and knew exactly what I was doing. I didn’t even have to hold her. My poor girl