Hen has bumpy eyelids, about closed

[Yankee chicken]

One of my hens has this crusty, bumpy looking stuff around eyelids. Eyes are almost closed. She is an older hen. I have never seen this before, has anyone saw this, or have any advice?

 

[azygous]

We can try to describe something with our words, but sometimes it's just not enough for a complete picture. So, how about posting a real picture of this hen and her bumpy, crusty eyes?

Tip - select the full size when adding the photo file.

 

[Yankee chicken]

We can try to describe something with our words, but sometimes it's just not enough for a complete picture. So, how about posting a real picture of this hen and her bumpy, crusty eyes?

Tip - select the full size when adding the photo file.

this is what she looks like

 

[azygous]

Looks like avian pox the wet variety. It's very contagious among chickens so if she's the only victim, isolate her. Wash your hands after handling her and before contacting the rest of the flock.

It's spread commonly by mosquitoes, but it can be caught from turkeys and other wild birds as well as on humans, though humans don't get it.

No cure, but you can help your hen by cleansing the lesions, pulling them away from eyes, and beak so she can see and eat and breathe better. I find Blu-kote helps hurry the clearing up of the lesions (keep out of the eyes), but in many cases the patient dies as the lesions spread inside the body.

There's more information here on treatment and prevention. https://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/taking-the-pain-out-of-fowl-pox

 

[Yankee chicken]

Looks like avian pox the wet variety. It's very contagious among chickens so if she's the only victim, isolate her. Wash your hands after handling her and before contacting the rest of the flock.

It's spread commonly by mosquitoes, but it can be caught from turkeys and other wild birds as well as on humans, though humans don't get it.

No cure, but you can help your hen by cleansing the lesions, pulling them away from eyes, and beak so she can see and eat and breathe better. I find Blu-kote helps hurry the clearing up of the lesions (keep out of the eyes), but in many cases the patient dies as the lesions spread inside the body.

There's more information here on treatment and prevention. https://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/taking-the-pain-out-of-fowl-pox

Thank you so much.

 

[Eggcessive]

To me that is dry fowl pox, but a very serious case. The main thing is to make sure that she gets enough to eat and drink during the several weeks she has pox. I would look inside the beak and throat for yellow spots or patches, which can be a symptom of the more severe wet or diphtheritic pox. You should not disturb the scabs since that can spread the virus, but you should use something in her eyes to flush them, and help treat any infection. Pox is a virus carried by mosquitoes, but the eyes can be affected with secondary bacterial infection. Cleaning or flushing can be done with saline eye drops or wash, and then I would apply some Terramycin eye ointment twice day. You can ask for it at feed stores. A vet can give you other eye drops or ointments instead that may be even better. Here is some reading about fowl pox:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/07/fowl-pox-prevention-treatment.html
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/fowlpox/fowlpox-in-chickens-and-turkeys