Hen with hurt eye? Please help!!

[BamburghFarms]

I noticed this morning that one of our hens has a sore eye. Her other eye is fine and she has no other symptoms but she can’t see out of it. None of the other flock members are sick or injured. We are chicken newbies, can anyone tell us what’s wrong with her eye and what we can do to help her? I’ve separated her just in case it’s something contagious but I want to make sure that she is okay. — feeling concerned with Rob Dunn.

 

[coach723]

She may have been pecked or have gotten some debris in the eye. Use some warm, moist compresses on it to try to loosen up any dried gunk so it can open better, then flush the eye really well with sterile saline or veterycin eye wash. If there is any pus in there, do your best to get it all removed. chicken pus is very firm and white or pale yellowish, kind of cheesy like. Then you can use terramycin eye ointment (many feed stores/tractor supply carry it in most states), or if you can't get that you can use plain neosporin, twice a day.

 

[BamburghFarms]

She may have been pecked or have gotten some debris in the eye. Use some warm, moist compresses on it to try to loosen up any dried gunk so it can open better, then flush the eye really well with sterile saline or veterycin eye wash. If there is any pus in there, do your best to get it all removed. chicken pus is very firm and white or pale yellowish, kind of cheesy like. Then you can use terramycin eye ointment (many feed stores/tractor supply carry it in most states), or if you can't get that you can use plain neosporin, twice a day.
View attachment 1615149

Awesome thank you for the info! How many days should we put the ointment on her eye? Just until it looks normal? Should I keep her separated from the flock until it’s better or is it better to not do that?

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

I would recommend separating her until the eye is healed, mainly because if they have been pecking her, they are likely to peck it while it heals.

 

[coach723]

I usually use the ointment for up to 5 days, once the eye looks good and then a day or two longer to make sure it's good. If you don't see improvement after a day or two you may need to flush the eye out again and take another look. Sometimes stuff can really get in there and you may not see it while there is swelling. I would keep her separated also, until I knew she was feeling and seeing better, so that she's not picked on. If she's stressed being separated, then putting her in a wire crate inside the run with the others, with her own food and water, can keep her safe while keeping the stress down.

 

[BamburghFarms]

She may have been pecked or have gotten some debris in the eye. Use some warm, moist compresses on it to try to loosen up any dried gunk so it can open better, then flush the eye really well with sterile saline or veterycin eye wash. If there is any pus in there, do your best to get it all removed. chicken pus is very firm and white or pale yellowish, kind of cheesy like. Then you can use terramycin eye ointment (many feed stores/tractor supply carry it in most states), or if you can't get that you can use plain neosporin, twice a day.
View attachment 1615149

Awesome thank you for the info! How many days should we put the ointment on her eye? Just until it looks normal? Should I keep her separated from the flock

I usually use the ointment for up to 5 days, once the eye looks good and then a day or two longer to make sure it's good. If you don't see improvement after a day or two you may need to flush the eye out again and take another look. Sometimes stuff can really get in there and you may not see it while there is swelling. I would keep her separated also, until I knew she was feeling and seeing better, so that she's not picked on. If she's stressed being separated, then putting her in a wire crate inside the run with the others, with her own food and water, can keep her safe while keeping the stress down.

Thank you! Any tips to keep her head still enough to really wipe at the eye? She goes nuts and I don’t want to break her neck trying to hold her head still while my husband holds her and I try to wipe the eye. I’ve done a warm wash cloth and Neosporin for 3 days with no improvement.

 

[coach723]

Have you been able to get the eye completely open and look at it real good? Is it injury?
I usually use terramycin and 5 or 6 days usually does it, if you are getting it in the eye well. I would wrap her in a towel to hold her wings in. I usually lay them on their back and if I need help my hubby holds them while I use both hands. Most of them tend to be a bit calmer that way. If you can flush the eye a couple of times a day, and then put in the medication that may help as it will clear out any gunk better before the meds go in. Make sure you look under the lids well and make sure there is no pus in there, that will have to come out before it will start to heal, and if there is some debris stuck in there, the pus may encapsulate it.
If you don't get any improvement then you may need to bump up to terramycin, or even this: https://www.vetrxdirect.com/product...MI65268OSs3wIVCoTICh0ayAU7EAQYAyABEgJgg_D_BwE
but the cipro will require a RX from a vet. If you don't see any improvement then if you have a vet option, it may be best to do that.

 

[BamburghFarms]

Thanks guys! She is all better and back in with the flock and doing well. Took her a day or two to get her place back in the pecking order but her attitude is what got her pecked in the eye to begin with so she has quickly made the climb back up lol. We used Neosporin in her eye bc I had it on hand and it took a little longer but it worked great in the end.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for the update!

 

[coach723]

Thanks for the update! Glad she's recovered!