Hens with swollen eye. HELP please!

[EastForkFox]

about a week ago one of my hens was acting a little lethargic and keeping her one eye closed. I kept her separated from the other hens for a few days and when she seemed to get better put her back in the coop. But now I have three or four Birds with the same problem. The only symptoms they have are acting lethargic and having the swollen closed eyes no coughing no sneezing no smell. I live near the North Dakota,Canadian border so I didn't think it was possible it could be eye worm, but I just don't know what it is,and the vets around here don't have much to do with chickens. If this is some sort of infectious disease I will be forced to cull all of the chickens.but I want to be sure obviously before I take drastic actions. My issue is I have 50 to 60 Birds and all of them have been pretty much hand raised so this would be very devastating. Any help that you all can give me would be greatly appreciated

 

[teaton]

Have you tried antibiotics? Terramyicin is good antibiotic and usually easy to get at any feed store, you just add it to Thier water. chickens close Thier eyes when they have respitory infections too. You could try treating the infection rather than killing them. And make sure you seperate the sick ones and clean the coop thoroughly, and change out food and water dishes. Have you researched Mareks? Make sure that's not what you have first.
Here's some links.

http://m.dummies.com/how-to/content/respiratory-illness-in-chickens.html


https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[EastForkFox]

We just started with the round of antibiotics in the water as well as electrolytes. And we have the 5 sick girls in a separate space, and the hen that started with the illness seems to be getting better. eye is open, and no clear fluid coming out. Coop is completely cleaned out. I don't want to have to kill any of them, that was just the advice given to me by others if they have an kind of illness that they then become a carrier of. These girls are my whole world, it is driving me batty with worry as to what is wrong. I researched many different diseases, and a lot of them kinda fit, but not completely. I'm going to ask my vet if they can at least run a blood test on one sick bird to see if they get anything.

 

[EastForkFox]

Question, How long do we have to hold back from eating the eggs while the chickens are on the antibiotic, and after they are done as well.

 

[teaton]

2 weeks

 

[teaton]

But so it's not a complete waste you can scramble the eggs and feed it to them, that's what I do.