New Baby Chick w/2 Bulging, Swollen Eyes...PICS included

[FluffyChic]

What do I do? I bought some blue and splash Jersey Giant chicks last night, and the seller threw this little guy in for free-he didn't seem to be doing ok and didn't know if he would make it over night. He said he just hatched out, can't be over a couple days old-but definitely seems smaller compared to the other HEALTHY JG's. I'm just praying this is not contagious and won't spread something to the others.

Symptoms:
Both eyes are bulged out
Will open them but not for long
No drainage
When eyes are open, they look bluish tint-almost like a blind eye would look
Stumbles around
Seems to have trouble finding food and water
Chirps LOUDLY ALOT-just standing there chirping.

What do I do? Anyone heard of this? I've searched the old files on here and can't seem to find any answers. I cannot afford to take him to a vet, but I also want to give him the benefit of the doubt.
He will sleep a little but, others seem to be sleeping and he is just chirping away-like he's hurt or something?? Do I cull him, or should I wait for him to go on his own...I just don't want him to suffer. This is the first experience I've had w/a sick chick.

Trying to attach a pic:

He is the one to the far right hand lower corner:

sorry, not sure how clear these will be:

 

[untamed_spirit]

Poor little guy

It is of my experience hatching chicks, once their little eyes close up, its never a good sign. Certainly the only time I've had chicks with closed eyes come back was just simply they got too cold, so I warmed them up. Any that have been runty have normally perished

Sorry I couldn't be more help

 

[kimb]

I'd start with trying to flush them out with saline solutin (if you have an eye dropper or a syringe just a drop or 2 in the eye and a cotton swab w/ saline around the eye lid to loosen/clean up any debris).


I have an older chick 17 weeks that came down with very swollen eyes too - after a week they've finally started to come down with a recommended mixture of tylan 50 and saline solution (1:4) ... 1 drop in each eye 2x a day.

Good luck - I hope it pulls through !

 

[FluffyChic]

This little guy doesn't seem to be getting much better...I've been feeding him a little sugar water w/a syringe and letting some of our medicated starter food dissolve into it. He will not eat on his own or drink on his own, seems very disoriented stil. Just stands there chirping LOUDLY, doesn't even lay down to sleep very much like the others. He has no debri near his eyes, he opens them a little, but still seems very listless, tiny and I could blow him over w/ a feather

I'm really wishing I told the guy that threw him in my box, not too...he said, "not sure if he'll make it...but I'll throw him in for free"

I should have spoke up and said I didn't want him. I know it's just part of raising chickens...but I really don't want to have to make the decision to cull him or to make him suffer is even worse.


PLEASE HELP!

 

[dmdhart]

Try giving him some Poly vi sol (infant vitamins - without iron) This past fall I had some very very sick peeps and it really helped. I put a drop or 2 over the nose holes and they swallowed it. I also mixed some powdered electrolytes in water and gave it to them. The ones that I had with the swollen eyes I put neosporin in their eyes and it helped a lot.
I hope that you can pull him through this.

 

[PeepsInc]

I know it's a hard decision, but culling it is the best thing you could do. It's sufferiing, and could make your others sick. You cant save them all. Good luck.

 

[chickfan]

I had a young silkie that was hatched by us in an incubator. When she was young...maybe 2 weeks, one eye became swollen and mostly shut. I was very lucky to have some Neosporin Ophthalmic that we had gotten for our horse. You don't want to use the OTC neosporin like we use on ourselves, for they eye. If you have a vet that you use for your animals, he/she might be willing to sell you some of this. made especially for the eyes.
I made a dilute water/salt solution, and would dip a Q-tip in this and wash the eye out with the Q-tip. Then I would use another Q-tip to put the ointment in her eye. I did this 2-3 times a day. I was quite surprised, actually, when it worked and the eye healed. I kept her separated from the others for several weeks, because I didn't want to take a chance at spreading her infection around.
It wouldn't hurt to try this. I'm sorry I have no advice about what other problems your chick might be having, but I wanted to mention this method I used for the eye, that worked. Your little chick might have been born with this problem, which might be a totally different thing.

 

[darkfur]

Definitely isolate it. I know it sounds weird but if you can't get antibiotics, I have seen really good results with cold chamomile tea used to bathe birds' eyes. Just make sure no other bird gets sick and you may need to learn how to feed it - dripping food drop by drop into its beak (in the front onto the tongue) and waiting for it to swallow it is safer than crop feeding if you aren't experienced in feeding little birds.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Not sure about in chickens but I know in other animals like dogs they can have deformed skulls where the eye sockets are too small that the eyes bulge out and cause pain. Could have internal swelling. Sorry I don't know of a definite or a treatment.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Funny, my mom always treated animal eyes with chamomile tea. Every time I see an eye thing, I think about it. Gotta buy some!

If the chick is blind, he'll starve. He may be chirping because he's hungry or thirsty.