New to chickens - Chickens Have Droopy & Watery Eyes - w/ PHOTOS

[BobDylan]

I've had these three chicks for about a month now, they're all about 6 weeks old. One Rhode Island Red, one black australorp, and one gold laced wyandotte.

About a week ago, my brother noticed the australorp had a droopy eye. I did notice that she had it closed quite a bit, but she didn't seem sick. But after a bit, it was pretty clear that something was wrong with her eyes. Same thing on one eye of the wyandotte as well. I also noticed that they had a little mucous coming out of their nostrils. We thought it was CRD so I started them on a 800mg solution of duramycin-10 immediately.

It's about a week later and they seem ok, but the australorp is a little sluggish and their eyes are still droopy.

How do they look? If it is CRD, how soon should they clear up? Any thoughts suggestions or alternative theories would be welcome.

Hi to brother/nephew if you are reading this...

 

[PunkinPeep]

Hi and Welcome to BYC!

If it is CRD, there is not a cure. You might be able to quell the symptoms with antibiotics, but they will always be carriers - and contagious. My best advice is to cull, now - and disinfect their habitat.

The best way to know for sure what you're dealing with is with testing by possibly a state vet.

I'm very sorry.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

There seems to be a virus going around that is causing these symptoms. It generally appears in one eye and causes nasal drainage. We have seen good results, with the people we know that their birds are suffering from this, by treating with Amoxicillin. It is available as "Fish Mox" which is a 200mg Amoxicillin capsule that you break open and mix the contents with their favorite treat. If you can't find it locally, you can check our web site as we do have it available.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

One question...Have any of them ever stretched out their necks and opened their mouths like they are gaping? Do they make sneezy/coughing like sounds?

If so I seriously believe you have a case of MG...

Courtesy of SouthernBelle in another post on the same subject with a different bird :

Mycoplasma (MG) is known to cause that bubbly eye and move on to coughing and snot-slinging. MG is one of the diseases that will make a bird a carrier for life. If your flock gets MG and you don't care to isolate and cull, you need to close your flock and not sell birds or hatching eggs because any birds you sell could pass it on and it can be passed from hen to egg.


What you are describing definately sounds like MG... puffy bubbly/fizzy eyes, nasal drainage and multiple birds having same symptoms but seem to be getting better....sounds like MG...I've ran into the disease before and honestly if you got your chickens for meat and eggs I would say cull as MG infected birds even when the active infection has passed when they become 'carriers' they lay very poorly...Also any new birds you introduce to your home will become infected as well...

If these are simply pets and eggs do not matter - give them a solid 10 days of antibiotics do not eat any eggs during treatment and for 2 weeks after last day of treatment.

I just want to wisely advice you that your birds will probably get over this (except maybe the bubbly eye - that can stick around after all other symptoms are past) and seem perfectly fine, but they will carry the disease in their bodies and shed it in their feces and dander to spread to any other birds that come in contact with it...So any new birds will likely contract the disease upon coming onto your property and will likely get actively sick with the symptoms...Chicks are more likely to die from respitory illnesses like MG, so I would never add new young chicks to your existing flock in the future.

MG carriers can live perfectly normal chicken lives, however sometimes the symptoms of the disease can crop back up from time to time...



I only seriously stress that you are careful about where you go after you have had contact with your birds...I want to advise you if you go somewhere with other chickens or poultry to not wear shoes to wear in your chicken pen, and change clothes if you've handled your chickens and going to another location...This is to protect someone else's animals from contracting what yours have.

Good luck

 

[BobDylan]

Thanks for the responses.

So if it's CRD or MG, the symptoms might improve, but they will always be contagious?

The only reason I got these chicks was for eggs...if they visually improve, and live a happy and otherwise healthy life, is it not safe to eat the eggs?

Obviously culling would be my last option, but if there is a reason not to eat the eggs, I would consider it.

I just transferred them to the new coop, I wish I would have looked into this prior to contaminating it...

 

[BobDylan]

After reviewing some information, it seems that MG and CRD are the same thing, correct?

At this point, the only outward symptom that my chicks have that matches up with MG/CRD is the nasal discharge. The eyes are droopy, as you can see, but there is no discharge from the eyes at all..."foamy" or otherwise.

They don't appear to be coughing or wheezing or sneezing either.

I'll look into that virus and continue to monitor.

Thanks again.

 

[rfuzzybuttpoult]

did you ever find out what this eye problem is???

 

[Chicken gurl]

I have a couple of chickens having the same symptoms. Have you found anything that works?

 

[BrikkleBeak]

I have a mottled Houdan....he didn't always have an issue with his eye....it kinda just appeared....the eyeball is still there...it is just one eye...it is weepy...no snot or nasal issues....i put antibiotic ointment in the eye...my black polish hen has no symptoms. ..

I have a couple pictures. ..but i can figure out how to put them on here...