New to Sick Chickens - Broody Hen with Closed Eyes

[HomeMom]

I have had my five free-range chickens since last September (1 year, wow!). This is my first experience with a sick chicken and I'm clueless. It is my sex-linked Buff Orpington who started being broody-acting off and on at about six months old or so. She had been what I thought being broody the past 2-4 days, and when I looked more closely at her today, she looked bad. One eye seems not just closed, but gone, and the other can barely open. When I checked her over, there seems to be feathers missing in the front. Her waddle and such are all shrunk up and she seems to have patches missing around her face. Where do I begin?

 

[HomeMom]

Could it be that she got pecked up by the other chickens since she was brooding in the coop and it's really only big enough for the five of them?

 

[Eggcessive]

Try opening her right eye--it still may be there after swelling goes down. She looks like she may have a respiratory infection with the swollen eyes and face. Check her all over for any mites or lice. She has been pecked as it looks from the blood on her comb and marks. Does she have any chest rattles, noisy breathing, or sneezing? Does she smell bad? I would get some Tylan 50 injection, along with a syringe and needle, and give her 1 ml orally daily for 5 days. If you could give injections it would work even better, into the breast muscle. Here is a list of common diseases, and look at MG, coryza, ILT, and infectious bronchitis: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[HomeMom]

She doesn't act any differently. She still puffed up like when she's broody when I come near her and she still makes her broody clucks at me. I don't hear any respiratory differences. I'm not sure if she's eating or drinking, especially when she was in the coop. She did do a little moving of her bill when I stuck it in some yogurt. She seems annoyed with me more than anything. Thank you so much for your thoughts and feedback. I'll see about trying to get her right eye open. No smell, either. Now that I separated her, I'll also be watching for her poo, too.

 

[HomeMom]

Oh YAY! I just went to check on her and both eyes are fully open! She's still acting very broody so to make her feel better, I put an egg in with her to see if she'll settle down in the new location I moved her. She hasn't been happy about that. I'm starting to think that the others pecked at her. It was the first time she was broody in the coop instead of outside of it.

 

[HomeMom]

She seemed like she wanted out, so I put her where the outdoor food and water is and she immediately started to drink. The other chickens came to join her and she dodged them a few times, so she is definitely wary of them. She then went free ranging with them, acting normal, but cautious of them. I think I have my answer. I guess I should keep her in a separate place at night?