Possible Eye Injury? Please help with advice if you can!

[KayC2016]

Hi everyone...can you please take a look at this picture....my hen has one eye that she keeps closed although she can open it somewhat, the other will close occasionally but not like this one. I don't know if it is an injury or a disease that I am not familiar with. I've seen pics on the website that look familiar, but I couldn't really find what was said the cause was. I've been cleaning with saline wash and putting ointment on it but it's not getting any better. She lays around a bit but not overly so and she is eating and drinking. Please...any ideas?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi everyone...can you please take a look at this picture....my hen has one eye that she keeps closed although she can open it somewhat, the other will close occasionally but not like this one. I don't know if it is an injury or a disease that I am not familiar with. I've seen pics on the website that look familiar, but I couldn't really find what was said the cause was. I've been cleaning with saline wash and putting ointment on it but it's not getting any better. She lays around a bit but not overly so and she is eating and drinking. Please...any ideas?

I'm sorry but I don't see a photo.

Any sign of injury to the eye - like a pecking wound?
Does she have any other symptoms - coughing, sneezing, wheezing, runny nose?
Is there a discharge from the eye or does it have any pus in it?

It sounds like you are doing the right thing-flushing the eye with saline and applying eye ointment.

 

[KayC2016]

Thank you for replying! I will try again to get the picture posted...no puss, maybe a little swollen but not alarmingly so. No breathing problems, nothing. She is being picked on, so I'm going to be pulling her out. She is one of the first that I got (i'm a newbie) and I so don't want to lose her!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If she is being picked on, then most likely she could have been pecked in the eye.

I'm sure you have taken a close look to see if there is any debris in the eye. Continue to flush it, you can apply some Vetericyn Eye Gel or Terramycin Eye Ointment in the eye.

For bullying, place her where she can be seen by the others. But sometimes it may work better to separate the offender if it is just one chicken picking on her.

 

[KayC2016]

Thank you so much! I've looked and haven't seen anything but it's hard to get her to open it up, I've just been flushing daily....how many times a day should I put the ointment in her eye do you think? I really don't want to lose her as she was one of the first hens that I got and am really attached to her. :-(

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can put the ointment in once a day.

Does she lay eggs?
Is she still somewhat lethargic?


Offer her some poultry vitamins in her water for a couple of days and some extra protein like egg, tuna, mackerel or meat.

 

[KayC2016]

No she hasn't even started laying yet...still a little young. She lays around a little but I think it's more she is just staying out of everyone else's way. Awesome! I will do that and go Tractor Supply for some vitamins. Thank you so much for helping me....You all are such great resources!!!

 

[KayC2016]

By the way....my husband and I just moved back from North Carolina....Harrisburg....we miss it!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You're welcome

We are in the mountains of NC, have always lived here, can't imagine anywhere else.