Puffy Eye on Chicken

[AlsethAcres]

Hello! My just over 1 year old Buff Orpington is on day three of having a puffy eye and swollen tissue around the eye. Her actual eye looks fine and she is still able to open it. There is no fluid, bubbles, or build up of any kind and it is only the one eye. She is still eating, drinking, and laying eggs. Today she is isolating more from the flock and sleeping a bit more than usual, but also has always been at the bottom of the pecking order even before this and is getting bullied more now. She is usually a free range bird but, we have created a little sanctuary space for her to avoid bullying and are treating her with an antibiotic eye cream.

Any ideas what this might be? Is it an injury or internal issue of some kind? Should we up or game and get antibiotics? Please advise. THANK YOU!

 

[coach723]

It could be from injury or getting debris in the eye, could be a respiratory virus like MG or coryza, could be a sting or bite from some kind of insect. I would continue to check the eye, make sure there is no pus in there. Chicken pus is firm, not liquid, so if any forms it needs to be manually removed for the ointment to do any good. I would continue to watch for any signs of respiratory symptoms. A couple of video's below on removing pus from a chickens eye, in case it's needed, apologies, they are graphic.

 

[Eggcessive]

If there is no sign of a peck or sting, or a foreign body in the eye, I might try and get my regular vet to prescribe some Tylosin or a similar antibiotic to treat mycoplasma (MG) symptoms. Also continue the plain antibiotic ointment twice a day. You can sometimes find Tylosin, doxycycline online at pigeon sites to treat in the water.