Rooster eye swollen shut sluggish

[hollyclark04]

Hi All,

I have a rooster with an eye swollen shut. I can't tell if it is injury or illness. He is still eating but I noticed recently he is slowing down. He will stand still and slowly sink his head into his body and close his one good eye. Please send suggestions! I am still fairly new to backyard chickens and have yet to have an illness or injury that required my intervention. My rooster is Froghorn and he is roughly three years old.

 

[Lilorp14]

It looks infected to me. Catch him and get a better look and/or picture. If there's bubbly liquid, pus, or yellow crust, you should buy a little tube of terramycin. You can get it at a feed store. Clean his eye out with water until you have a clear-looking eye and then swipe a glob of it over the eye. Check how he's doing in a day or so. Usually mine clear up with just one treatment. If not, repeat treatment and then check a few days later. Hope this helps

 

[AltonaAcres]

Welcome! I had a rooster with the exact same symptoms. His eye was full of liquid. I brought him to the vet, and the vet said it was caused by MG (He took a sample of he liquid). He gave me some eye drops, but they did not work at all. The eye got better and worse over and over again, for about 2 months, then finally, about 2 weeks ago, his eye went down, and he is now fully recovered. Good luck with your pretty roo!

 

[hollyclark04]

It looks infected to me. Catch him and get a better look and/or picture. If there's bubbly liquid, pus, or yellow crust, you should buy a little tube of terramycin. You can get it at a feed store. Clean his eye out with water until you have a clear-looking eye and then swipe a glob of it over the eye. Check how he's doing in a day or so. Usually mine clear up with just one treatment. If not, repeat treatment and then check a few days later. Hope this helps

Thank you very much! I will catch him and try the warm water and terramycin.

 

[hollyclark04]

Welcome! I had a rooster with the exact same symptoms. His eye was full of liquid. I brought him to the vet, and the vet said it was caused by MG (He took a sample of he liquid). He gave me some eye drops, but they did not work at all. The eye got better and worse over and over again, for about 2 months, then finally, about 2 weeks ago, his eye went down, and he is now fully recovered. Good luck with your pretty roo!

Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi All,

I have a rooster with an eye swollen shut. I can't tell if it is injury or illness. He is still eating but I noticed recently he is slowing down. He will stand still and slowly sink his head into his body and close his one good eye. Please send suggestions! I am still fairly new to backyard chickens and have yet to have an illness or injury that required my intervention. My rooster is Froghorn and he is roughly three years old.

I'm sorry that Froghorn is not well.
It's hard to see, does he have bubbles in the eyes or mucous in the nostrils?
Inside of the beak and throat is clear of mucous, canker or lesions?
I agree with the others, flush the eye (use saline or sterile water), press out/remove pus and apply an ophthalmic ointment.

The slowing down and slowly sinking the head into the body with eyes closed is concerning. He may have more going on than just a swollen eye.
Have you added any new chickens to your flock in the last 30 days?
Where are you located in the world (state/country)?

 

[Mom2eastereggers]

Welcome! I had a rooster with the exact same symptoms. His eye was full of liquid. I brought him to the vet, and the vet said it was caused by MG (He took a sample of he liquid). He gave me some eye drops, but they did not work at all. The eye got better and worse over and over again, for about 2 months, then finally, about 2 weeks ago, his eye went down, and he is now fully recovered. Good luck with your pretty roo!

 

[Mom2eastereggers]

What does MG stand for? My roos eye is all bubbly looking...I cleaned it out with warm water and Put some Neosporin on it..Will probably still go buy this Terramycin if this doesnt work for him.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What does MG stand for? My roos eye is all bubbly looking...I cleaned it out with warm water and Put some Neosporin on it..Will probably still go buy this Terramycin if this doesnt work for him.

MG = Mycoplasma gallisepticum which is a contagious respiratory disease that can be transmitted from bird-to-bird, in dust/dander and into the embryo of eggs. It makes birds carriers of the disease for life even if they recover from the illness. (and birds that are exposed to sick birds are considered carriers - even if they never become symptomatic)http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
@Mom2eastereggers if you have a sick rooster, you may want to start your own thread about him in the emergency forum so answers to you don't get confused to the original poster.

 

[Mom2eastereggers]

Oh no! Thank you for answering my Post..