Sick Chicken

[hopeelizabeth]

I have a three year old rooster with a closed eye for about one day. Now that I opened it and looked at it its not pussy but it's simply white there's no crust around it and he seems to be acting ok other than the fact he can't see thanks for any help you can give

 

[wyandottegirl]

Is is eye a foggy white? Is he moving around, eating and drinking?

 

[hopeelizabeth]

Its not foggy its a yellow white color and I can't see any eye. He is eating and drinking just very slowly and droggy.

 

[wyandottegirl]

It might be that he is just getting old but at three years I wouldn't think so. What was the color of his eye before?

 

[MrsBrooke]

A better picture of his eye would help, if possible.

If he's got a yellow, cheesy substance in his eye socket, he's got an infection. Could have gotten scratched or an irritant made its way in. Chicken puss is a harder consistency than mammal puss. It's more like cheese than mucous.

Anyway.

You've got to get the puss out. Take some tweezers and start picking at it. It may take some doing, and be slow and gentle, but you should find that you're able to get it out. Soak some cotton balls with some warm saline water to soften it as you go. It's probably putting pressure on his eye and causing discomfort. If anything starts bleeding, let the bleeding stop, give him a break for a while, then try again.

I would isolate him for a few days and do my best to *carefully* dig the gunk out. Be on the lookout for any signs of respiratory distress.

You can do it!

MrsB

 

[hopeelizabeth]

It was a yellow green. Could it be a respiratory problem or something that could spread?

 

[MrsBrooke]

It was a yellow green. Could it be a respiratory problem or something that could spread?

Since we don't know that yet, it's best to isolate him immediately until a diagnosis can be made.

If it's NOT contagious, that's great, and we've dodged a bullet.

If it turns out to be respiratory, it's best to get him AWAY from the flock as soon as possible. Like, yesterday-as-soon-as-possible. Respiratory diseases, while treatable, are not curable. Surviving birds are carriers for life and can infect other flock members, even without showing symptoms.

Do you hear any wheezing, coughing, sneezing, or see any other discharge from the mouth or nose? Does his head smell bad? How are his poops?

MrsB

 

[hopeelizabeth]

Thanks my dad and I cleaned his eye and got all the guck out. He said the eye is definitely in their and we cleaned it out with saline too.

 

[hopeelizabeth]

He doesn't smell and isn't discharging anything and I haven't noticed any change in poops either.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Keep him isolated and if any more puss or any other respiratory sypmtoms appear, I'd clean it out and go to Tractor Supply and get some Tylan 50 injectable - tetracycline/antibiotic, white box with red letters on it in the cattle section. You'll need needles (for drawing medication) and syringes (more measuring).

You give it orally, no shots needed.

I'll have to look up the dosing information tomorrow, or you can search this site. There are many links on it here.

I hope his eye stays clear!

MrsB