Sick Hen got better but now Swollen Eyes that I cannot cure....

[rallyrabbit]

I've read through the forum, looked at pictures and decided to try and post.

Background, I am in year 2 of a backyard flock. I had 4 until spring and transferred them back to a friend. In March, I got 4 chicks from Tractor Supply and in May got 4 more (two ended up being roosters) and then merged to year old hens in during July.

In case it matters:

• 1 - White Leghorn (7 months)
• 2 - Olive Eggers (7 months)
• 1 - Bantham (5 months)
• 1 - Easter Egger (1 year)
• 1 - Wyandotte (7 months)

3 weeks ago, my Leghorn got a massively swollen face (one side), running "nose", sneezing, wheezing, coughing, lethargic. I isolated her, treated her with VetRx on the head. After a week of not getting better we tried UVL Biotic from Peru (where my wife is from). The hen perked up and seemed to be better except that her eye remained closed (2nd eyelid) though the swelling was down.

Since all this started, the days are getting shorted. But no hen is laying.

Now, I could not keep the flock isolated. Let her run around, she found the others and just hung out via the fence or if I had her penned up, the others found her. At that point, the whole isolating thing wasn't working.

Turn this around 3 days ago. The same eye started swelling up again and was super red. But the hen is otherwise fine. Foraging, eating, running, etc. I've been treating her with Terramycin. The redness went away, her eye is relatively open for the first time in weeks. But the swelling is still there.

Last night the Easter Egger had what appeared to be a runny eye and itching it so I started treating her too. Pictures of both are below AFTER I applied the Terramycin ointment.

What I know:

• I've cleaned out the coop twice a week since all this started happening
• The eyes do not have a smell
• I do not see any worms in the droppings
• I don't see any hen acting like there is gapeworm
• Eyes are crusty but not pussy
• None of the hens are coughing, sneezing, wheezing, etc as of now
• All hens are eating and foraging normally
• The eyes are not "foamy"

I need some opinions please, I am running out of ideas. What to make them better, how to get them to start laying again.

 

[Eggcessive]

Just to be clear, did you get the older chickens back from the friend, or add chicks from a person other than a feed store? It looks and sounds like a chronic respiratory disease such as MG (mycoplasma gallisepticum.) That can cause conjunctivitis and sinus infection. Testing could possibly confirm it. Tylosin powder added to the water 1 tsp per gallon of water for 5 days could help treat symptoms. Get it at Jedds.com online. Other meds use are Denagard, TiaGard, doxycycline and oxytetracycline. Continue cleaning the eye with something like saline or an eye wash, or wet compress, and applying the Terramycin ointment twice a day. Here is a good article to read:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

 

[rallyrabbit]

No, I got the birds from elsewhere. I did quarantine them before merging them.

So, if it is indeed mycoplasma gallisepticum, then that is it for the flock. From what I understand, egg production will never be the same and they are carriers for life.

 

[rallyrabbit]

A little update...

Easter Egger:
Day 2 of Terramycin and VetRX. No sweeling, no runny eyes. Seems ok.

Leghorn:
Day 4 of Treating with Terramycin and VetRX.
I'm on Day 18 of being sick total and Day 7 of this eye swelling.

Eye swelling is not getting worse, or better. It's no longer red, but it is hot to touch (inflammation). Eye is open at least, that a first in nearly 3 weeks.

Flock of 6:
No others with symptoms. Averaging 1 egg every 2 days.

 

[Strawberry74]

At this time of year your Easter egger is of age to be starting her first adult molt. The others could molt, some do and some don't their first fall. That's a big factor in egg production this time of year. If that's the case, you just have to wait out their molt and they will start up laying again. Always up their protein during molt as it takes a lot to regrow their feathers. You can also add vitamins to their water.

Have you tried collidial silver for the hens with swollen eyes? I used it before with good results.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is not the end of your flock if they have MG. It is common in some backyard chickens and wild birds. They can slow down laying, but not all chickens will even show symptoms. It just means that you should not give away or sell chickens or hatching eggs. It can spread through hatching eggs.

 

[rallyrabbit]

Well,

The easter egger is indeed molting. All the hens are better.

The Leghorn isn't 100% but, eye swelling is going down and 2 birds are laying again regularly.

So the flock may be on the mend.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad to hear they are improving.

 

[Strawberry74]

Well,

The easter egger is indeed molting. All the hens are better.

The Leghorn isn't 100% but, eye swelling is going down and 2 birds are laying again regularly.

So the flock may be on the mend.

Great! That's wonderful news!

 

[rallyrabbit]

Just simply because I hate searching a forum where a person posts of the problem but not the resolution.

The leghorn with the swollen eye us almost completely healed. It took about 4 weeks of VetRx and 2 weeks of Terramycin to kick whatever it was.

The leghorn and the easter egger ended up molting too. Otherwise all is back to normal.