Silkie chicks with swollen weepy eyes

[onmelissa]

This is the second batch of chicks that I got from a local farm. The first group has no issues, but these babies are sick. It started with one and seems to be going through the lot (3 silkies and a blue copper maran). Here's the tiny silkie. She rarely even opens her eyes and I've been dripping water on her beak every few hours. She just stands in a corner.

And here's an older silkie...I noticed it in her eyes first. And I just noticed some bubbles in the corner of her eye, but she blinked them away before I could take a picture.

Help!



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[lightchick]

I did not write this.

A warm water compress (in this case made with scraps of a clean old T-shirt so you can keep using clean scraps) is almos always a good place to start with eye troubles. There is an heb called "eyebright". I'll quote info from an herb book that I've found invaluable: "EYEBRIGHT (Euphrasia officinalis. Scrophulariaceae) The plant is plentiful in pastures and meadows. Distinguished by its tiny growth. and miniature, solitary, white flowerets, tinged with purple, and marked with a yellow eye. The name of the plant is derived from its remarkable eye restorative powers even curing blindness in many cases. The whole plant is also nervine, tonic, and astringent. Its use is both external and internal, strengthening greatly the eye nerves when so used. The high potassium and sulfur content of the plant make it also of value in treatment of gastric ailments, especially insufficiency of gastric juices. USE; tREATMENT OF WEAK AND INFLAMED EYES, KERATITIS, CONJUNCTIVITIS, ULCERS. Also all gastric disorders.
DOSE: One handful brewed in one pint of water. Give internally in morning and night. Use the brew also for external bathing of the eyes"
(From "The Complete Herbal Handbook of Farm and Stable" by Juliette de Baircli Levy) I've tried the brew as an eyewash on a rooster with one blind eye (due to injury) and an injured other eye. He was essentially blind, and the second eye conpletely recovered. Of course, I also used Terramycin ointment, so there's no telling what actually worked in his case. I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong if you can find eyebright. If no fresh herbs are available, check an herb store. Good luck.
Go to this link.
http://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-eye.html

 

[subhanalah]

What kind of advice do you want? I'm afraid you won't like mine.

 

[Rocky Rhodes]

What kind of advice do you want? I'm afraid you won't like mine.

I've had this problem before and it never ends good when young birds are involved, but I would like to hear your advice. I think I know what it's gonna be.

 

[subhanalah]

Cull these birds and those kept with them. Sterilize everything and wear different shoes/clothes than with the rest of your flock.

Take a shower before going back to your flock.

Hopefully it hasn't spread.

 

[JJSS89]

Coryza. Kill them all. So sorry.

 

[subhanalah]

Well if the whole flock is infected, you may want to look into it a little deeper. But the sooner those sick birds are gone, the more time it'll buy you.

 

[keesmom]

Cull these birds and those kept with them. Sterilize everything and wear different shoes/clothes than with the rest of your flock.

Take a shower before going back to your flock.

Hopefully it hasn't spread.

Ditto. It could be one of a number of respiratory illnesses all of which are very contagious, and will leave your birds carriers for life.

 

[JJSS89]

To clarify I meant cull the new birds with the symptoms. You do not want to deal with this forever.

I hate to be "scorched earth" but it is exactly what I would do.

 

[onmelissa]

What about the other group that I got from the same guy? Would they be infected, too?