Something's wrong with my hens' eye

[SBC]

This morning we noticed one of the hens has a large hard bulge between her eye and beak . Her eye is watering. We've rinsed it with saline, but we're not sure what's wrong with it. Any ideas?

I have a photo, but can't seem to get it inserted into this post. If you can help, please email me. Thanks! Stephanie

 

[purpletree23]

Sounds like an infection. Can you arrange to take her to a vet? She might need antibiotics and the infection drained.

 

[threehorses]

What is your hen eating daily, exactly, and how old is she? The place where the bulge is likely is the sinus leading to the cleft in the roof of her beak. A bulge can be pus that has hardened. (Pus, in chickens, is more cheesy than runny.) Usually if there's a 'pea' up in there, the skin is slit (by a vet) and the cheesy pea is removed - the area flushed, etc.

Or it could be where her tear duct has clogged with dust. I would use VetRx (diluted 1/2 and 1/2 with water) to swab the roof of her mouth, try to continue and flush her eye with some sterile eye saline daily. Soak the qtip in the VetRx and press into the roof of the mouth. That presses it into the sinus that is clogged. Pressing that can actually press the VetRx (and pus) out of the eye tear duct. That should help reduce irritation, increase air flow, help treat the area (non-medicinally) of her sinus under the blockage to help reduce the chances of infection there.

Terramycin ophthalmic (eye) ointment from the feed store (behind the counter usually) used 10 minutes after the saline wash might help. You apply a little less than 1/8th of a ribbon in the eye. This is sometimes used for eyeworm which also cause the same symptom you've described and is more prevalent in the south.

I would also give her cod liver oil twice weekly for 2 weeks as this sometimes happens with a vitamin A deficiency. Only give 2 drops from an oil capsule directly in the beak twice weekly, or use liquid cod liver oil and spray on the feed (all your birds can get it) twice weekly using a hand-held sprayer.

I wouldn't give a systemic antibiotic yet as there's no sign of a respiratory infection for sure yet - this could still be environmental, etc.