One of our young hens (approx. 3 mos. old) has something very strange going on with her. I have researched the different common chicken diseases and this doesn't really fit any of the more common ones I read about. Basically, this is what has happened:
About 3 weeks ago, one week after we got her home, her eye swelled up like she had been stung by something. I watched it for a couple of days and when it didn't get any better, I removed her from the flock in case it was more than a bee sting and possibly contagious. The swollen places started to get little bloody spots on them. They were not black or warty looking, just red and a little bloody. I was already treating a broken leg hen so I added this one to my daily routine with a daily dose of Baytril and I also added an antibiotic ointment for the eye and surrounding area. Her comb also developed a small area that did the same thing. However, after the round of antibiotics, the bloody places seemed to dry up and didn't get any worse. For a week following the treatment, she didn't get better, but she didn't get any worse. Then we went on vacation and when we came home, her eye had completely closed, the sore on her comb covers half of it now and I believe I see a tiny spot beginning in the corner of her "good" eye.
She has a great appetite and is still very active. She has always been and is still a very sweet little bird. I don't know if this matters, but she has not grown quite as much as the other two that we got when we got her which were the same size. Also, judging from where they came from, I seriously doubt that they were ever vaccinated for anything.
As you can see in this picture, her eye is not really swollen anymore, and there is not much of a sore there anymore, but it's almost like her eye has grown together closed...
This is the other side where it looks like it may be starting on her other eye.
You all experienced chicken folks may even see something else wrong from the pics that I haven't noticed! I just don't know what to do from here. I really don't want any of my other birds to get whatever she has. That would be awful. Should I try another round of antibiotics? I don't want to cull her either if she can recover and not infect anybody else.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
~Shannon
About 3 weeks ago, one week after we got her home, her eye swelled up like she had been stung by something. I watched it for a couple of days and when it didn't get any better, I removed her from the flock in case it was more than a bee sting and possibly contagious. The swollen places started to get little bloody spots on them. They were not black or warty looking, just red and a little bloody. I was already treating a broken leg hen so I added this one to my daily routine with a daily dose of Baytril and I also added an antibiotic ointment for the eye and surrounding area. Her comb also developed a small area that did the same thing. However, after the round of antibiotics, the bloody places seemed to dry up and didn't get any worse. For a week following the treatment, she didn't get better, but she didn't get any worse. Then we went on vacation and when we came home, her eye had completely closed, the sore on her comb covers half of it now and I believe I see a tiny spot beginning in the corner of her "good" eye.
She has a great appetite and is still very active. She has always been and is still a very sweet little bird. I don't know if this matters, but she has not grown quite as much as the other two that we got when we got her which were the same size. Also, judging from where they came from, I seriously doubt that they were ever vaccinated for anything.
As you can see in this picture, her eye is not really swollen anymore, and there is not much of a sore there anymore, but it's almost like her eye has grown together closed...
This is the other side where it looks like it may be starting on her other eye.
You all experienced chicken folks may even see something else wrong from the pics that I haven't noticed! I just don't know what to do from here. I really don't want any of my other birds to get whatever she has. That would be awful. Should I try another round of antibiotics? I don't want to cull her either if she can recover and not infect anybody else.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
~Shannon
