Swollen eye ( pic )

[KKelli]

My chicken has a swollen eye on one side I don’t know if it is an injury or a illness . The tail feather is also messed up so I don’t know if the chick is being picked on and maybe someone got his eye. I got some“ pick no more spray“ to spray on his tail . He is still eating and drinking but the eye has been swollen for 3 days and is a little red . It seems like it’s the upper eye lid

. I call him “ him “ bc he has the fastest growing comb out of the six chicks but I don’t have any other indications if this chick or any of the other are male or female. No spurs yet. and I don’t ever see them picking on each other.
thank you

 

[birdsrfun]

How’s the eye, still swollen? How old are these chicks?

 

[KKelli]

How’s the eye, still swollen? How old are these chicks?

Hi they are prob about 12/13 weeks now. They didn’t have an age when we got them, so that’s my estimate. It does look like his eye may be healing- but it still looks a little puffy on the top lid. I believe it may had been a injury rather then Illness since it seems to be slowly getting better . Thanks for asking

 

[birdsrfun]

It may have been a peck from another bird, it could have gotten poked by something, or it could have gotten something in its eye that inflamed it. Glad to hear it’s getting better.

 

[birdsrfun]

At 12 to 13 weeks, do you have a better idea of their gender?

 

[KKelli]

It may have been a peck from another bird, it could have gotten poked by something, or it could have gotten something in its eye that inflamed it. Glad to hear it’s getting better.

No My husband says they all seem to be hens in his opinion bc “they are not displaying any rooster traits” In my reading I saw they may not develop such traits until 18 weeks . I have never had chicks so I was looking for basic things like spurs and aggressive behaviors. No spurs on anyone but there are three that like to run and chest/beak bump each other.

 

[birdsrfun]

Hens can do this behavior as well. At 12 to 13 weeks, I would think the pecking order is well established, but things can change. If they use their feet, then you may have cockerel, but I’ve read others say that their hens have done that too.

Look for long, thin hackle feathers of the neck, the long curved sickle feathers of the tail, and long, pointy saddle feathers in front of the tail. This will tell you if you have a future rooster.

Also, look for a cushion of feathers on top of the back before the tail. Looks like a pin cushion. Hens have these, although not every breed has this trait. I’m not sure what breeds you have. I have a Barred Rock who has a big cushion, although the breed is not supposed to have them, so you never know.