Swollen Wattle, crusted eye, lethargy

Elemes

Songster
Jul 26, 2016
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WV
My Coop
My Coop
my pullet is a Mottled Java, about 8 months old. She's exhibiting lethargy, aneorexia, swollen wattles and slow breathing. There is nothing in her crop. She has exhibited nasal discharge and fluid from the beak. Tail is drooped. This initial lethargy was noticed at 430pm and she didn't put herself to bed. A clicking sound is exhibited when she breathes occasionally. Comb and wattles are red. She is obviously uncomfortable.
I have a general over the counter powder antibiotic I've given her in a dropper. She smells slightly spoiled.
 
She feels a little light in the breastbone to undercarriage. There appear to be no other injuries.
 

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Is she sneezing, coughing, or having labored breathing? Those symptoms could be signs of coryza, especially if she has a bad odor from her face. Swollen wattles can also be seen in fowl cholera, but can be common in tick or insect bites, especially if it is sudden.But with the other symptoms, she sounds like she may have a respiratory infection. Most stronger antibiotics need to be obtained through a vet nowadays.
 
No sneezing or coughing. She doesn't sound like she's breathing with a wheeze, but it may be possible it's labored without sounding that way. I have 11 other birds who are currently asymptomatic for anything. They have had some mites, and tapeworm - but I monitor their poop daily and check their feathers and skin once a week. She certainly didn't have any issues this morning. She's in isolation tonight. Will see how she holds up. I forgot to mention she was hatched & raised here and no new birds have been introduced.
 
Well, I would consider giving her a half of a Benadryl tablet crushed into food or given in the back of her throat, to see if the swelling in the wattles decreases, in case of an insect, spider bite or sting. Look for any marks on wattles. Hopefully she will improve if she takes some fluids or electrolytes (chick ones, pedialyte, or gatorade.) I would keep an eye on her, and even consider a vet if a local one is familiar with chickens. Hopefully it is not coryza or fowl cholera, since those are usually reasons for culling. Let us know how she does. Tylan 50 injectable 1 ml given ORALLY or by injection twice a day for 5 days would be an antibiotic to try tomorrow if she is not better. Syringes with 18or 20 gauge needles would be required to get the medicine out of the vial, yand then remove the needle for oral administration. Sulfa antibiotics are usually given for fowl cholera symptoms, but have to come from a vet.
 
She seems in better spirit this AM. No decrease in condition. No appetite yet, either. Gave her some more fluids and electrolytes, and half a little Benadryl for the wattle-swelling. Will update again this eve.
 
If I am trying to tempt a sick chicken to eat, I will mix a thick soup of chicken feed, a tsp of plain yogurt, a raw or cooked egg, and water. If that doesn't work, then try a soft cooked or boiled egg, mashed. Fluids are important, so wet feed gets a lot into them.
 
Sorry to hear this. I had a bird die from similar symptoms once. Definitely not infectious coryza (IC), as my bird didn't have that putrid smell. Thankfully, she was an isolated case & it didn't spread, whatever it was... I quarantined her & tube fed her food with some rooster booster (rb) water in it. Even just raw egg & rb-water near the end. No dice. I even used Tylan 200. Nothing. ☹️ I really hope you have better luck with your bird than I did.

Just be really careful with your bio-security right now...prolly goes without saying, I guess. And if it is IC, even if the bird survives, she will always be a carrier. Same with fowl cholera & some others. You will never be able to add that bird back to your flock without risking the others & all future birds. Some old timers will tell you to cull the whole flock at the first sign of IC. And...some states have laws insisting you cull your entire flock at the first sign of certain diseases. IC can spread via wild birds, so it didn't have to come in on a bird you brought in. As this is the case -- and wild birds can also be infected by your flock, and possibly go off to infect other peoples' flocks -- there is good reason to cull them all if it is IC & it spreads beyond the initial bird.

Again, sorry to hear about this...and I'm hoping it doesn't spread.

Pam
www.AvianVistaFarm.com
 
Hello! Actually she's 100% better. She started eating, drinking and rejoined the flock this evening. I believe something stung her eye. Her comb at the front was a little swollen but her wattles went down and she returned to her usual self. Her eye seems to be what was affected, possibly stung or bitten, scratched even, from the eye to the front of the comb.
 
Hello! Actually she's 100% better. She started eating, drinking and rejoined the flock this evening. I believe something stung her eye. Her comb at the front was a little swollen but her wattles went down and she returned to her usual self. Her eye seems to be what was affected, possibly stung or bitten, scratched even, from the eye to the front of the comb.
Oh that is great news that her swelling has gone down. Hopefully the Benadryl helped. I would look for ants, ticks, or other insects that might have stung/bit her. Permethrin 10% spray is good for treating coops, and safe around chickens.
 

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