Torn Eyelid

[Dee Dee 2]

From what I can see in the pictures I think the chicken probably has / will loose the sight in that eye. But don't worry she will adapt and be just fine. If you want, or if the eye starts to show any signs of infection you can put some POLYSPORIN on it. Even IN the eye. POLYSPORIN NOT NEASPORIN (sp?) It is also safe for human use for minor eye irritations, stys, (sp?) and slight infections not requiring a Dr. Just be sure it is POLY NOT NEA. If you can get the chick to hold still you may want to put a warm damp cloth on it for as long as she will sit still. Warm but not too hot.

 

[Duck Drover]

I had not thought of doing a hot compress but that could help. This pullet is one I hatched and raised so she is pretty tolerant and she seems to know I am trying to help. I have been wondering if I should be putting something more antibiotic into her eye than the Vetericyn, which says "use to clean and relieve eyes affected by burning, stinging, itching, pollutants, contaminants and irritations" on the bottle. They did not have anything at the feed store closest to me where I usually buy my feed but there are others in the area so I can see what they have.I have been counting on the penicillin to treat the infection but I think a topical in the eye could get closer to the source of the infection.

Since I did the deep digging with the tweezers there has not been the big clumps of puss in her eye. I don't know if it is just packing in behind the eye again or if the puss production has actually slowed down now. I have never dealt with this type of infection before.. I have treated pinkeye in livestock and eye scratches (primarily from inverted eyelid) but nothing where the eye is so damaged. I really don't know what the eye will look like when it has healed or if she will be prone to infections from dirt in the eye if the gaping eyelid does not close over the eye properly. I will deal with that later, though. The important thing is to get the eyelid and eye infection to heal without further damage to the eye.

 

[Dee Dee 2]

I have a Buff that had a damaged eye lid when young. She slowly went blind in that eye. Doesn't slow her down any, she just looks at the world side ways. Some days I do too and is often the best view. (ˆvˆ) I put Polysporin on it for the first few days right after the initial injury, sort of a small glob. I am not sure if she can 'blink' with that eye lid or not ? I'll have to check that out. The blind eye does look ícky' - white, but no infection. Best wishes with your little hen. I think she is going to be just fine.

 

[Duck Drover]

I want to post an update. There is no more white gunk in the eye so I seem to have been effective in treating the infection. They eyelid is no longer swollen but it is still gaping while it continues to heal. The inner eyelid is functional so she is able to blink. The eye is completely clouded and I doubt there is any vision in the eye. She is looking at me sideways now so she seems to have figured out how to compensate with her good eye. She is eating and drinking well so I think she will manage to keep eating and drinking when she is well enough to put back out with the flock. I don't know if I should discontinue the antibiotic or continue the shots to keep the infection from returning.

I am washing the eye with saline but only once a day. She sounds congested after I flush the eye so I wonder if I should just let her blink and squint in order to keep the eye clean on her own. I was afraid the eye was drying out too much without the eye wash but I think she is tearing okay.

Here is a picture of the eye now.

 

[gander007]

I want to post an update. There is no more white gunk in the eye so I seem to have been effective in treating the infection. They eyelid is no longer swollen but it is still gaping while it continues to heal. The inner eyelid is functional so she is able to blink. The eye is completely clouded and I doubt there is any vision in the eye. She is looking at me sideways now so she seems to have figured out how to compensate with her good eye. She is eating and drinking well so I think she will manage to keep eating and drinking when she is well enough to put back out with the flock. I don't know if I should discontinue the antibiotic or continue the shots to keep the infection from returning.

I am washing the eye with saline but only once a day. She sounds congested after I flush the eye so I wonder if I should just let her blink and squint in order to keep the eye clean on her own. I was afraid the eye was drying out too much without the eye wash but I think she is tearing okay.

Here is a picture of the eye now.

Looks like you did a great job and hope you get a good recovery
to bad about the eye though ...

 

[cstronks]

Good job. The young roo needs to be culled. Any roos who caused damage to my flock lost their heads. It was that simple. Didn't have time to deal with healing others. Plus, I am alpha leader in the flock...not them.

 

[Duck Drover]

I nave not seen him injure another chicken so all I have to go by is my daughter telling me about him trying to peck the pullet when she put her down so he could see her. The injury does seem more like a peck than her running into something as I originally assumed happened.

I did have a group of young roosters that harassed an older rooster and they are gone now with only two roosters left, a black that has just become mature and the blue that is not quite mature. I have not seen the blue try breeding but the black is clearly doing the job. I have never used saddles before but I am considering it because my Easter Egger hens (we just have them for eating eggs, not for hatching) are missing a few feathers.

This pullet and my blue rooster were raised together with a splash pullet I had to put down because he stepped on her as a baby chick and I was never able to repair the tendon when it slipped and then tore. I had actually put the rooster outside with the hens before she joined him because I kept her for company for her sister but then she went out a few weeks later because her sister was in physical therapy. When I put chicks out in groups they tend to stay together, sometimes walking side by side, but he was independent from the day I put him out. He was twice the size of his sisters because he got so huge so fast. I really want to be able to use him because he is so nice.

 

[gander007]

I nave not seen him injure another chicken so all I have to go by is my daughter telling me about him trying to peck the pullet when she put her down so he could see her. The injury does seem more like a peck than her running into something as I originally assumed happened.

I did have a group of young roosters that harassed an older rooster and they are gone now with only two roosters left, a black that has just become mature and the blue that is not quite mature. I have not seen the blue try breeding but the black is clearly doing the job. I have never used saddles before but I am considering it because my Easter Egger hens (we just have them for eating eggs, not for hatching) are missing a few feathers.

This pullet and my blue rooster were raised together with a splash pullet I had to put down because he stepped on her as a baby chick and I was never able to repair the tendon when it slipped and then tore. I had actually put the rooster outside with the hens before she joined him because I kept her for company for her sister but then she went out a few weeks later because her sister was in physical therapy. When I put chicks out in groups they tend to stay together, sometimes walking side by side, but he was independent from the day I put him out. He was twice the size of his sisters because he got so huge so fast. I really want to be able to use him because he is so nice.

It sounds like you have your flock well set now ...

 

[Duck Drover]

I am going to keep a close eye on the blue rooster to see if he shows signs of aggression. He still goes in the coop with the hens while the black rooster rounds them all up so he is not mature yet. He will grab treats from the hens and run off with them but I have not seen him fight with them.

 

[Duck Drover]

Here is another update with pictures. I don't see her blinking with her lower lid but her inner eyelid is functional so I stopped putting anything in it for the past few days. I was afraid it would dry out too much but it looks good other than the blindness. She actually faces it towards me so maybe she can see light and shadows at least.

I still have her separated from the flock so she does not get pecked on but I am tempted to let her out while I can watch her and she how she does.