Watery /closed eye

[tsiecz]

I have a RIR that has a watery eye. When she stands she keeps it closed. I looked at it and didnt see anything in it. She is moving around just slower than the rest of the flock. Any suggestions?

 

[dawg53]

It's possible there's dirt or debris in her eye...or possibly scratched causing an injury. I recommend flushing her eye with saline solution, then put terramycin eye ointment in it. Let's hope it's not a respiratory issue.

 

[tsiecz]

I did put new sand in the coop the day before. I thought the watery eye may have been a pecking injury or maybe sand. Could you expand on the respiratory issue you mentioned? What to look for ? Causes?

 

[chickness]

I realize your problem has probably been fixed but I just wanted to make a response too just in case other new chicken owners are reading this for answers too. I have a plymouth barred rock ( 10 weeks) that had her eye closed shut, and rarely opened it...she seemed lathargic and didn't want to get up and peck around with her other two buddies. I read through every chicken disease and freaked myself out. I decided to start with the simplest. I ruled out that she was nesting properly at night and wasn't sleepy. I took my husbands bottle of saline solution out of his bathroom and held her in my lap, and pulled open her eye gently and flushed it out about 5 times. She squaked of course, and didn't like it. I left her alone for the rest of the day and night. The following morning she was pecking around as usual and her eye was open, and has been fine ever since. What I don't know is if I hadn't flushed it out, what would have happend. Would it naturally flushed itself out, or would it have gotten infected and she may have lost an eye? However, I like to think that I helped. This chick had no other signs of sickness except for laying around, and the slight watery and closed eye...so I'd recommend flushing the eye to anyone and try not to panic so much like I did.
First time city chicken owner- flock of 3.