What is wrong with their eyes?!

[Silkie_Mom]

My brooder was a bit overcrowded as chicks started growing up. Naturally, I started putting them in larger enclosures and noticed a few of the lower pecking order chicks have swollen eyes. I separated the chicks and tried getting the eyes to drain but haven't had any luck. Keeping the eyes clean and using Neosporin on the bloody spots. Breathing is normal and no nasal discharge. Does anyone have experience with this and how did you fix it? Were their eyes damaged afterwards?

 

[Eggcessive]

That looks pretty bad. It could be from pecking yes, or they may have a respiratory disease, such as MG which can be spread through direct contact and through the egg. There may be pus inside the eyelid. It needs to come out with squeezing and QTips. The eyes should be flushed with saline eyewash, and either Terramycin eye ointment (best) or plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment should be put into the eyes twice a day. Is there any bad odor? Is there any sneezing, gasping, or head shaking? Here is a video of how to express pus from beneath the eyelid:

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a good thread about treating chickens with pus in the eye:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nasty-eye-infection-pics.1071718/

 

[Silkie_Mom]

That looks pretty bad. It could be from pecking yes, or they may have a respiratory disease, such as MG which can be spread through direct contact and through the egg. There may be pus inside the eyelid. It needs to come out with squeezing and QTips. The eyes should be flushed with saline eyewash, and either Terramycin eye ointment (best) or plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment should be put into the eyes twice a day. Is there any bad odor? Is there any sneezing, gasping, or head shaking? Here is a video of how to express pus from beneath the eyelid:

Okay I'll try working the pus out again. Some fluid came out, but nothing like the video. Been flushing and treating with Neosporin throughout the day. There isn't an odor and no sneezing or head shaking. They're acting pretty normal (besides the eye). Full of energy and putting up a good fight. Eating and drinking normally.

 

[Silkie_Mom]

Update: @Eggcessive
Omg, I was not prepared for the grossness. But I did extract as much as I could from the two chicks with swollen eyes. Cleaned the area. Eyes looked okay underneath. Medicated and tucked them in the quarantine cage. After the pressure was released, they both calmed down quite a bit. Thank you for the advice!

 

[Banana01]

That looks pretty bad. It could be from pecking yes, or they may have a respiratory disease, such as MG which can be spread through direct contact and through the egg. There may be pus inside the eyelid. It needs to come out with squeezing and QTips. The eyes should be flushed with saline eyewash, and either Terramycin eye ointment (best) or plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment should be put into the eyes twice a day. Is there any bad odor? Is there any sneezing, gasping, or head shaking? Here is a video of how to express pus from beneath the eyelid:

Sorry this happened to you. I commend you for trying to help your little chicks. As a beginner this is not a procedure to be forceful with as that video makes it look. It should be done with a wet towel, excessive water so the water will get in the eye and loosen it up. Im afraid the procedure in the video likely causes a great deal of suffering as there should not be any blood. You should instead sit down with the chick with plenty of clean water and learn how to hold them gently with one hand, and a towel in the other. Once they are calm they will let you clean their face and eyes gently and slowly until you get a feel for how much the chick can handle, and they will also let you know what threshold is too much. I clean first their beak and nostrils, letting water get inside the nostrils, which they swallow. Then I get their face and eyes nice and wet to loosen the dirt, and continuously rub around the chicks outer eyelids letting the water get in, and while they simultaneously are blinking their inner eyelid, you can work out any solid materials. If there is debris inside the eye, very very slight pressure with water will dislodge it.

For now for the rest of the chicks that have dirt and debris around their nostrils and on their face, clean their eyes and nostrils every day or twice a day if needed with a wet cotton towel gently, and the eye will not get that bad. Clean off all even the slightest amounts of dirt, mucous, from their face and around the nostrils when any puffyness starts around their eyes. If needed, do a cleaning procedure every day on the sick chicks and adults that have eye discharges or dirt, and it gets them used to it and it gives them hope. Never ever does it come down to magically squeezing the eye and all their problems go away. Both the chicks in the photos you posted are in grave condition, but that is what happens when you google about trying to save a chicks eye, you see videos like this. But what you need to do is delicate, like you are washing a newborn babies face for the first time.

I hope you have enough ventilation and using the right kind of bedding material. It is some kind of respiratory issue that if not corrected will continue. There is a lot of debris build up around the chicks nostril that does not look healthy, that is possibly mucous discharge and is exactly what needs to be cleaned every morning for any chicks that have it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is there a bad odor from the head? Good job getting the pus and gunk out of the eye. This is something that may require repeated sessions. I’m wondering if her eyes are intact or if she is blind from all the infection. Poor thing. Let us know how they gets along.

 

[Kiki]

Update: @Eggcessive
Omg, I was not prepared for the grossness. But I did extract as much as I could from the two chicks with swollen eyes. Cleaned the area. Eyes looked okay underneath. Medicated and tucked them in the quarantine cage. After the pressure was released, they both calmed down quite a bit. Thank you for the advice!

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Poor thing.
Where did you get these birds?