Year-old hen with swollen red eye, now 3 month pullet seems to have it too

[LindaChek17]

Hi, I hope someone can give me some advice. This spring we put together a new flock: 4 buff hens about a year old and 3 buff-Jersey Giant mixes about 3 months old that we've had for 5 weeks or so from one farm, 3 buff hens about a year and a half old plus a buff roo born last fall that came in this past weekend from a second farm, and two lavender 3-month-olds (might be two pullets, might be a pair) from a third farmer we met at a poultry meet/show. Noticed yesterday that one of the original buff hens has a swollen eye; the area is red and a little puffy and her eye seems a bit cloudy but there is no drainage and she is eating and free-ranging as usual. Now today one of the buff-jersey mix littles has the sale type of swelling in one eye. She is also eating and acting normal; I don't know if you can see if in the pic, but she does seem to have a small red pinprick mark on her comb above the swollen eye. Is this the beginning of something contagious, or maybe this is just coincidence and there is collateral damage from the pecking order being established? Do we need to take them to the vet or can we treat at home? Coop is clean, straw is fresh, no parasites that I can see, food is abundant and a healthy mix of fresh forage,

laying pellet, and fruit. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[azygous]

Is she acting sick in addition to the inflamed eye? If she isn't acting sick and has a normal appetite and is drinking water and pooping normally, you can just treat the eye with saline, antibiotic ophthalmic ointment, and for good measure, soothing moisturizing eye drops for the pain and discomfort.

If she's off her feed and lethargic, you would do well to start her on a broad spectrum antibiotic.

 

[LindaChek17]

She seems normal, eating and drinking, roaming the hill...though she and another lady have been in and out of the house a bit this evening. Here is a picture I just took of her eye. Can you recommend a brand-name for an opthamolic ointment (I know Neosporin isn't made for poultry, but I do have that on hand), and is that something I could get at the feed store? Also, our new roo is having himself a good time with the ladies that are new to him and I just saw him mount this hen--he's clumsy. Could he have accidentally caused this damage?

 

[azygous]

Most feed stores carry terramycin ophthalmic ointment. It has a hefty price tag, though.

The swelling around her eye concerns me. I think I would put her through a round of Tylan 50. It's an injectable med, but you can give it orally at .5mg twice a day for five days. The swelling is symptomatic of a respiratory infection.

If it's an eye infection only, the Tylan will help that, also.

 

[Eggcessive]

Since her eyelid is swollen, she has bubbles or foam in her eye, and her nostril is dirty probably from some drainage, you may be dealing with mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG.)
MG probably came from one of your recent purchases, and it causes your flock to all be carriers. Tylan 50 injectable used orally as Azygous recommended is good for MG symptoms. Tylan dosage can be given as much as 1/4 ml per pound 3 times a day, and many people give it orally in chickens. She may well recover from symptoms, but the diseases can come back on her whenever stressed, such as cold winter weather and during a molt.