Young chicken eye is closed, other starting to shut, looks like she's having trouble breathing

[pdc420]

I just got a young chicken/ pullet that was full of energy,(Thurs. night). Fri. I made a pen within the main pen outside with her in it so she could get use to the other two hens. After a day I let her lose with the two other hens I have and there seemed to be no problem. I put them in their coup at night and checked on them a few times threw out the night, everything looked OK. The next day (Sat) when I went to let them out, the two orig. hens came out but the little'r new one was hiding in the corner by their food container, did'nt want to move, I got her out and noticed her one eye was shut with kind of a lite crust like when you have a cold.

I didn't know wether one of the other hens put it out or if she was getting sick. She lacked energy, moved around every little and hide in some weeds all day. Today her other eye is closing, though she will open it, with the same liquid/crust as the other eye. She also started to breath like she having a hard time. These are my first chicks so am lost as to whats happening or what to do, I called tha vet but its Sat. and the they won't be in till Mon.

I've since put her in a clean box with pine shavings and a light for some heat (I'm in Ohio, just starting to get cold). Their coup she was in I had sawdust on the bottom with a thick layer of hay over top. I thought maybe it was due to the sawdust but the two other hens have had no problem. Anybody have any idea's as to whats happening or what to do or how I can make her more comfortable I would be so thankful, I feel bad for the little girl.

Thank's, pdc420

 

[rickaroonie]

I think I'm having the same problem with one of my pullets (about 16/17 weeks). Mine has the same eye problems and seems to be difficult to breath. Also she makes gurgling sounds when breathing. Has beak open. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks, Rick

 

[aaggjg]

The closed eye is a telltale sign of respitory infection. Isolate this hen from your others as it is contagious!!! Keep the hen warm and give it electrolytes or viramins in its water..... I'd give your other 2 hens fresh garlic & ACV to help boost their immune systems. I'd give the same to the sick hen.... Vet-Rex can help hens with congestion.

People will tell you all sorts of antibiotics to give her like Tylan... I prefer to start naturally and monitor the chicken to see if they get better.... I'm no expert.... Do a search for respitory infection on BYC and you'll find some help. Good luck.

 

[pdc420]

Hey Rickaroonie,

Over run with chickens is right and take their advise, it's a respitory prob. In my case I belive it was infectious broncitis. I say was because the chick died this morning.

Of course I found this out to late to do anything for the poor thing, surprizingly many pep's read my thread, nobody replyed. Hat's off to you though Overrun for having the decency to reply and help us out. I thought highly of this website till now.

pdc420

 

[rickaroonie]

Pdc420, maybe a bit harsh there. I think some or most reading this post may be looking for answers too. You never know. Sorry to hear about your little chicken. I had to dispatch mine also as blood was starting to weep from her eye. It was so sad.
Better luck with the rest of our chickens, eh?

Rickaroonie

 

[pdc420]

Hey Ronaroonie,

Yeah, I was a little harsh, and I do like BYC. I was just so desperate for some kind/ any kind of input as to what was happening I didnt know what to do. Twenty some pep's read the thread, yet nobody could say anything. I wrapped her in a light towel, tried to cleen her eyes, petted her and talked to her so she wasnt alone but she was just to bad off and it happened so fast, a little over 24 hrs, I just felt so bad and when your reaching out for help and cant get any you just feel worst. As many chicken pep's on here Im sure somebody could have said something/anything
.
I prob. should have taken her out of her misery but I couldnt, hell, It would have taken me a month to get over that. I still have a calico silkie so Im taking overrun's advise and keep a close eye on her. These are my first chicks so I was at a lose,I thought she got attacked and of course it would happen on the weekend when you cant get a vet.

Im sorry to hear about your little guy, its sad. I guess if I was a farmer it prob wouldnt have hit me so hard, but Im not a farmer, Im a city dweller and I got them as pets, for chicken I cant believe how smart they are. And what made me feel even worst is the silkie her buddy was standing in some weeds looking like "Whats wrong with her, shes just laying there" she even looked sad.

Well enough of that, your my first fiend on here, I wish you the best for you and your gang, we'll have to keep in touch...how many do you have? Where are you and your peps from?

pdc420.."Daryl"

 

[aaggjg]

Sorry to hear about your chickens..... I wish I had seen your post sooner ... I know how frustrating it is waiting and waiting for a reply and not getting any....
Don't give up on BYC so fast there really is a lot of good information here.

Daryl I'd get your silkie a new buddy .... Chickens need friends or they won't be happy alone. Good luck with your birds.

 

[pdc420]

Hi Overrun,

I did do just that, I figured I'd get her a buddy. I went and got an easter egger, which I did'nt realize at the time is about three times the size of the silkie. I also got a little barred rock about the size of a softball that kept following me around and sitting on my foot, so I could'nt pass her up. I made up two smaller pen's within the main pen outside. I put the baby barr in one pen, the easter egger in the other and the silkie lose in the main pen.

The baby barr seems ok as long as I whistle or talk to her, otherwise she chirp's all the time. The easter egger is doing ok, but the silkie is not to happy. She has'nt payed to much attention to the barr, but she will not leave the easter egger alone, she keeps running into the side of the easter's pen trying to peck at her and make all kinds of noises. I'm sure she's trying to show she's going to be the dom. hen, but I dont know, this easter is 3 times the silkie's size. I figured on keeping everybody seperated for awhile, but for how long?

With them outside it's not to hard, but now its rainning alot so I have them inside on a porch on the back of the house. The easter and the baby barr are sep. in two make shift pens I made up for them, the silkie is in her chicken condo dancing a jig and sticking her tounge out at the other two. Whats the best way to introduce everybody and put the together. I know the easter could handle her own as she's so big, but I hate for her to hurt the silkie as she's kind of old. Then thats not even counting the baby barr, with her picking me out i deff. dont want anything happening to her...what do you think or what would you do? Thanks again for your advise, Daryl

 

[aaggjg]

​

Hey Daryl

How old are all these birds?? Were the EE & the baby Barr together when you bought them?? If you have a yard where you can let them all run around with plenty places to hide. I'd let them out together andseehowthey do....only intervene if the fighting gets bad. They have to peck each other to establish their hierarchy. I find that most of the girls will run and cower from the dominant bird .... In my flock the bigger girl had no idea that she was bigger and cowered at the sight of the alpha hen. Since you have 3 diff birds with no bonds formed Id think this is as good a time as anytoputthem all together.a thing that people like to do is to put them all together at night whentheyare roosting....this way whenthey wake up they will think they've always been with these birds.... The baby should be easy and will stop crying when placed with another chicken..... Ooh one other thing.... Make sure you have plenty of feeding stations....the chickens fight food and until ey realize that there is enough its good to put itin a few places!

Good luck

 

[pdc420]

Hi aaggjg (I now realize its not overrun lol),

I'm not so sure I was meant to have chickens, I was ill prepared. Sadly the little barr became, lack for better terms lethargic, I called the guy I got them from and he had no idea as to why, said maybe she was stressed from being away from her buddies. So, i returned the ee and got a baby silkie and a baby polish, I took the baby barr with me in the hopes that she would perk up once she see's her friends. By the time I got back home she was really bad, I held her close to my chest to keep her warm and hear my heart beat, worked with her for awhile but past in my hands while I was on the phone with the vet about her. he figures it was stress. It really bummed me out cause she picked me as apposed to me picking her. I feel I killed her for my lack of knowledge of these little guys.

So the way it stands right now is, one Old black silkie that I was told was a hen but turns out is a rooster, she looked like she was beat up when I got her so there was No Way I was gonna take her back from where I got her/him. He now is looking pretty good and I can tell he's happy here (I kind of spoil him because of what I think he's been through) and the baby silkie and the baby polish. I've been reading everything I can get my hands on, made a brooder and have them in my living room with me. Figuring they'll get accustom to people. The baby polish Loves being held and wants to fall asleep in my hands, the little silkie not so much but getting use to being handled. Now I feel bad for the old silkie because he's in the chicken condo I built by himself (I let him into a pen outside during the day unless its raining) I have old cd's hanging all around to ward off the local red tailed hawk that wants to invite him to dinner, the neighbors think I'm nuts, so I let them think that hahaha

Thanks for the advise and chatting, Daryl