# Chicken with foaming eyes! Cull or not?



## blujenes (Apr 18, 2010)

A banty hen has foaming eyes! It's mounds of foam gathered up in the front corners of her eyes. She can still see, but the foam is blocking some of her vision. The foam is just white, bubbly foam, like you get when you wash dishes. It's the only thing wrong with her, she's just fine otherwise. I put her in solitary confiment, what should I do now? Is this worth culling over? What is it and what's causing it? Is it contagious? Is it a symptom for something worse? Would it be better to just cull her? Frankly, she's not a valuble chicken, and she doesn't have a use, so I'd rather cull her than have the whole flock croak.


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## jcatblum (Dec 15, 2009)

I would possibly cull. You said hen so I am not sure of age or how long you have had her. Defiantly watch your flock close. It is rare for only 1 bird to show symptoms. I treat most birds with Gallimycin & it takes care of illness quickly. 
Let us know if other symptoms develop. Hard to know what is going on without other symptoms.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Get some antibiotics into the water for all the chickens. Mycoplasm Gallisepticum (sp). I lost over 100 chickens to it one year.
Culling the one chicken is needless. It won't help if you have the bacteria in the flock already. She will recover if you get antibiotics into her.

http://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...WU&fp=c4a6a840dc754efa&ion=1&biw=1024&bih=663

http://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...f.&fp=c4a6a840dc754efa&biw=1024&bih=663&ion=1


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## oberhaslikid (May 13, 2002)

Bubbly eyes is cause by an upper respiratory issue. The air is cause by block sinus.

Is the bird weasing and gasping? Means the lungs may be involved, try a tetracylin in the water

Are the eye tissues swollen? This may be a Mycoplasma, and you will need Tylan or Pennchlor 64 Soluble

Is there a bad smell around the head of the bird? That would be Infectios Coryza, and you will need Sulfadimethoxine.

Isolation is a good Idea if only one bird is sick, but sadly with upper respiratories, chances are good they all have it, and just one or two are currently showing the symptoms. When you seperate a bird, it looses its place in the flock, so try not to keep her away for too long. Medicate everyone, dont take chances! And remember, even if they look better after a few days, you must keep medicating for the full time (per med) or your bug will get resistant to the meds, and come back stronger!

If it's not environmental related ie...dust, smoke etc....then it is a respiratory disease. If any part of your flock is seperated from the infected birds, by all means keep them seperated permanently, you dont want it spreading to the others. Any medicines you give them will only treat the symptoms and wont cure the disease. They will be carriers for life as well. You will have to practice strict biosecurity measures. I recommend that you do a search on "denegard" and read up on it. It is used for swine but can be used in chickens with respiratory diseases. There is no resistance to it and little withdrawal time. There is a treatment dose and preventative dose that can be used to treat your chickens...good luck.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Mycoplama isn't "cured" by antibiotics? I never had any problems with new chicks or chickens after the vet treated the whole flock. I think it cures the problem just like Penicillin cures strep throat in humans? I just know it worked for my flock.
---------------------------------------------
I looked it up, and the web does say that it doesn't "cure". That is fascinating. I just know that we never had any more issues with it or with new chickens that I bought and brought into the flock. Our vet actually gave me a bottle cephlahexin to put in the water for the disease.


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

like a sever head cold. 

id cull. but i believe in culling heavily too. whats most important is make sure it isnt coryza. as mentioned smell around her head, put your nose right on her head and round her beak. if its a rotten smell. cull immediately. might be to late. 
it usually isnt this sever,,,being coryza. 

there is a product called VETRX. its good for resperatory problems. similar to a liquid vicks vapor rub. you can use it for many things. even eye worms. i use it but its rare. i just dont have any problems like this.........................

because i cull heavily.


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## kudzuvine (Aug 11, 2011)

Had this happen once with Ernie the Roo. I rinsed his eyes with saline and added sulfate in drinking water for him and the others. I also gave a small does of children's fever reducer. It cleared up in a few days and no other problems with the remaining flock....Janet


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## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

What part of the country are you in? If you are in a warm place it could be Fowlpox.


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