# Chickens with eyes swollen shut.



## Shayanna

I have a hen and a young roo and they both have one eye that is swollen shut. No other symptoms. Is this likely an injury or illness?


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## Sumatra

If it was just one chicken, bug bites would have been an option. With two lets hope they're peck wounds, but unfortunately but there's also a chance it could be an illness.

Swollen eyes could be an eye worm, or more often a sign of a respiratory disease. There are many respiratory diseases, all with similar symptoms, so its hard to tell the exact disease. The more common cases are mycoplasma gallisepticum (also called CRD or MG,) or coryza. 

Coryza will cause a gunky eye with pus, and nasal secretions that stink. Infectious bronchitis can cause milder symptoms, and is a virus which won't respond to antibiotics. So if there is no bad odor, you may be treating MG. Eye worm is sometimes seen by looking around inside the lids. A disease from mold, aspergillosis, could also be a cause.

Respiratory infections are highly contagious and usually come back even if you medicate them. They can be introduced by wild birds or new birds you bring in. Bacterial respiratory diseases will respond well to a simple treatment of Terramycin but if it doesn't, the disease may be viral.

Giving electrolytes or ACV and keeping them warm and well fed are one of the best things you can do for a viral disease. If you don't see improvement after the Terramycin, you may also want to try a different antibiotic. Tylan 50 is one of them, and is stronger and often better for respiratory diseases. Tylan 50 is good either by mouth 1/4 ml. for 5-7 days or as a shot of 1/2 ml. given into breast muscle for 3 days. Duramycin 10 can also be used in water, but they need to be drinking enough to get it.


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## Tiempo

Gallimycin and Oxytetracycline in the water ASAP.

If you order from Dr. Brown he will include a dosage sheet with your order.

http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/...spatch=categories.view&category_id=202&page=2


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## Foxy

Last year I had a couple cockerels that kept getting swollen eyes. From the time they were chicks in the brooder I'd see the same two get swollen eyes so I'd give some vitamin water and it would go away. I moved them to a bigger pen in a building...same thing, swollen eyes, vitamin water and it would go away. Well, I came to realize that they were very sensitive to the ammonia from their droppings because it always showed up when I was overdue to change the litter in the brooder/pen. If I smelled the faintest hint of ammonia and didn't change the bedding that day the next day their eyes were swollen again.
It could be some other respiratory problem or disease but in any case giving the coop a good cleaning won't hurt.


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