I have a light brahma hen who I`m not sure is going to make it. 4 days ago, she stopped eating and drinking. I`ve been giving her some vitamins with electrolytes with an eyedropper, but today she looks bad. She has bad breath and her eyes have some kind of `sleep` in them, I`m not sure if she can see out of them. I really hate to lose her. Does anyone know what she might have and what I could treat my other chickens with in case this happens again. Any info. would be appreciated.
How old is the hen?
My hen is one yr.old. Her crop feels hard and sticks out a little. I will use the vegetable oil on her and keep you updated. I`m feeding her water with antibiotic and vitamin premix. Should I stop or continue with the antibiotics? Her eyes have white mucous in them and doesn`t want to open them. How do I treat this and is it contagious to my other chickens. I have her separated from the rest.
It's really hard to tell what is wrong without seeing the hen.
By LJ (Chookster) on Wednesday, May 8, 2002 - 01:06 am:
What does her crop look/feel like?
Is her crop hard and or swollen?
Do the feathers covering her crop stick out funny?
If so, it could possibly be an impacted crop.
Take a small syringe or dropper and put some vegetable oil in it, and slowly release it in her throat. Massage her crop gently.
Making sure to be very careful not to let it get into her lungs.
Quoting from Gail Damerow's Chicken Health Handbook:
Watery eyes is from a vitamin A defficiency.
Eye worm, which is prevalent in the southern United States, Hawaii, the Philippines, and other tropical and subtropical areas: They eye becomes swollen, inflamed, and watery, impairing the chicken's vision. The eyelids may stick together and the eye may turn cloudy and eventually be destroyed. Meantime, the chicken scratches the eye, trying to relieve irritation.
Diseases Affecting the Eyes:
0-1 week: swollen with yellow cheesy matter: aspergillosis(acute):rare
6 weeks+: swollen, sticky eyes: cholera(chronic):not
growing & mature: frothy eyes: chronic respiratory disease: common
maturing & mature: mucousy eyes: cholera(acute): not
maturing & mature: watery, swollen eyes: infectious laryngotrachetis: common
Mature Any:
cloudy eye: newcastle: common
cloudy eye, sunlight avoidance: conjunctivitis: common
watery eyes: infectious bronchitis: common
watery and/or swollen eyes: influenza: rare
Inflamed Conditions:
Conjunctivitis: eye lining("conjunctiva"): encephalomalacia listeriosis
Nutritional Problems in Chicks:
Eyes,
crusty: pantothenic acid deficiency/imbalance
stuck together: vitamin A deficiency/imbalance
By Anonymous on Wednesday, May 8, 2002 - 05:13 pm:
By LJ (Chookster) on Thursday, May 9, 2002 - 12:07 am:
If it's conjunctivitis, there's a moderate risk of human infection.
Personally, I would isolate the hen for a while.
Use pine shavings, and make sure the air circulates and doesn't become stagnant.
I made a mistake in my previous post!
It should read:
Conjunctivitis: eye lining("conjunctiva"): ammonia fumes, eye worm.
Conjunctivitis
Also Called - ammonia blindness, keratoconjunctivitis
Incidence - common in flocks raised on deep litter, especially in winter
System/Organ Affected - eyes
Incubation Period - hours
Progression - acute
Symptoms - in all ages: rubbing eyes with wings, reluctance to move, avoiding sunlight, one or both eyes cloudy (in case of a vitamin A deficiency, nose and eyes water, later become encrusted with white cheesy material), blindness
Percentage Affected - 80 to 100 percent
Mortality - varies
Postmortem Findings - none significant
Resembles - any mild respiratory disease
Diagnosis - history (detection of ammonia fumes), symptoms (eye and eyelid damage)
Cause - ammonia fumes from accumulated droppings, vitamin A deficiency, infection
Transmission - environmental, does not spread from bird to bird
Prevention - provide proper nutrition and good ventilation; avoid wet litter
Treatment - replacing wet litter or correcting vitamin A deficiency in early stages leads to recovery in about 2 months, but won't reverse blindness
Human Health Risk - squinting in ammonia fumes is no less unpleasant for humans than it is for chickens
I'm pretty sure that any vet would have a creme/salve to put in her eyes, if it is conjunctivitis.
You should ask a vet about her, but don't be surprised if it's hard to find a vet that knows anything about chickens.
This place isn't really for medical advice, but it does many wonderous things for fowl.
They might know what's wrong, but might be able to point you in the right direction for more detailed help.
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