Swollen Flesh Around Chick's Eyes

[Mahlzeit]

I have some young chicks about 5 weeks old that were shipped to me. On some of them the fleshy part at the front of their eyes has become swollen and they have clear runny noses. They aren't coughing or sneezing and they are still eating and drinking. I came across a post on here from a few years ago and the pics posted look exactly like my chicks. Someone said a sinus infection was the culprit. I have a couple of questions.
#1 With the new regulations it is hard to get any antibiotics. A friend of mine has horses and goats and stuff and asked her vet for something and she gave me some uniprim. It's for horses but the vet said that should help. Has anyone hear of it or used it?
#2 Will this be something they are a carrier of forever and if I put them with my adults when they are older will they spread it to them as well?
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. I've added some pics of their eyes.

 

[Eggcessive]

How long have you had them? This could be symptoms of mycoplasma (MG,) a contagious respiratory disease that can be passed by a carrier bird or through the hatching egg by a parent. You can't know for sure without testing. It may have also got it's eye pecked instead. The Uniprim is the same as SMP-TMZ, a sulfa antiobiotic that can treat many gram positive and gram negative bacterial diseases. It should treat this, but I would check with a vet for sure. The dosage is 8-12 mg per pound twice a day, so the dosage could be tricky for a small chick. An easier drug would be injectable Tylan 50, given orally 1/4 ml twice a day for 5 days. Get some 3 ml syringes with needles to withdraw it from the vial. You can get that from most feed stores.

 

[Mahlzeit]

I have had them for 2 weeks. All these infections and diseases have the same symptoms its tough to figure anything out. There is not sneezing or coughing it's mainly just the swollen eyes and a couple have a runny nose.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is hard to know for sure if they had this before or perhaps got this after getting to your place. MG is pretty common in backyard flocks and in wild birds. Symptoms can show up within a few days. But MG symptoms can also show up commonly at this age if they already had it. Have any of your older birds ever had signs of sneezing, watery eyes, nasal discharge or swelling of an eye? I would treat them, then read all you can about MG, since that seems to fit their symptoms of conjunctivitis and watery eyes. Contact your state vet or local extension agency to find out how to get tested.

 

[Mahlzeit]

It is hard to know for sure if they had this before or perhaps got this after getting to your place. MG is pretty common in backyard flocks and in wild birds. Symptoms can show up within a few days. But MG symptoms can also show up commonly at this age if they already had it. Have any of your older birds ever had signs of sneezing, watery eyes, nasal discharge or swelling of an eye? I would treat them, then read all you can about MG, since that seems to fit their symptoms of conjunctivitis and watery eyes. Contact your state vet or local extension agency to find out how to get tested.

No none of my adults bird have or have had this. I have actually never seen this before with the swollen eyes and I have had chickens for over 10 years.

 

[Mahlzeit]

I have about 20 chicks all together that came in this delivery from rarebreedauctions.com the farm had all positive reviews so I took a chance. Not all of the 20 have the eye issue though I would say about 50% do and 50% don't.

 

[Eggcessive]

It's not that difficult to get them or a few tested. Talk to your state vet. That is the only way that you will know if it is MG or eye pecking, or whatever. If it is negative for MG, then it may not be such a bad scenario.