Baby silkie with swollen eye, weakness, and limp neck

[BestofCluck]

Hello chicken experts!

I am new to hatching chicks and have 8 baby silkies! (Hatched by mama hen who went broody)

I found one of them laying on the ground in front of mama hen. The chick had one eye crusted shut and swollen. I cleaned it off and it looked like stool or mud possibly. Eye still swollen and chick can not stand or walk. Also has a very weak limp neck and cannot hold head up!

There is now slight white dried crusting on the nostril. I have NOT noticed any wet nasal discharge or a foul odor. I thought about coryza but there is no bad smell.

All the other chicks and mama seem to be thriving.

Could it be wry neck and an eye injury/infection? I’m really hoping it’s not Newcastle. I know it’s rare but deadly!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi, and welcome to BYC!

Sorry about your little chick. I surmise it was perhaps stepped on by mom.

I'd bring him in and keep him warm, about 95F. Rinse the eye out with saline solution and get some Terramycin to put in twice a day. That's an antibiotic for eyes. You can also use Neosporin without pain killer too. This way whatever got smushed on its eye can't cause an infection.

You might need an eyedropper to get him to drink at first too. A little bit of egg yolk would help strengthen it, but that could wait a day or two if it just hatched today.

It could turn out okay once it gets warmed up and time to rest too. When they first hatch, sometimes they look a lot worse than they are.

 

[BestofCluck]

Thank you! It is about a week old.

I have been keeping him warm, cleaning with saline, and giving water with a tiny tip syringe. I’ll add in giving him egg yolk and try to find terramycin. Then hope for the best!

Thank you for your advice, I appreciate it!