THE FOLLOWING IS AN OPINION AND EXPERIENCE GIVEN TO HOPEFULLY HELP so many of you out there that are losing your birds, heart-broken and frustrated because you felt like you didn't have anything that would work against eye issues.
Apologies that this is lengthy but understanding it and doing it take some reading. So please take some quick time to READ it if you're having a problem with swollen head, crusty eye, etc. you will find a solution.
I have worked with chickens for over 20 years. I am not going to go into my background and vast pharmacological knowledge and education regarding viral, bacterial, genetic, or systemic issues with chickens. Many of mine last well over 10-14+ years. If you're going to have chickens, you MUST educate yourself on how to care for them and attack any problem immediately when you see it. LOOK at your chickens daily, each and every one of them. Anything odd, search for symptoms you see online and find the solution. Treat your chickens with the right medications and they will recover from most issues, just like humans. Below is my experience and honest opinion for those who search for a cure.
In chickens (all sizes and ages) eye issues abound. You see it here all over the forums. People try everything from flushes, vinegar, yogurt, compresses.... all useless against bacteria which is usually the culprit. That's why the body is swelling, generating mucus, puss, inflammation, etc. It is 99% of the time BACTERIAL.
To those individuals who are compelled to chime in and rant about overuse of antibiotics or use of such in poultry while they hypocritically run to the doctor for antibiotics when they have a cold or allergies.......This post is NOT for you. We know your opinion and that is what it is, we do NOT need to hear it again every time someone mentions antibiotics. Bacteria are smart, overuse or not they are smart will adapt as they self preserve as they always have for millenniums. Staying ahead of them is the job of the researcher and that's another story for another time and place.
Keep in mind when they have an eye infection or swollen sinus or eye - THEY CAN NOT SEE WELL THUS THEY CAN NOT SEE THEIR FOOD their depth perception is off and eating or drinking is difficult. Put one hand over your eye right now and look around the room. You may have to help guide or show your chicken the food and water, peck at it with your finger and help them find or encourage them to it. Stay at it.
The right antibiotic is critical and if you can get with a local vet who can swab the eye or send you home with a kit it takes 24-48 hours to culture and get an answer on what is best to use in terms of pills. If the bird is pooping and eating/drinking normally Clavamox is a preferred prescribed by many vet. For a 2.5lb (1kg) bantam I gave 1/2 of a 125mg tablet morning and evening. Cut pill in half (or quarters if you think smaller pieces would be easier (pill cutters work good for this), pull down on waddle slightly to open mouth their mouth and quickly toss/pop it in -- real quick, let go real fast, they will spit it out or eat it like a lay pellet. Do not shove it in their mouth, you do not want it to go down the wrong hole. Just pop it in the mouth gently and lightly. If they spit it out don't panic, just keep repeating until it actually goes down. You'll get the hang of it and so will they eventually it will take just a sec. I did this for 10 days to cure 3 strains of nasty infection cultured. It's a good broad spectrum antibiotic that generally works on most all issues.
BUT... for anything to do with the eye Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride Ophthalmic solution 0.3 drops are my magic bullet. Yes, flush the eye with contact lens saline solution to help clean it out. Yes, use a q-tip to clean up the crud around the eye or pull eye boogers out of the eye. Yes, if you think there is some foreign object in the eye (metal/wood/rock) take chicken to vet immediately, Yes, if eye was damaged by pecking, scratching, fighting, blunt force, etc. take chicken to vet immediately.
If not and it's just a swollen eye or swollen head, swollen face, etc... it's likely infection deep in the sinus. Head swelling, eye discharge, foaming eye with swollen areas anywhere around the face, head, beak, eyes, it can be any degree of this, slight or severe. Either way, it must be treated ASAP. The bacteria gets in their EYE (somehow remember it's everywhere) and works right into the sinus and grows and multiplies in that moist warm dark happy place. The only way to get to it is to go after it with an antibiotic the exact same way it went inside the sinus cavity in the first place.... through the EYE.
I put 1-2 drops in the eye. (see pics) hold close to eye, squeeze 1 drop just above the eye and it will slide down into the eye, use 1,2,3 until you get 1 drop in the eye. Use q-tip to massage area just in front of corner of eye lightly until you see the eye suck in the liquid, actually pulls this into the eye and sinus. Do not restrain the chicken, have patience until it will stand still and let you work on it. It will, if you give it time to calm down. Use q-tip to gently pull out any goo or slime in the eye corner you see, sometimes thick snot/mucus, just gently pull it out. Use q-tip to make sure nostrils are clear and not clogged. Like a little kid, chickens get stopped up noses and it creates all kinds of problems! Keep nostrils clean.
Within 24 hours, eye started clearing and swelling going down, 3 days later chicken looked normal. Pills, shots, etc. nothing worked like getting that Cipro into the eye and working it into the sinus cavity by using a q-tip to gently massage the area in front of the eye making the eye suck it up into the sinus cavity where you can not reach and the infection really is.
Here are some photos and more info on how to make this work and give your bird the best shot at resolving that deep rooted sinus problem, swollen eye, etc.
If your chicken looks anything like this....
Get yourself some of this (from vet or online source Google it - pigeon people use and sell/buy it online a lot).
Then clean the eye as mentioned above, then let chicken stand or sit there until it calms down a bit. Put hand on other side of face to help support it gently so you can work on it and when chicken is still try to drop a drop above the eye (just touch the skin with the drop and it will dribble down into the eye pocket) most chickens will freak and shake head and sling it everywhere - just do it again until you see the liquid sitting in the eye.
I do not have before pics of the chicken below - but his eye was swollen shut and it looked like a someone shoved a marble under his skin - this happened on one side, then 2 weeks later on the other. Foamy eye, lots of mucus - I pulled out daily 1000 q-tips of mucus strings from his eyes keeping them clear and cleaning removing gunk from his nostrils so he could breathe. Both sides cleared up quickly after the drops were administered. Keep in mind we went through months of Tylan, Baytril, Clavamox, etc. Nothing could get into or after that SINUS BACTERIA because of it's location. Drops were the only thing and worked immediately.
Then use q-tip to gently massage in a circular rubbing motion GENTLY back and forth until you see the drop disappear, do not hold chicken as they will usually open their mouth as the little drop of liquid works through their sinus/nose and into their mouth, they swallow. The Cipro has gone through the eye into the sinus cavity and maybe into the mouth a bit. It's ok. Remember - it's just 1 drop or so. Do this morning lunch and evening or just morning evening depending on severity.
See the drop sitting in the eye or on top of the eye, pull lid down gently with q-tip if you need to so that it is mostly in the eye.
Then see below.... worked into the sinus cavity. If the sinus cavity is too swollen, massage it gently with q-tip anyway and also around the part of the eye where it isn't swollen. Just getting the drop in the eye is a step in the right direction to help the swelling start to go down - may take you a little longer in severe cases, just use your brain and work with it. Think of it as if it was YOUR eye.
Make sure you clean all the goo off their face and that the nostril is not caked with yellow dried or gooey mucus. Clean/check nose 3 times a day so air can get through there and they can also breathe better. Helps dry it up in there too.
Should notice improvement in 24-36 hours. 48 hours on some tough cases.
Keep your chicken in a cage with water/food in warm place (laundry rooms are good for this but not on dryer or washer) and cover with light fabric to keep out draft. These tiny dog kennels work great for TRIAGE setups in your house.
This is in my opinion one of the best line of defenses and treatments for the swollen head/sinus/infected eye issue. BUT when all else fails you must spend the money to take them to the vet if you want to save them but not all vets are really up to speed with chicken / poultry diagnosis and treatment. They read about it in college, but many just generally work on dogs/cats/etc. Don't be afraid to educate yourself on how to treat their ailments and work WITH your vet sometimes.
If anyone has anything else to add to this (not criticize or complain) please do.
Walter was the star in this post and most recent one for the Cipro drops.... he is now back outside with the ladies and doing fine.
Hope this helps.
Apologies that this is lengthy but understanding it and doing it take some reading. So please take some quick time to READ it if you're having a problem with swollen head, crusty eye, etc. you will find a solution.
I have worked with chickens for over 20 years. I am not going to go into my background and vast pharmacological knowledge and education regarding viral, bacterial, genetic, or systemic issues with chickens. Many of mine last well over 10-14+ years. If you're going to have chickens, you MUST educate yourself on how to care for them and attack any problem immediately when you see it. LOOK at your chickens daily, each and every one of them. Anything odd, search for symptoms you see online and find the solution. Treat your chickens with the right medications and they will recover from most issues, just like humans. Below is my experience and honest opinion for those who search for a cure.
In chickens (all sizes and ages) eye issues abound. You see it here all over the forums. People try everything from flushes, vinegar, yogurt, compresses.... all useless against bacteria which is usually the culprit. That's why the body is swelling, generating mucus, puss, inflammation, etc. It is 99% of the time BACTERIAL.
To those individuals who are compelled to chime in and rant about overuse of antibiotics or use of such in poultry while they hypocritically run to the doctor for antibiotics when they have a cold or allergies.......This post is NOT for you. We know your opinion and that is what it is, we do NOT need to hear it again every time someone mentions antibiotics. Bacteria are smart, overuse or not they are smart will adapt as they self preserve as they always have for millenniums. Staying ahead of them is the job of the researcher and that's another story for another time and place.
Keep in mind when they have an eye infection or swollen sinus or eye - THEY CAN NOT SEE WELL THUS THEY CAN NOT SEE THEIR FOOD their depth perception is off and eating or drinking is difficult. Put one hand over your eye right now and look around the room. You may have to help guide or show your chicken the food and water, peck at it with your finger and help them find or encourage them to it. Stay at it.
The right antibiotic is critical and if you can get with a local vet who can swab the eye or send you home with a kit it takes 24-48 hours to culture and get an answer on what is best to use in terms of pills. If the bird is pooping and eating/drinking normally Clavamox is a preferred prescribed by many vet. For a 2.5lb (1kg) bantam I gave 1/2 of a 125mg tablet morning and evening. Cut pill in half (or quarters if you think smaller pieces would be easier (pill cutters work good for this), pull down on waddle slightly to open mouth their mouth and quickly toss/pop it in -- real quick, let go real fast, they will spit it out or eat it like a lay pellet. Do not shove it in their mouth, you do not want it to go down the wrong hole. Just pop it in the mouth gently and lightly. If they spit it out don't panic, just keep repeating until it actually goes down. You'll get the hang of it and so will they eventually it will take just a sec. I did this for 10 days to cure 3 strains of nasty infection cultured. It's a good broad spectrum antibiotic that generally works on most all issues.
BUT... for anything to do with the eye Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride Ophthalmic solution 0.3 drops are my magic bullet. Yes, flush the eye with contact lens saline solution to help clean it out. Yes, use a q-tip to clean up the crud around the eye or pull eye boogers out of the eye. Yes, if you think there is some foreign object in the eye (metal/wood/rock) take chicken to vet immediately, Yes, if eye was damaged by pecking, scratching, fighting, blunt force, etc. take chicken to vet immediately.
If not and it's just a swollen eye or swollen head, swollen face, etc... it's likely infection deep in the sinus. Head swelling, eye discharge, foaming eye with swollen areas anywhere around the face, head, beak, eyes, it can be any degree of this, slight or severe. Either way, it must be treated ASAP. The bacteria gets in their EYE (somehow remember it's everywhere) and works right into the sinus and grows and multiplies in that moist warm dark happy place. The only way to get to it is to go after it with an antibiotic the exact same way it went inside the sinus cavity in the first place.... through the EYE.
I put 1-2 drops in the eye. (see pics) hold close to eye, squeeze 1 drop just above the eye and it will slide down into the eye, use 1,2,3 until you get 1 drop in the eye. Use q-tip to massage area just in front of corner of eye lightly until you see the eye suck in the liquid, actually pulls this into the eye and sinus. Do not restrain the chicken, have patience until it will stand still and let you work on it. It will, if you give it time to calm down. Use q-tip to gently pull out any goo or slime in the eye corner you see, sometimes thick snot/mucus, just gently pull it out. Use q-tip to make sure nostrils are clear and not clogged. Like a little kid, chickens get stopped up noses and it creates all kinds of problems! Keep nostrils clean.
Within 24 hours, eye started clearing and swelling going down, 3 days later chicken looked normal. Pills, shots, etc. nothing worked like getting that Cipro into the eye and working it into the sinus cavity by using a q-tip to gently massage the area in front of the eye making the eye suck it up into the sinus cavity where you can not reach and the infection really is.
Here are some photos and more info on how to make this work and give your bird the best shot at resolving that deep rooted sinus problem, swollen eye, etc.
If your chicken looks anything like this....
Get yourself some of this (from vet or online source Google it - pigeon people use and sell/buy it online a lot).
Then clean the eye as mentioned above, then let chicken stand or sit there until it calms down a bit. Put hand on other side of face to help support it gently so you can work on it and when chicken is still try to drop a drop above the eye (just touch the skin with the drop and it will dribble down into the eye pocket) most chickens will freak and shake head and sling it everywhere - just do it again until you see the liquid sitting in the eye.
I do not have before pics of the chicken below - but his eye was swollen shut and it looked like a someone shoved a marble under his skin - this happened on one side, then 2 weeks later on the other. Foamy eye, lots of mucus - I pulled out daily 1000 q-tips of mucus strings from his eyes keeping them clear and cleaning removing gunk from his nostrils so he could breathe. Both sides cleared up quickly after the drops were administered. Keep in mind we went through months of Tylan, Baytril, Clavamox, etc. Nothing could get into or after that SINUS BACTERIA because of it's location. Drops were the only thing and worked immediately.
Then use q-tip to gently massage in a circular rubbing motion GENTLY back and forth until you see the drop disappear, do not hold chicken as they will usually open their mouth as the little drop of liquid works through their sinus/nose and into their mouth, they swallow. The Cipro has gone through the eye into the sinus cavity and maybe into the mouth a bit. It's ok. Remember - it's just 1 drop or so. Do this morning lunch and evening or just morning evening depending on severity.
See the drop sitting in the eye or on top of the eye, pull lid down gently with q-tip if you need to so that it is mostly in the eye.
Then see below.... worked into the sinus cavity. If the sinus cavity is too swollen, massage it gently with q-tip anyway and also around the part of the eye where it isn't swollen. Just getting the drop in the eye is a step in the right direction to help the swelling start to go down - may take you a little longer in severe cases, just use your brain and work with it. Think of it as if it was YOUR eye.
Make sure you clean all the goo off their face and that the nostril is not caked with yellow dried or gooey mucus. Clean/check nose 3 times a day so air can get through there and they can also breathe better. Helps dry it up in there too.
Should notice improvement in 24-36 hours. 48 hours on some tough cases.
Keep your chicken in a cage with water/food in warm place (laundry rooms are good for this but not on dryer or washer) and cover with light fabric to keep out draft. These tiny dog kennels work great for TRIAGE setups in your house.
This is in my opinion one of the best line of defenses and treatments for the swollen head/sinus/infected eye issue. BUT when all else fails you must spend the money to take them to the vet if you want to save them but not all vets are really up to speed with chicken / poultry diagnosis and treatment. They read about it in college, but many just generally work on dogs/cats/etc. Don't be afraid to educate yourself on how to treat their ailments and work WITH your vet sometimes.
If anyone has anything else to add to this (not criticize or complain) please do.
Walter was the star in this post and most recent one for the Cipro drops.... he is now back outside with the ladies and doing fine.
Hope this helps.
