Puffy eyes out of nowhere.

[megansmagnificents]

Greetings,

2 of my girls out of nowhere are displaying puffy eye lids.
Late discovery today & totally out of nowhere.
Of course I went down the Google rabbit hole and am convinced it might be mycoplasma.
I am calling the Vet first thing in the AM.
Part of my panic is obviously I love them - but I also have 5 10 week old pullets that would be joining the gang in coming weeks. I sure hope it's not a lifelong disease as they're all young. Anyone have great insight to a sudden case like this??

One note: I am in Upstate NY and we got nailed hard with dangerous smoke levels from the Canada wildfires. May mean nothing but worth mentioning.

Unrelated or possibly related (but that would maybe be weird): They are all molting a little bit in spots - mostly back and some girls a little around the neck. I have a mixed breed flock. They are 15 months old. It is clearly not time for an actual molt-molt. I've been scanning like crazy for mites / lice and am psycho about cleanliness. I see no trace of anything like that whatsoever.

Thank you in advance.

 

[BastyPutt]

Hello there

Unfortunately there are quite a few things it could be, or not be, in the case of some eye irritation. But the fact they are both showing similar swelling, would lead me to believe it isn't an irritation.

MG, Infectious Coryza (IC) and others will usually be accompanied by labored or rattled breathing, nasal discharge, lethargy and/or diarrhea. Having seen a share of MG eye swelling in y mothers flock, this appears to be more of a swollen face, and looks more like IC - but again, speculation with them being asymptotic otherwise.

With the absence of any other symptoms, I'd suggest starting with liberally rinsing the eyes with saline eye wash. If it is an irritation, you'll need to get the puss out of their eyes. You can use you fingers or a moist q-tip, pushing toward eye.

After you've done your best there, apply a triple antibiotic (that doesn't have pain reliever in it) on and around the eye. It is okay to glop it right in there, on the eye. They will work it around and out.

In terms of bio security, if they do have an infectious RD, it is highly likely that any other birds they have been around are also now infected. However, it would be wise to quarantine these birds until you know more.

Obviously the vet will be a good resource. But, if they don't see avian or backyard poultry often, I can attest to the folks here and their knowledge. @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous are all great diagnosticians and will also be able to further help with treatment.

I will say in the meantime, if the vet doesn't prescribe an antibiotic, you'll want to see if you can find them ASAP (if you don't have any on hand). Good ones are tylosin, doxycycline, and oxytetracycline in the event it is MG or sulfadimethoxine for Coryza. They will be very difficult to get in the coming months, so the sooner you can possibly get them on hand the better.

Edit: Denegard would also be an option. I am less familiar with this one, but have seen it going around more here in the forums.

 

[megansmagnificents]

Hello there

Unfortunately there are quite a few things it could be, or not be, in the case of some eye irritation. But the fact they are both showing similar swelling, would lead me to believe it isn't an irritation.

MG, Infectious Coryza (IC) and others will usually be accompanied by labored or rattled breathing, nasal discharge, lethargy and/or diarrhea. Having seen a share of MG eye swelling in y mothers flock, this appears to be more of a swollen face, and looks more like IC - but again, speculation with them being asymptotic otherwise.

With the absence of any other symptoms, I'd suggest starting with liberally rinsing the eyes with saline eye wash. If it is an irritation, you'll need to get the puss out of their eyes. You can use you fingers or a moist q-tip, pushing toward eye.

After you've done your best there, apply a triple antibiotic (that doesn't have pain reliever in it) on and around the eye. It is okay to glop it right in there, on the eye. They will work it around and out.

In terms of bio security, if they do have an infectious RD, it is highly likely that any other birds they have been around are also now infected. However, it would be wise to quarantine these birds until you know more.

Obviously the vet will be a good resource. But, if they don't see avian or backyard poultry often, I can attest to the folks here and their knowledge. @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous are all great diagnosticians and will also be able to further help with treatment.

I will say in the meantime, if the vet doesn't prescribe an antibiotic, you'll want to see if you can find them ASAP (if you don't have any on hand). Good ones are tylosin, doxycycline, and oxytetracycline in the event it is MG or sulfadimethoxine for Coryza. They will be very difficult to get in the coming months, so the sooner you can possibly get them on hand the better.

Edit: Denegard would also be an option. I am less familiar with this one, but have seen it going around more here in the forums.

Thank you so much for this response. This is our first rodeo with this and as you know with chickens - it could one of so many things! There are currently no other RD-like symptoms luckily. I did happen to have terramycin ointment and put some on after flushing the eyes with water. That said, it doesn't help the systemic part. I did order several antibiotics to have on hand - unfortunately not those specific ones so I just did that, too. This vet minored in avian so hopefully I can get them seen asap. If not, I'll ask if she'd consider looking at pics and giving me something until she can see us. Thank you for those other mentions - will surely note that! The stress here beyond sick girls is what that means for the 5 babies that were supposed to be incoming soon - I will need to get to the bottom of this clearly. Free ranging - good for them or not? There are so many cooties they can pick up but they are so much happier when they do. I supervise them but all it takes is eating one thing - or being exposed to pathogens humans cannot see. Then there is the fear of the what if's around the avian flu. It's so hard to know what the right answer is. Ugh.

 

[BastyPutt]

Free ranging - good for them or not?

If these are the only two chickens then free ranging would probably be good. I don't see it hurting anything.

This issue with the RD in chickens is how contagious they are. Scientifically I don't know the exact half life of them, but I know that if I were to interact with an infected flock, and didn't wash my hands and change my clothes, it is possible for me to pass it onto my chickens.

But - positive vibes here heading your way that your birds do not intact have anything serious

Then there is the fear of the what if's around the avian flu

This was really hyped up and wasn't nearly as extreme as it was made out to be. Just making sure you are limiting any kind of contact with wild birds. Especially things like crows and vultures.

Sounds like you've got a great start on treating them. I'm sure the others mentioned will have more to add. In the meantime, if you're able to get some photos of their poop. Save them for the vet and/or upload them here, it could maybe give a few more clues as to what we have going on

 

[Eggcessive]

Swollen eyelids could be from pecking, stings, getting debris in the eye, or mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG, CRD.) Testing is the only way to know for sure. Culling one and sending the body for a necropsy is one way, or to send off for testing materials. Zoologix lab will do that. I would go ahead and treat for MG with Tylosin powder in the 2 chicken‘s water. Get it from Jedds.com online, and ask to expedite shipping. Dosage is 1 tsp per gallon of water for 3-5 days. Clean the eyes twice a day with saline or eye wash, and apply the Terramycin into the eye. Have you added a new bird to the flock in the last few weeks? Do wild birds drink or eat out of your chicken’s feeders? Adding new chicks or older birds is how most people introduce a respiratory disease.

 

[BastyPutt]

Do wild birds drink or eat out of your chicken’s feeders?

I believe I was the one who introduced the wild birds to the thread after OP had mentioned previous concerns of avian flu. They havent actually mentioned wild birds in contact with the chickens.

 

[megansmagnificents]

I believe I was the one who introduced the wild birds to the thread after OP had mentioned previous concerns of avian flu. They havent actually mentioned wild birds in contact with the chickens.

Hello. Update. Took one girl to the Vet and ran pretty much every test you can. The Dr had no exact insight. All is being sent to Cornell. 2 more of my girls now have swelling making it 5 out of 8. I would not say it's extreme but it's definitely something. All other behavior / energy is status quo, layings eggs, eating, drinking, making chatter/noise. The vet visit was good to start the ball rolling on the tests - but she would not treat the flock. Which makes it all a bit pointless. She sent me home with Clavacillin and eyedrops for 1 chicken. Apparently NY state has gotten crazy with antibiotics for 'food' animals (which they are not & I can obviously stand to toss eggs for a month or 2). So today I have a visiting vet driving 2 hours to me. I hope she can glean more. I definitely might be overreacting but I'm not going to wait until this is full throttle.
Re: environment. They are in a covered run - but they do free range. As far as avian flu, it just takes the droppings of 1 infected bird. It has not been to my county or nearby ones since the start in 2022 - but not impossible as I do live near a reservoir. Surely that would terrible but let's hope not. I know I mentioned the awful smoke we had in NY state from the Canada fires - even I felt sick. Wondering if is gestated and went into a bacterial infection and just took a while. Or coryza. Or MG.
Question on MG - never goes away really. How does one put new babies into that situation. Or do they not? Can they be vax'd?
I'm spinning - don't know anything until those tests come in.
ps- I did do a sleuth order of all the things from Jedd's

 

[Kiki]

Hello. Update. Took one girl to the Vet and ran pretty much every test you can. The Dr had no exact insight. All is being sent to Cornell. 2 more of my girls now have swelling making it 5 out of 8. I would not say it's extreme but it's definitely something. All other behavior / energy is status quo, layings eggs, eating, drinking, making chatter/noise. The vet visit was good to start the ball rolling on the tests - but she would not treat the flock. Which makes it all a bit pointless. She sent me home with Clavacillin and eyedrops for 1 chicken. Apparently NY state has gotten crazy with antibiotics for 'food' animals (which they are not & I can obviously stand to toss eggs for a month or 2). So today I have a visiting vet driving 2 hours to me. I hope she can glean more. I definitely might be overreacting but I'm not going to wait until this is full throttle.
Re: environment. They are in a covered run - but they do free range. As far as avian flu, it just takes the droppings of 1 infected bird. It has not been to my county or nearby ones since the start in 2022 - but not impossible as I do live near a reservoir. Surely that would terrible but let's hope not. I know I mentioned the awful smoke we had in NY state from the Canada fires - even I felt sick. Wondering if is gestated and went into a bacterial infection and just took a while. Or coryza. Or MG.
Question on MG - never goes away really. How does one put new babies into that situation. Or do they not? Can they be vax'd?
I'm spinning - don't know anything until those tests come in.
ps- I did do a sleuth order of all the things from Jedd's

I see no point in having a second vet come out to your house if the first vet already sent the sample in to be tested.
I would recommend waiting to get the results before you start making plans on how to proceed.
MG doesn't just go away and if it is that you are going to want to keep your flock as stress free as possible to prevent reoccurring outbreaks/symptoms.
Some people don't mind having to constantly give their birds antibiotics and some people would rather not have to deal with it at all and decide to cull their flock and start over.

 

[megansmagnificents]

Swollen eyelids could be from pecking, stings, getting debris in the eye, or mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG, CRD.) Testing is the only way to know for sure. Culling one and sending the body for a necropsy is one way, or to send off for testing materials. Zoologix lab will do that. I would go ahead and treat for MG with Tylosin powder in the 2 chicken‘s water. Get it from Jedds.com online, and ask to expedite shipping. Dosage is 1 tsp per gallon of water for 3-5 days. Clean the eyes twice a day with saline or eye wash, and apply the Terramycin into the eye. Have you added a new bird to the flock in the last few weeks? Do wild birds drink or eat out of your chicken’s feeders? Adding new chicks or older birds is how most people introduce a respiratory disease.

Thanks for the response. So many variables, I have 5 new babies but they have had almost no contact with my older girls. That said, I have had them in the yard in different areas at the same time. And of course I have worn the same clothes when attending to both. The babies are fine, no symptoms & now 100% quarantining them in the basement. I was going to try to incorporate them into the flock in the next few weeks so this is a real bummer. I also pulled my 3 hens without swelling and have them in a different coop/run.

Re: wild birds. They have no access to my flocks food/water. Metal roofed run.

 

[Kiki]

Thanks for the response. So many variables, I have 5 new babies but they have had almost no contact with my older girls. That said, I have had them in the yard in different areas at the same time. And of course I have worn the same clothes when attending to both. The babies are fine, no symptoms & now 100% quarantining them in the basement. I was going to try to incorporate them into the flock in the next few weeks so this is a real bummer. I also pulled my 3 hens without swelling and have them in a different coop/run.

Re: wild birds. They have no access to my flocks food/water. Metal roofed run.

Splitting up the big girls like this isn't a good idea. Whatever this swollen eyed girls have the others have already been exposed to, so there's absolutely no point in removing them from the flock. Removing those can cause unnecessary stress to both of the groups of birds and you may have more issues trying to iterate them back together.