Kayte Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Our new bantams have been fighting and newbie seems to have been pecked in the eye although i can't guarantee it wasn't like that before (we only got her yesterday). The eyeball itself seems fine and is moving normally but the surrounding skin is slightly puffy and weepy and she keeps getting grass and stray feathers stuck to it. I am thinking that when husband gts home we could bathe it in a very dilute salt and cooled boiled water mix. does this sound ok? Are chickens quite hardy? i know our cat got into all kinds of trouble vry quickly when he had a small cut on his foot and the vet said that cats can get very ill very quickly - is this the same for birds? luckily she has stood up for herself so the other girls don't seem that interested in her eye anymore. if she was human i guess it would be eye washes and antibiotics... Any advice? Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Salt water bathe sounds perfect. Poor girl. If it stays sore and starts to produce gunky matter, a trip to the vets is on order. If she has something under her lid, it could cause a corneal abrasion. Very nasty. Cooled tea (no milk, no sugar! ) is super for soothing sore eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kayte Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 thanks, we've had some progress - we spoke to the breeder today who sounded quite concerned and wants to have her back. This is really good of her as it shows that she has the birds welfare at heart. I hope there is some treatment. She has suggested swapping her but then the hen fight starts again! this is starting to get me down as i feel my lack of knowledge is putting the chickens under unnecessary stress. I guess if she treats her and then we have her back it would be like having a new chicken anyway... and in the meantime little Wally will become the focus of the bullying again. feeling a bit glum about this, which is a shame because they are beautiful girls. Kayte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Decent of the breeder to take her back. Another hen might react differently to the bullying, and stand up for herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 My Milly had a problem with her eye. I tried the salted water bathing for a few days but it didn't really seem to clear it - still puffy and eye staying closed. We took her to the vets and he gave her an antibiotic injection (he was a bit paranoid about Mycoplasmia going around in case it had come from that, she had been seeming off colour - afterwards told me he didn't think it was ) and some antibiotic cream to put on her eye twice a day. This was last Thursday (at vets) and today is the first day that her eye looks normal - stopped cream yesterday. I would say if it doesn't clear with just bathing take her to the vets. Poor Milly's eye was bloodshot when the vet opened it up a bit so she did need a helping hand. I think she either got pecked or caught it on something - she isn't normally low down in pecking order, quite the opposite. Best of luck - hopefully it will clear for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
