[MrsJ]

I got two new hens last week to keep my old one company.  She's been a complete baggage to both of them but things seemed to be settling down.  Today I noticed that the Bluebell has a swollen face on one side and her eye is not fully open.  There's no sign of blood.  Any ideas?

[Mel]

Sounds like infectious Coryza and needs antibiotics.

"Treatment is usually sulfadimethoxine (Albon). If Albon fails or is not available, sulfamethazine, sulfamerazine or erythroymcin (Gallimycin) can be used as alternate treatments. If you have an outbreak, segregate birds by age and dispose of dead bird by incineration. All replacement birds on a "coryza endemic" farm should be vaccinated"

[nic99]

Or could be an absess if she has been pecked and cut by the other one?

[chrismahon]

I am assuming the Bluebell is one of the new birds MrsJ otherwise it could be a transmission. Could be an infection from injury or just swelling from a peck or claw. If it doesn't go down quickly see a vet as there may be a foreign body in there.

[ZacB]

We had some issues with some chicks that we hatched out last year, swollen eye on one, some discharge from nasal area. Turned out to be a Mycoplasma infection. Treated with Denagard via local vet.
Any shaking of the head from side to side? Imagine trying to blow through your nose to clear.

[manian]

hi
going through similar at the moment
got some bids from chelford market...... never again

all are clear now except one
you will need to treat all the flock, you can put in water which we did initially; then we syringed dose to each bird. not difficult

the last one to 'catch' it got the worse eye; so its bathing and clearing blocked nose twice daily, she's been on antibiotics longer and now got some fucithalmic eye cream.
systemic infection clear but wish they had given eye cream  sooner

i think we should really cull her but shes well in herself so isolated and vey comical so we'll perservere...$$$$$$$$

[Big Light]

Sounds like Mycoplasma - its pretty varied depending on bird from swollen face / pus secreting eyes / rattiling breathing / gasping to nothing - some birds may keel over. Need Tylan soluble from the vet asap to stop in spreading / treat those affected - you add it to the water but have to prevent the birds access to other water - it should clear up in a week or 2 -  If Birds are still troubled you can get Tylan injectable ( 200  i think) but the vet has to prescribe again and they are not keen as it can waste a little muscle as a side effect ( i think this  is only a problem on a meat birds!). If the bird still has a puffy face and watery eyes after treatment i would suggest to cull as it will possibly be a carrier and cause reinfection to new birds or chicks. It seems to lower fertility levels also

[MrsJ]

Thanks for all the advice.  Will speak to the vet.

[Mel]

  Possibly Mycoplasma but with Myco you get foamy eye which can completely close,with Infectious Coryza the eye closes with sticky eyelids,the face becomes swollen with either one of these.Mrs J said the face was swollen and did not mention any foam as with Myco.

If it were a scratch there would normally be some evidence of claw marks/scratches and blood.
Hth!

[MrsJ]

No sticky eyelid or foamy one!  She looks much the same today. Not off her food, no smelly poo, no rattling breath, coughing, sneezing - nothing except a bit of a swollen face which is making her eye half close.  Watch this space!

[annies737]

hiya
ive got one hen that sounds a bit like your problem. she was well in her self but had a swelling between her beak and eye. i held her to investigate and looked down her eye and lifted her beak up to see if there was any rubbishy stuff i the cavity and there was. it was like solid hard yellow smelly stuff, i massaged the base of the lump in an up ward movement and eventuly this hard pocket of stuff poped out. it came back a few times but  now she has been free from it for about a year, hope this is helpful

[MrsJ]

Thanks Annie, I'll give it a try.

[MrsJ]

Thanks for all the advice.  I checked in her mouth (that was fun!) but couldnt see anything.  I decided to bide my time and put a drop of cider vinegar in their water (it has anti viral properties) and the problem has cleared up.  I guess I was just panicking.