[riapapp]

Hi!

Today I noticed one of my chickens won't open her eye. She seems a bit under the weather too as if she had a cold, is very quiet. I washed her eye and she opened it for a little while then shut it again. There doens't seem to be any discharge but the eye looks a bit watery. She was eating this morning but I now isolated her indoors. Could it be just a cold or something more serious?
any advice appreciated
Thank you

[compostqueen]

If she just had a poorly eye she would otherwise probably be quite chirpy. It sounds like something more sinister is going on here if she is so unwell. Hens will close their eyes if they are poorly.  Hens can become unwell very quickly but unfortunately for their keepers by the time the hens shows signs of being ill it's too late.  Keeping her warm indoors in a box might make her perk up a bit.  She might need an antibiotic from the vet though

On the poultry pages there is a list of poultry vets which has been compiled by ourselves. Hopefully there will be one near you. 

[helens-hens]

Does she have a nasal discharge or 'bubbling' around her nostrils? Also does she make a rattly noise when breathing? Hens can get respiratory problems such as mycoplasma which can also affect their eyes. If it is this then it is best to go to the vet as they need antibiotics to ensure it clears up properly. Having said this, if it is just the 1 eye then this may not be the cause.

How old is your hen & is she still laying? Have they been wormed recently?

If she is inside make sure that she still has access to food & water and I would try & encourage her to eat / drink. If indoors keep her in a cool room as you don't want her to get used to too warm an atmosphere.


How is she now (I can see you left this post a few hours ago)?

[Brood of Bournemouth]

She may have been pecked in the eye by another hen, if she is unwell then she could be prone to being bullied by others. I would syringe a weak salt/water mix into the affected eye at least twice a day.

[jhub]

If it's just a sore eye (and no other symptoms which would require seeing a vet) you could try Golden Eye ointment or Drops.

[CattinJ]

If it's just a sore eye (as above) then you can try a solution of cold tea. Soak a cotton wool ball in the cold/luke warm tea, squeeze off excess and press against here eye (not too hard obv) for 10 secs or so, repeat twice daily.  Grannyannie suggested this for one of mine a couple of years ago and it actually worked!