[Catsmuvva]

One of my 5 week old chicks is wandering around this morning with one eye half closed. Apart from that, it seems well.

Any advice please?

[joyfull]

has it been pecked or got scratched by anything? Clean it's eye up and see if there is any sign of infection - it may need eye drops from a vet if it has.

[Catsmuvva]

I've cleaned it up with some cooled boiled water, the eye doesn't appear as bright as the other and the eyelids seem to be a bit swollen, but no sign of injury.

I've got some Fucithalmic vet eye drops in the fridge which states for dogs, cats & rabbits - worth trying those?

[Catsmuvva]

Checked with the vet, those drops ok as a stopgap but advised to buy golden eye ointment when I can get to a chemist.

A bit worried as it's started to hang around Patches a lot, wants it's mum   
Also heard it & one of the others sneeze...

[Colernehens]

We had something similar with one of our chicks about 3 weeks ago. We kept a close watch on things and regularly bathed the eye. It got no worse, but it didn't get better either, so we got some Tylan powder from the vet, gave a short course to all the chicks (his advice in case it was contagious) for three days and the one with closed eye has been as right as reign ever since.

[joyfull]

yes the sneezing can be the start of a respiritory infection and a broad spectrum antibiotic may be needed for them all - baytril, tylan, aureomycin, denegard etc should all work.
Now you have mentioned the sneezing the swollen eye could also be a symptom of mycoplasma 

[Catsmuvva]

I've got some Tylan left from when Bobby was on anti-b's a couple of weeks ago (after the vet checked her over & found nothing, I noticed her foot was swollen when I got home - bumblefoot, hence off colour & not laying, Tylan prescribed followed by minor surgery to get the gunge out  )

There's enough to make up 2ltr, I'll make it up for them today, go for the belt & braces approach   

[Catsmuvva]

I've just been looking into the possibility of buying some more Tylan direct but as it's a POM-V med I'd need to get a prescription from my vet.

I've already spent about £14 on just 9 grams from my vet (8 birds were drinking the dosed water as I'm unable to separate off 1 bird at the moment as Patches is rearing her chicks in the sick bay) but with a scrip I could buy 100gm for just over £18. Wow! that's some mark up. The down side? The vet wants £12 for a scrip...   

Is it me...?

[Catsmuvva]

Good news - the belt & braces approach has worked, the swollen, dull eye is back to normal & I've not heard any sneezing!   

[bantam novice]

That's great news