# What's wrong with My D'Uccle's eyes?



## Goatgirl47 (Sep 4, 2015)

I just noticed that the area around one of my D'Uccles' eyes is watery and swollen. She is acting normal, and I gave her some (homemade) plain yogurt mixed with apple cider vinegar (this has helped previously when one of my chickens had a similar problems), and she ate a tiny bit, but not much. I can post pictures if that would help.

Is there any other natural way to help her? What's wrong with her? I can post pictures if that would help.  I hope she will be alright, she is still raising her 3 month-old chick, and is a very sweet chicken. 


Thanks!


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## Poka_Doodle (Sep 4, 2015)

I won't be able to help without photos, but you have a great treatment start


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 4, 2015)

Did she injure it? Are your birds on cedar shavings? If they are on cedar that could be it.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but typically when you have a bird that watery eyes and has a swollen face it is a disease. 

The most common is Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG). Most poultry owners say its a just a "cold". Truth is chickens can't just catch a cold, it is a disease. MG is in over 80% of backyard and exhibition flocks. You can have carriers that don't show symptoms, so just because your chickens _look_ healthy doesn't mean they don't have it. Very few (less then 5 in the country) backyard/show poultry breeders test regularly for this disease because its simply everywhere. Once your birds have it they have it for life. Many will argue that it is even possible for one to have a MG free flock. Many also say its no big deal. 

You will usually see a MG outbreak when your birds have gone through something stressful. It could be from introducing new birds, new building, weather change,a show etc etc.    

Check out this link below-
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 4, 2015)

It doesn't look like she injured it, and there are wood chips (I don't know what kind of wood chips they are as we got them for free from a wooden chipper in town) on the floor of the coop. It might have some cedar in it. Is it ok to eat their eggs and meat if they have MG? Mia is looking a lot better and the bubbles are gone from her eyes, and they aren't as watery as before. Her left eye is a little worse than her left, and it has a small bump on it right above her eye.

Here are pictures:


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## babsbag (Sep 4, 2015)

Yes, you can eat the eggs. I am sure I have/had MG in my flock but haven't seen it in years. But the bubbles in the eyes and the swollen eye is something I used to see quite often; maybe all those hens are gone, it has been a long long time.  I would always inject them with Tylan 50 and it would clear it up, but they are NOT cured, they are carriers for life.


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## Poka_Doodle (Sep 5, 2015)

Okay, I am not the person who likes to do this because I have had troubles, but I think surely BYC people would know more than us even though my main animal are chickens


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 5, 2015)

The bubbles are back in her eyes, I think its because I forgot to give her ACV and yogurt yesterday evening.  I will give her some more 3 times today if she is willing to eat it.

@babsbag we raise broilers every year, and is it ok to eat their meat if they have MG? 

Thank you all so much!


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 5, 2015)

Poka_Doodle said:


> Okay, I am not the person who likes to do this because I have had troubles, but I think surely BYC people would know more than us even though my main animal are chickens



Ok, thanks, I just started a thread on BYC a few minutes ago. Here's the link  : http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1018865/whats-wrong-with-my-duccles-eyes


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 5, 2015)

I beg to differ polka doodle 

I was on BYC many years ago, back when they had the old platform. I left because it had so many crazies and I don't have the time (that may have changed now)

Our farm has bred over 20 different breeds of chickens and just a few years ago we had over 300 chickens. We fed by the bag....not the scoop  We hatched several hundred chicks a year. Oh don't forget the ducks, geese, and turkeys either.  I know very much about MG- years ago we went thru testing and were negative. We had a very strict bio security program (and still do) and would do a shock treatment to any hatching eggs we would ship in. 

Honestly, it seems that no one on byc knows poultry diseases. Of course they know about the big diseases but what about the nitty gritty stuff? Most will say its just a cold, no big deal, it just happens. But these are the same folks are truly not educated about the illness itself.

IOW I am not a novice but I'm not a know it all either.

We have now downsized to only about 100 chickens with a few geese and turkeys, along with a duck.


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 5, 2015)

To the op,

It's hard for me see on this iPad but does it look like fowl pox? I can't tell if she has a wart or if it's a feather.

Also if you are ever suspect of something going on get that bird in isolation asap!


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## Poka_Doodle (Sep 5, 2015)

Goat Whisperer said:


> I beg to differ polka doodle
> 
> I was on BYC many years ago, back when they had the old platform. I left because it had so many crazies and I don't have the time (that may have changed now)
> 
> ...


I left BYC from an email crash, I got that email up again, but didn't get to stay with BYC. I have many friends there that I miss, and I will go back to say goodbye in the future. I try to take care of all chicken things here myself. I just knew the best decision would be to send her to BYC


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## babsbag (Sep 5, 2015)

I think that @Goat Whisperer has most likely diagnosed it correctly and if it isn't MG it is certainly another respiratory infection. Personally I would treat with Tylan 50 if you are going to save her. Mycoplasmas do not respond to other antibiotics (I have it in my goat herd so I know this first hand). She may recover but will be a carrier so it all depends on what you intent is for your flock. If they are just for you and some eggs you are good, if you are going to raise and sell chicks or hatching eggs...then not so good.

There is no harm in eating the broilers. Myco spreads slowly, they probably won't even get sick in the short time you have them.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 5, 2015)

@Goat Whisperer I don't think she has any warts, but the thing above her (left) eye is a bump with a scab on it.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 5, 2015)

babsbag said:


> I think that @Goat Whisperer has most likely diagnosed it correctly and if it isn't MG it is certainly another respiratory infection. Personally I would treat with Tylan 50 if you are going to save her. Mycoplasmas do not respond to other antibiotics (I have it in my goat herd so I know this first hand). She may recover but will be a carrier so it all depends on what you intent is for your flock. If they are just for you and some eggs you are good, if you are going to raise and sell chicks or hatching eggs...then not so good.
> 
> There is no harm in eating the broilers. Myco spreads slowly, they probably won't even get sick in the short time you have them.



What is Tylan 50?  Sorry...

We don't sell any hatching eggs or chicks, but we sometimes sell or giveaway our older hens.


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## babsbag (Sep 5, 2015)

Tylan 50 is an antibiotic. You can get it at Tractor Supply. I inject it under the skin in the neck at the base of the head. Can also do it in the breast. Dose is about .25cc for three days. I do mine subQ but many do the breast muscle.  You need a tiny TB syringe.

Tylan is the only drug that will work on Mycoplasmas.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 6, 2015)

Ok, thanks.


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## Poka_Doodle (Sep 6, 2015)

Goatgirl47 said:


> Ok, thanks.


Let me know on the result, I am a D'Uccle owner myself, mine are for show though


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 7, 2015)

Poka_Doodle said:


> Let me know on the result, I am a D'Uccle owner myself, mine are for show though




Alright. Hopefully our TSC has Tylan 50, I've never seen it there before.

@babsbag now two more of our D'Uccles' have a swelling at the corner of their beaks, I should treat them with Tylan 50 too, right?


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## babsbag (Sep 7, 2015)

I would treat them too. Respiratory diseases are almost always contagious.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 9, 2015)

My Mom went to get Tylan 50, but it wasn't there, so instead she got Tylan 200. It says that it is for cattle and swine only. So I definitely can't use it for the D'Uccle's, right?


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 9, 2015)

We have been putting Colloidal Silver on the sores around their eyes/beaks, and they all look slightly better.


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 9, 2015)

If they are getting sores its probably fowl pox and not MG. Do y'all deal with a lot of mosquitoes?

Can you get any better pics?


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 9, 2015)

Yes, we have a lot of mosquitos, and knats. I will go and take pictures now.


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## babsbag (Sep 9, 2015)

I agree with @Goat Whisperer...sores does not sound like MG.

You could use the Tylan 200 but it would be a mega small dose and the 50 is easier on chickens, or so I am told. It is the same drug, the 200 is just more potent. It seems that most people give the 200 orally, and the suggested dose varies but I would use about 1/4 cc given orally to a chicken weighing about 6.5 lbs


If it is fowl pox it is a virus and it will run its course.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 9, 2015)

The first two are of Mia (the original D'Uccle I wrote this thread about), and this morning her left eye was sealed shut, and her right eye looked terrible. But now she looks a little bit better, and her left eye is open and just has some gooey stuff in it.
The next two are of Sally (and her chick), and she just has a lump/sore (?) on her beak. 
The last one is Susie, she has a sore on the corner of her mouth and so her beak is always slightly open.

Here are the pictures:
Her left eye is just closed in this picture,

 

 
Here is Sally,
 
 
And poor Susie


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 11, 2015)

@babsbag or @Goat Whisperer do you think it's fowl pox or MG?

Thank you so much for the help...


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## Ferguson K (Sep 11, 2015)

Looks like fowl pox to me.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 11, 2015)

None of my other chickens seem to have it yet, and the D'Uccle's are getting a little better since I've put Colloidal Silver on their sores.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 11, 2015)

Ferguson K said:


> Looks like fowl pox to me.



Thanks!


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## babsbag (Sep 11, 2015)

I agree, fowl pox. MG won't make sores. There are two kinds of pox, wet and dry. Wet can be in the mouth and it can kill them by blocking their breathing. It will look like egg yolk; also can be literally on their eyeball. I lost one to wet pox; its throat was just full of it and it wouldn't eat... had another lose its eye. The dry will be scabs or sores that will just dry up. They say the entire flock will get it, but I  had maybe 5 or 6 out of 30. Once they get it they are usually immune. Really not a lot you can do but wait.  Much better pox than MG.


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## Ferguson K (Sep 11, 2015)

The worst thing about fowl pox is there's nothing you can do but wait it out.


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 11, 2015)

I think its pox.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 13, 2015)

Now all of my D'Uccle's (four) have it, and so far the rest of our chickens don't.  

@babsbag three of them appear to have dry fowl pox, and Susie, the one in the last picture, has wet fowl pox?


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## babsbag (Sep 13, 2015)

Wet pox will be in the eye or the mouth. With dry there will be scabs on the unfeathered parts of the body. It can take 10-12 weeks to go through a flock and about 10-12 days of sores once the bird gets it. I really had very few come down with it, mostly my easter eggers got it. Hopefully your little outbreak is limited.


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## Goatgirl47 (Sep 24, 2015)

Here's an update: 

Mia, Susie and Sally are doing much better, except that Sally still has the bump on her beak. Here are pictures of them (sorry they are not very good pictures):

Mia,

 
Susie,
 
& Sally
 
Here is Hazel, the last of our D'Uccles to get Fowl Pox. She is not doing very well at all, she's not eating, and her eyes are sealed shut. Is there anything I can do for her?
 
 
Four or five of our standard sized chickens have it too, I think. I took pictures of two of them, here they are:
Honey
 
& Ezra. Her face looks a little weird in this picture, for some reason...
 

Mia's chick looks like she is coming down with it too, around her the corner of her mouth.
You can't see it very well in this picture, though.


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## Poka_Doodle (Sep 24, 2015)

Sorry nothing that I can do. There seems to be something with us members that have D'Uccles that our D'Uccles are getting


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## babsbag (Sep 25, 2015)

You could put wet warm compresses on her eyes and see if you can unseal them. If she can see she might eat. Offer her bright red food, tomatoes, and strawberries are good.


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## Goatgirl47 (Oct 1, 2015)

babsbag said:


> You could put wet warm compresses on her eyes and see if you can unseal them. If she can see she might eat. Offer her bright red food, tomatoes, and strawberries are good.



Sorry, this is a week late but, I did put a warm compress on her eyes, and one of them did open. Instead of giving her strawberries or tomatoes (I don't think she would of eaten it) I gave her some chicken food and she ate a little bit, and drank a lot of water. Right now she is doing much better, her eyes are open and she is eating and drinking fine.

Sally, just lost the bump on her beak yesterday (I think) and she is missing the top layer of her beak where the bump used to be. Any suggestions? I will take pictures if need be.


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## Poka_Doodle (Dec 24, 2015)

How are they now?


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## Goatgirl47 (Dec 24, 2015)

They are all back to their loud, and demanding selves. 
They all look fine, except a few days ago one of them (Hazel) had watery eyes, but the next day she was back to normal.


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## lcertuche (Jan 8, 2017)

I sometimes put oregano in the chickens' water. Some organic commercial chicken farms are using this for a natural antibiotic for their birds. Oregano is cheap at the Mexican store here where I live.


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