AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

She is 20 weeks old, wormed and treated for mites 2 months ago. She and the 3 others are healthy and I let them out for a free range for 2-3 hours each afternoon. She was fine about 4pm but just now I notice she is holding one eye shut, even though she is walking round and eating in the garden. She opens it from time to time briefly. It is kind windy now and my husband and I just got showered with old fir needles from the big tree. Could she have grit in her eye? Should I wash it out with human eye wash? Any other advice?

Thanks so much. They''ll be in bed in 20 minutes so wanted to know if there's anything I should do now - or wait and see how she is in the morning.

Bobkat

I can't help you with weather or not to wash her eye out as I have no idea about that. But it is possible that one of the other girls pecked at her eye. Especially if she is lower in the pack. So maybe see if it looks like there is any damage to the eye? Hope someone else can help.

Flushing the eye with saline eye wash or even just clean water may help to remove any debris that may be in the eye.
You may have to lift each eyelid to make sure that the flush gets in there to dislodge anything that may have been trapped under the eyelids- if she is quiet enough to allow you to do this, that is!!

If the surface of the eye appears damaged then you really need to see a vet to get a suitable eye ointment.

You may just find that by today the eye is already a lot better and you may not have to do anything at all.

Good luck.

She seems perfectly fine this morning so am hoping I don't have to do anything. I'll keep an eye on her to be sure she doesn't get an infection etc.

It is a plausible theory that she was pecked, although she seems the dominant one. She calls "bed" and is generally first up to roost; first to eat treats and first in and out the door when I let them out or lock them in. I'm only unsure because I've never seen her peck anyone. She seems the boldest, very curious and extremely calm and non-aggressive (which makes me hope she is top chook). Second behind her in most things is the Australorp, now at 20 weeks getting a bit bigger than the RIR. Is this challenging behaviour? Beetle (Australorp) will run at any of the other 3 chooks, they will both face each other, stretching their bodies tall and necks up high and either look straight at each other or go beak-to-beak. It doesn't involve pecking or screeching and Beetle does it to the others, too. Challenge or not, it quite possibly how Ladybird (RIR) got a peck in the eye!

So far I count myself lucky there's been no pecking, screeching, pushing off from food etc whatsoever. They did all come from the same place and 3 of the 4 raised in the same pen when I got them at 8 weeks. I'm hoping they remain like this but perhaps as they mature, things might get a bit more feisty. No eggs yet........