eye infections in day old chicks

by bobby coward
(waynesville ,nc u.s.)

I have had problems with one day old hatchery chicks with eye infections.

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It is difficult to say what your day old chicks are suffering from as you haven't given me a lot of information to go on. I am also not sure if you inherited these chicks, or whether you own the hatchery.

First of all, nine times out of ten, poultry diseases are caused by poor poultry management. I say this time, and time again. If coops and barns are cleaned regularly, and I mean at least every 3-4 weeks, chickens are fed correctly, they are kept in housing that is free from draughts and is totally dry in the wet season, checked regularly for mites, ticks and lice, and there is no overcrowding, disease doesn't exist.

However, when one or more of the above are ignored in keeping chickens, then we run into problems with disease.

With the little information you have given me, if your chickens have watery eyes, and no other symptoms I can only offer that you add enough Condy's crystals to their drinking water so that it turns a light pink. Condy's crystals is an excellent germicide.

If you have only a few chicks, and they not only have watery eyes but also mucus coming out of their nostrils, you can also bathe their heads with water that has Condy's crystals added to it, this time, the water should be a deeper pink.

If, on the other hand your chicks have closed eyes, ruffled feathers, white diarrhea and are gasping they have a very common disease in young chicks, and that is Bacillary White Diarrhea.

Mortality with this disease is high, and those who recover are often carriers. You can treat your chickens with Amoxycillin but if you get a vet in to confirm this, it would be better to cull.

I could go on and on, talking about Newcastle's Diseases, Infectious Bronchitis, Coryza etc. Without the symptoms known, it really is just a stab in the dark.

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm Lifestyles