Conjunctivitis in Chickens

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by Corey
(Missouri)

Question:

Conjunctivitis in Chickens: I think that some of our chickens might have this. We have had a 6 chickens die so far? Their eyes close up and turn kind of white.

They wont eat or drink and in a few days they are dead. This started shortly after we first got our chickens. I bought 8 chickens and one rooster from a farmer that raises a lot of different kinds of chickens.

I didn't want to raise babies so I got full grown chickens from him. Then we received 5 hens and another rooster from a friend. We built a separate pen for them. They are all fine.

Answer:
Conjunctivitis is a simple infection of the conjunctive tissue surrounding the eyeball, and probably wouldn't lead to death in just a few days, unless, being blinded by the collection of infected discharge, they are unable to find food and water for days.

Anytime this condition goes untreated, blind chickens will certainly die from malnutrition, but not the eye infection directly.

My guess is that more serious disease is at the root of this, though conjunctivitis is highly contagious, even to humans.

Anytime you notice such a condition it's vital that you clean the eyes, as often as they get "mattered" shut and apply an antibiotic eye salve to fight off the infection.

If the eyeballs have actually turned white that would mean the infection has damaged the surface tissue of the eyeball. Sometimes this is reversible.

This flock with the eye problem was possibly in poor health when you bought them, though you didn't say how long you've had them.

Poor nutrition causes a weak immune system that is unable to fight off infections easily, or worst case, not at all.

Similar eye infections can be a sign of an upper respiratory infection that can usually be treated with the appropriate antibiotic.

Your first line of defense against health issues is to make sure your flock has a good diet rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates and raw vegetation, like grasses, fruits and vegetables.

Overcrowding can stress a flock allowing for weak immunities and fast spread of disease when it occurs.

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