# Eye problem



## starsevol (Jan 11, 2013)

I am new to keeping chickens. The last few days my buff orpington has been scratching her face, I never thought anything of it, until tonight. Any idea what this could be, and how I can help her?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's a very good pic but . . .

Maybe a little too close. Is there a slight puffiness under the eye?

Have you checked her for mites? I can see little black spots but can't tell if its mites or just particles of dirt.


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## starsevol (Jan 11, 2013)

When I got her a month ago the breeder used frontline on her, and I use de in her coop and nesting box. Her coop is new 
....would mites do this to her eye? From what I am seeing the next steps would be to flush her eye with saline solution and apply neosporin
. What would you do if she were yours?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

First, do not use Neosporin in her eye. It is not formulated to be used in the eye and can irritate more than the existing problem. You can get antibiotic eye ointment from your vet or the feed store. I don't see any reason to rinse or treat her eye. 

Yes, mites will cause them to scratch around their faces. That's one of the early warnings most of the time that something is up.

Frontline only works for a set amount of time. Less than 30 days. DE is not better than sand for dust bathing. Old coop, new coop really doesn't matter either. Mites will find their way in. Just the girls going outside can bring them back in to the coop. Depending on where you live they can either be a minor issue or a royal pain in the behind.


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## starsevol (Jan 11, 2013)

They do have a sandy dust bath area, which they really love. I am really new at this but I thought that it took a little time for a coop to gent infested with mites. I have had the girls since may 18 and the coop was finished on the same day. I live in a suburban plat, on a quarter acre with neighbors all around. 

Thank you so much for trying to help me here.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Every one of us was in the same place you're in now. Asking questions is how we all learn, its far better to do no harm by asking then to do something that causes more harm. So, you did the right thing. 

I'll give you an unrelated to chicken issue that I dealt with. I lived on a boat, the boat was docked nearly two hundred feet down the dock from land. My boat ended up infested with fleas. I finally figured out that the fleas were jumping on my pants legs when I walked from my vehicle to the boat. If the population exists it doesn't take much to have them be present in places you don't want them. 

Part of raising chickens is dealing with parasites. Learning how best to deal with them. Once you get in to it a little bit more you'll recognize when its time to take action automatically. 

Considering where you are in this whole chicken raising thing, I would do a good look. Make sure that what I saw were bugs in the pic you posted. If they move, then bugs are present. 

And if you think this makes you a bad chicken keeper, remove that thought from your head. Its all part of it. There's more, lots more. Fun stuff, aggravating stuff, heart breaking stuff. 

I spotted mine scratching faces a couple of days ago. I looked and sure enough, they were back and the birds all had to be treated.


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## starsevol (Jan 11, 2013)

We do have wild birds. In the area, hard to avoid that. So, I plan to rinse out her eyes and get some antibiotic eye cream.....
What do you think is the best way to deal with mites?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It was discovered that Frontline spray causes some short term infertility to males so I removed that from the different things I use. 

Most other treatments involve short effectiveness ingredients. I have Adams Plus flea spray, Ovitrol flea spray, and Ivermectin pour on for cattle. The Adams Plus and Ovitrol are both for dogs and cats and contains an ingredient that keeps eggs from hatching. Anything with Pyrethrins in it is safe but very short acting. Permerthrins are safe, also short acting but not as short as pyrethrins. 

Many use Sevin dust. I personally don't like it. Don't like how it makes the birds feel and have concerns that it warns about contact with the skin for humans. The Sevin spray says do not allow contact until dry. 

Ivermectin is not instant kill but is the longer acting of any of them. That one is a 1/2 cc on the skin for large fowl, 1/4 cc for bantams. 

If you can give them a big sand spot for dust bathing that will help also. My birds were on sand before I moved them to a solid floor coop. I never saw bugs on them until the new coop.


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## starsevol (Jan 11, 2013)

That was really helpful, thank you so much! This is all a whole new world for me. After work we are heading to tractor supply, then the girls will be de mited and Penny will get an eye wash. I only have the two birds, an orp and a Cochin. Not concerned with egg fertility, BUT hubs built me an incubator and so far we have hatched out 3 Cochins and an orp from eggs my girls laid with stored sperm. The Orpington hatched this morning. I can't keep Roos where I live, but there just HAS to be a girl hidden in those four chicks! Very exciting around here for us noobies!


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## starsevol (Jan 11, 2013)

So I went to tractor supply. They refused to sell me cattle dip ivermectin, but did sell me something called poultry protector. I used eye drops on Penny and used the poultry protector on both of them. We had Molly the Cochin upside down and she pooped alllllll over me.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Told you there would be aggravating things. 

This could be one of those products that will have to be reapplied frequently. I went digging and could find nothing that would give any kind of time line for effectiveness. 

I have no idea why they wouldn't sell you the Ivermectin. Although I've found some of the most ignorant about chickens people in feed stores. Most have none to very little clue what works or how to properly raise them.


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## starsevol (Jan 11, 2013)

They kept telling me...no no that's for cattle...not chickens.
Oh well as long as it works I am up for applying it once a week.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

When you have just a couple its not that difficult, its when your numbers climb that it becomes a real pain in the neck to stay on top of. And using what you're using it can become expensive very fast. 

And that's because they know nothing about chickens. Ivermectin is very safe to use on them. Its known as off label use and everyone was keeping it hush hush but even the universities are recognizing there is an important use where chickens are concerned. 

BTW, there is a generic form of Ivermectin now. Its a lot cheaper and works the same.


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