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“Wing Rap” by Dr. Teresa Morishita Question: I noticed a swelling under my chicken’s eye. What could be the cause of this swelling? Answer: When we see a swelling under a chicken’s eye, there are a couple of diseases that come to mind. The swelling under the eye is usually associated with a space known as the infraorbital sinus. One disease that should be considered when there is a swelling under the eye is infectious coryza. Infectious coryza is caused by the bacterium, Haemophillus paragallinarum. This bacterium needs special conditions to grow so it has to be diagnosed in a laboratory. If your chickens have a swollen infraorbital sinus, it is important to take your bird to the veterinarian as infectious coryza is very infectious and can spread rapidly throughout your flock. Other diseases that can cause swelling under the eye are bacteria such as Escherichia coli or Mycoplasma gallisepticum. If we had a turkey, instead of a chicken, the first disease that one should consider as a cause of this swelling is Mycoplasm gallisepticum, a disease that can often be transmitted from chickens to turkeys. Another important thing to consider about swelling on the face of chickens is when the swelling surrounds the entire eye. If you see this, we have to consider diseases like Newcastle disease or avian influenza. These are serious diseases that have a great impact on our poultry industry. Although there can be other causes of swelling around the entire eye, these are the first two diseases you should consider. Often times, birds will also demonstrate respiratory, intestinal or neurological signs. Thus, it is important to visit your veterinarian to get an accurate diagnosis for your flock when you see swelling in the face region. Teresa Y. Morishita, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACPV is a Professor and Extension Poultry Veterinarian in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. She is a board-certified poultry veterinarian and is also the Director of the Avian Disease Investigation Laboratory at The Ohio State University. She welcomes your questions and invites you to contact her at the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 or contact her through this website at www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/poultry/