Really nasty ear infection in a silkie hen ~GRAPHIC pics~

[Zinnia-Hen]

This is really amazing. Thanks for sharing.

 

[heater77]

Did you have to treat with any antibiotics? Or just the ear? I have a golden comet that I took to the vet for an ear problem and they told me they thought it would go away, thought it was just trauma to the ear. It has now moved to the other ear...

 

[Lilyput]

Dear Funkie Feathers, This site very helpful; just noticed an ear infection in my 16 week old Brahma. Started first treatment today; wish me luck. Mine didn't look as bad as yours, but I couldn't find an opening into the ear at first and just kept gently cleaning out and flushing with the peroxide and finally found a hole into the ear (the other ear looks okay, but I treated it anyway). I then applied the Neosporin. I hope I see improvement tomorrow, but I think I probably need to remove more of the gunk. My little brahma is just a favorite of mine; she just sat on my lap the whole time and suffered all my digging without hardly a peep or move!

 

[Redqueen]

SHOULD'VE CHECKED 'Backyard Chickens' FIRST!

Going through a similar situation with my one of my good ol' white rock girls, Marigold. The pictures are very similar ...thank you very much for posting them! 10 Days ago I noticed a large, round burr stuck to her ear area. I left it alone for a day, thinking it might come off on it's own. The next day, I caught her and quickly pulled the burr off. It did leave a superficial reddened area but she walked away as if nothing was bothering her. 2 Days later it showed some dried, yellowish creamy drainage, which I flicked off easily ...again leaving a superficial, but now slightly pink serous area. This had shown no change in size from the first 'removal' ...always about the size of a dime. For 2 days it appeared lessened and improving. On day 5-8, the area gradually grew and slightly protruded as a dried and yellowish 'scab'. Her behavior was as always, maybe a bit less social than usual. Today, I couldn't take it anymore and easily caught her, bundled in a large towel, had plenty of q-tips, wet washcloth, and paper towels set up for clean and for dirty. (I brought her in the house and did our little debridement on the kitchen island, great lighting ...much frowning from my hubby!) I gently removed a bubble gum-sized firm beige lump from her left cheek/ear. She was so good ...winced a little and I did too! I was a bit shocked by the size of the hole this left. More was removed with a couple of dampened q-tips, & a bit more even deeper with a forceps. I could still see a pea-sized portion way in there but was afraid to be more aggressive. Open area left is pinkish damp & clean. All the time she was quiet and still. I didn't pack, irrigate or dress the area but will watch her closely for probs/changes. I did dissect the larger lump of matter ...it was very slightly off smelling. I appeared as a slightly fibrous solid piece of light beige putty, or a round piece of white (forgive me!) chicken meat. I realize now that a couple of pictures would of been good to post her ...just wasn't thinking.

There is a funny part to today's story ...I had scooped up my 'patient' easily, wrapped her, and had her in the kitchen, gloves on and ready to go ...looked more closely at her and there was no lesion there; she was the WRONG GIRL ...Daisy. She really gave me the stink eye as if to say 'What? What? You crazy human!!!'

 

[Lilyput]

I would flush the ear with the peroxide and put on the antibiotic cream. This will also help flush out any remaining "cheese". My chicken's infection looked like a wad of cheddar cheese. Once a chicken has this infection it will come back again in the future if they are under any kind of stress. Mine recovered and just had a mild on recently.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Glad my story & pics were of help. My hen recovered completely except she was deaf in that ear b/c when the plug came out so did her eardrum. But it wasn't a problem for her, she could hear with her good ear. Hence the saying "speak into my good ear". LOL

 

[kimmj]

I'm so glad I've stumbled across this thread!!. A few days ago I noticed my young Pekin Cross had a large round dry lump on the side of her head where her ear is. It looks near enough the same as your silkies. At first I thought the worst thinking it could be a cancerous tumour or something that would be out of my control.
It wasn't until tonight when I was putting the chickens to bed I had my tourch and looked at the lump on her head and saw that there was a yellow discharge coming from it so now I'm near enough certain this is an ear infection, especially after reading your post.
I'll try and get some pictures of it tomorrow but it may be difficult as she is quite timid.
I was just wondering what your best advice is on removing the lump with? Or is this something that will sort it's self out (I'm quite doubtful, but you never know). I'm quite apprehensions to do this as it's quite a delicate area of the body and I wouldn't want to make it worse but I feel something really needs to be done. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'll try my best to get the pictures tomorrow for a better idea of what it looks like

 

[Lilyput]

I'm so glad I've stumbled across this thread!!. A few days ago I noticed my young Pekin Cross had a large round dry lump on the side of her head where her ear is. It looks near enough the same as your silkies. At first I thought the worst thinking it could be a cancerous tumour or something that would be out of my control.
It wasn't until tonight when I was putting the chickens to bed I had my tourch and looked at the lump on her head and saw that there was a yellow discharge coming from it so now I'm near enough certain this is an ear infection, especially after reading your post.
I'll try and get some pictures of it tomorrow but it may be difficult as she is quite timid.
I was just wondering what your best advice is on removing the lump with? Or is this something that will sort it's self out (I'm quite doubtful, but you never know). I'm quite apprehensions to do this as it's quite a delicate area of the body and I wouldn't want to make it worse but I feel something really needs to be done. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'll try my best to get the pictures tomorrow for a better idea of what it looks like

When I removed the infection in my Brahma I used two steps. First day I thoroughly kept "flushing" the ear with the peroxide warm water mixture using a cotton cue tip and my finger nail (kind of scraping it out), but I really tried to get it nice and wet because the infection was quite hard (like hard yellow cheese). The next day as I flushed the ear, I saw the flushing had left a nice cylindrical Plug of hard yellow gunk. I used a tweezers to pull this out and it came out in one nice piece. I could then see a clear ear canal which I flushed once more and then coated with bacitracin ointment using a cue tip and my finger. (I never had to go too far into her ear; the flushing loosened everything and the plug came out in one piece. My brahma really cooperated. I had her in a towel on her side, but could handle her myself. I was also told that once they get an ear infection, they are probably likely to get another one under stressful situations. My Brahma did have a spell where her equilibrium was off for awhile; but she seems fine otherwise. She's just about nine months old; this happened over the summer.Good Luck!

 

[BrooketheChook]

I know this was a couple of years ago now, but after the plug came out, did you notice she would growl at anything that made noise? I unplugged my bantams ear and she wont stop growling at trees and the creaking fence, all I can put it down to is being able to hear more.....

 

[Lilyput]

I know this was a couple of years ago now, but after the plug came out, did you notice she would growl at anything that made noise? I unplugged my bantams ear and she wont stop growling at trees and the creaking fence, all I can put it down to is being able to hear more.....

My brahma had an ear infection when she was just about six months old and I cleared it by following the information. No growling but she appeared to be deaf afterward. I was warned that it would probably return. It never did. At 11 months old I still had no eggs from her. She is now twelve months old. Found her dead at the bottom of the coop. Laying there so peacefully, I thought she was finally laying her first egg. She had no symptoms of anything the day before or that night when I put them to bed. And she didn't die in that crazy spasm they often do. The sweetest bird, but the worst outcome and I haven't a clue as to why. Other four hens are acting normally; although my Wyandotte also 12 months still not laying either.