Rooster Cheek Swollen - Possible Illness

[12404914]

We have a really old rooster of about 9 to 10 years of age. Yesterday afternoon we noticed his right cheek had become swollen, and he had mucus or other discharge on his beak. At the time someone suggested he may have just been stung by something and he would recover, but it's been over 24 hours and he still has the swollen cheek. I noticed far less weird stuff on the beak. I am worried he may have some contagious respiratory illness. I'll see if I can convince his legal owners to take him to the vet, for his sake as well as the flock's. In the meantime, I'd appreciate any input if anyone has an inkling of what might be the issue.

 

[12404914]

Forgot to mention his behavior; seems completely normal. He still acts like his old self; doing his normal activities, running around, spending time with his hens.
Also, I don't know for sure if he had mucus on his beak yesterday. It could have been some film/foam from poop he was pecking seeds out of or something.
Finally, according to someone who's been looking at him (I've been away for a while) the cheek became swollen abruptly, like in a matter of hours or less, because he was normal earlier that day.

 

[Eggcessive]

Could you get a more clear picture in good focus and light showing his right eye? His swollen cheek and the mucus can be symptoms of mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG,) a chronic respiratory disease. Have you added any new chickens to the flock recently? Tylosin or Denagard/TiaGard can treat symptoms of MG. The disease is never cured, though symptoms may get better, and most of the flock should be considered positive for MG. Here is where to buy Tylosin online, and dosage is 1 tsp per gallon of water for 5 days:
https://birdpalproducts.com/products/tylosin-powder-for-birds

 

[12404914]

He's a bit shy when the camera gets right next to his face, but I got some okay photos. I'll probably take more tonight when I can pick him up and hold him to the camera.
No new chickens recently. Wild birds could be a vector, though I don't think gallinaceous birds are common here. There has been some wild turkeys spotted nearby, but not in and of the wooded areas our chickens go.
I also noticed him seemingly scratching that side of his face with his foot. I hope that's evidence to a sting rather than mycoplasma gallisepticum.
Can MG be vaccinated for? Since it's chronic, I want potential future flocks to be better protected. We'll probably have to wait for our current 2 flocks to pass away before getting new birds; culling our current chickens or risking new ones getting sick seems cruel.

 

[12404914]

Here is a better photo of the eye. The white thing is flat and seems attached to the eye; I've assumed it's a cataract and hope it isn't a symptom of something more dire. There is another on the other eye. The eye doesn't seem to have any mucus or swelling directly affecting it. His beak has some mess on him from sticking it in the dirt looking for treats. Also, the cheek is still swollen like yesterday, the perspective sort of hides it.

 

[Eggcessive]

The white on the eye could be a corneal ulcer, but I would try to use a QTip to see if it moves, or comes off. It is not a cataract. Those are seen as cloudiness inside the pupil. Can you get some saline eye wash to flush his eye, and apply a dab of Terramycin ointment to the eye 2-3 times a day? If Terramycin is not available at a feed store by asking a clerk for it, use plain Neosporin ointment. The swelling on the check is probably puss inside the sinus cavity. Do you see any pus in the roof of his beak? There is an MG vaccine available online if you add new birds. I would just close the flock to any going out of your flock for the life of the flock. When every bird is gone, wait a month or two, and then get healthy chicks from a hatchery. That is the best way to know that you are getting disease-free chicks, and aren’t bringing in someone else’s problem from another flock. Here is MG vaccine:
https://www.jefferspet.com/mg-bac-1...TQdHirgasq79iyArLUu1pKpxH85XhZYhoCH78QAvD_BwE

 

[12404914]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try the eye treatment stuff. I haven't checked the roof of his beak yet. If there is puss there, what would that imply? Also, would draining the cheek be something to consider?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes you can try to press pus out of the roof of the beak or around the eye. It looks like possible MG. (Mycoplasma Gallisepticum,) a chronic respiratory disease. Coryza can also cause the facial swelling, but it smells terrible, and has more symptoms. Those white things in the eye could be serious if they are corneal ulcers. I would work on those first to see if they come off with saline flushing.

You can try to get one chicken with symptoms tested for MG to confirm it. That is what I would do before buying vaccines. Your state vet lab or Zoologix might have testing.

 

[12404914]

Okay, seems good. I'll take some swabs and send them for testing if it's avaliable before we get new birds, which we haven't been planning on happening recently. Biological assays are a part of the career I'm studying for so it's neat knowing one could be performed on a sample from a bird of mine. How long should I keep up the eye treatments? I'm unfortunately only visiting home for a few days so I'll need to convince my family to keep it up for however long the rooster needs it.
Thanks for the information.

 

[Eggcessive]

Testing really needs to be done when the bird is symptomatic, but a necropsy through the state vet after death is a good way to get testing.