Oh good, I'm glad they are doing some further testing, hopefully they can nail it all down and recommend the correct medication for her.
Thankfully you now have an answer and can get proper meds started
Glad they were able to get the culture done and will be able to give the correct medications.
Try some Ivermectin. It's used for more than one type infection. Put it in her water. Also, I don't exactly know where the ear of a chicken is, but I've used chalated charcoal on some infections, especially ear infections. Vitamin E will make the charcoal stick. But like I said I don't know where the chicken ear is. It certainly looks like you have her set up comfortably.
Welcome To BYC @kbroom
Haven't finished reading down the thread yet which is unusual for me but in a bit of a hurry today- was wondering when you mentioned mites- Do the vets ever prescribe or suggest using Miticide ear drops like you do with kittens/cats (and dogs I guess though never had one) ?? It's such a common problem with them and always seems to clear things up before it gets out of control....This looks very similar to something that happened to a neighbor's chicken once. She was a black australorp. She was not fully one year yet, but she decided to go broody on a lone egg which hatched normally and healthily, although the mother hen developed a revolting ear (and later entire head) infection. She was on unprescribed antibiotics for several months, before my mom agreed to try and take her in as a final effort to help her. It looked very similar to what your hen is experiencing, only much worse. She had the same problem of making progress and then relapsing. Unfortunately, after months of fighting with little to no change, we had to put her down. But we did find a few potential causes and solutions that may help your chicken, who is much sooner in the infection than she was.
My first tip would be to check her for mites or lice. The hen we had ended up being infested with the little monsters and we assume it may have been a possible cause for her infection. If you do find mites on her try giving her a warm bath with a natural minty or herbal soap such as Pure-Castle Soap. CAUTION. Be sure to stay near the hen at all times during a bath, as the warm water may cause them to fall asleep and if you are not present to hold them and/or wake them up they could drown. Especially if your hen has trouble standing. And make sure not to make the water deeper than they are tall, as it helps for them to be able to feel the bottom of the tub or toat.
You could try using diluted Apple Cider Vinegar in a spray bottle or a dropper and carefully apply it to her ear. Be careful not to use too much as it might burn her skin. Colloidal silver works well too. Make sure to thoroughly clean any of the infection that falls off or comes out, and disinfect surfaces that it comes into contact with (not including the chicken's head unless you have a disinfectant that is safe on animal skin. Even if, keep it away from her eyes, nose, and ears).
If her condition continues for a few weeks or longer, make sure to give her breaks from antibiotics as they can reduce her immune system, which may make the condition worse. And make sure to run all procedures by a vet or other specialist to make sure they are safe and effective.
Best of luck to you and your hen. I hope this helps some. God bless
Great article and site- thanks!!! May be needing this but gotta assess better to see how things look today and if I can find the source of the dried 'crust' in her feathers in neck and under wattles mostly- does have a lighter color or "film" on esp one cheek that I noticed got bigger- and of course I'm dreading the idea of canker or really ANYthing else- she's been on Miconazole 2% BID for 7 full days and then eventually when I was able to get it- on Day #4 of Acidified Copper Sulfate- one day on that and she seemed to really be doing better... thought we were almost over her major problems- and was starting to get her some probiotics (acidophilus) along with restarting fermenting their food several days a week.... and of course pulling her aside for some extra sources of protein/nutrition. She HAS gained back 0.4 lbs after getting all the way down to 2.7llbs- honestly felt lighter before I even started weighing when I was sure I was gonna lose the poor thing but she's a TROOPER!
Did your hen show any improvement?? I’ve been battling with something similar for months now. I initially thought it was vitamin deficiency but later found an ear infection but nothing seems to be making a difference. It’s not getting any worse but not getting better
Is this the hen who had the respiratory infection recently in this thread?
