It might be foul pox if you have mosquitoes around. Can you open the beak and look inside for any yellow material? Ants can be viscious to chicks. Pox can also be bad to cause swelling of the eyes.
It might be foul pox if you have mosquitoes around. Can you open the beak and look inside for any yellow material? Ants can be viscious to chicks. Pox can also be bad to cause swelling of the eyes.
Dry fowl pox causes the usual tan/brown scabs on faces, combs, and wattles. Wet pox is more dangerous, and can cause yellow plaques inside the mouth, throat, airway, and crop. They can stop eating and drinking. So I would just check inside the beak and throat with a light. Dry pox usually clears up in about 3 weeks, but it can slowly go through the flock. Do not disturb the scabs, as they can spread the virus. I am still not sure this is pox, since you mentioned ants, and there also is a disease caused canker that causes lesions around the beak.
Here is a good article or two on fowl pox: https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/