Bump behind eye?

[OneLostHen]

Now what? Yeeesh.

This pullet is always to some degree not quite right. Be it a sneeze every so often, a gurgling cough only once in 10 minutes or her eye that she always kept slightly closed.

I've treated her eye with ointment, her cough with MG meds and now her eye finally seems better so a bump develops behind it.

Any insights on what it could be?

The way she used to always keep her eye, with the 3rd eyelid visible-

How she sometimes, but certainly not always stands-

And her new bump i just noticed today-

 

[OneLostHen]

Is it pox? It doesn't look exactly like pox to me.

 

[Eggcessive]

It doesn’t look like fowl pox. That is a disease spread by mosquitoes in hot weather. It might be a peck wound or from scratching, but hard to know for sure. Does it feel hard or soft?

 

[OneLostHen]

It feels soft.
I'm reluctant to open it. But the white color worries me that infection is inside.

 

[Eggcessive]

It could have pus inside. If you clean it with disinfectant and do lance it with a sterilized needle, just don’t get it into her eye. Have someone help you hold her wrapped into a towel if you decide to drain it.

 

[OneLostHen]

Well she took a turn for the worse.

Please can someone tell me what is going on?
She suddenly has a VERY poopy bum, stands with her tail held to one side and falls over when she walks. She talks, eats and drinks otherwise.

Ive wormed her before. Around a month ago.

 

[OneLostHen]

Is it possible the bump on her eye infected something else? It doesn't look all that bad

 

[OneLostHen]

Cleaned her bum yesterday evening and noticed red mites on her. Perhaps thats the issue? She still is wobbly, cant roost and seems tired a lot. I sprinkled some permethrin powder on her as best I could. But wasn't happy with its coverage.

Then noticed one of my buffs has black scabs on her legs.

I'm getting overwhelmed.
Chicken tending wasn't this hard last time I had a flock years ago. I've spent so much time, energy, money and effort for my new flock and it feels like I'm doing it wrong.

So much conflicting information on what to use to get rid of mites, so many horror stories about how hard they are to get rid of. I assume if my lavender has them- everyone has them. I'm at a loss and almost want to throw in the towel.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Cleaned her bum yesterday evening and noticed red mites on her. Perhaps thats the issue? She still is wobbly, cant roost and seems tired a lot. I sprinkled some permethrin powder on her as best I could. But wasn't happy with its coverage.

Then noticed one of my buffs has black scabs on her legs.

I'm sorry you're having a hard time

When I use Permethrin dust, I put it in a Sock, then use that like a powder puff to dust the birds. This gives a finer dust that is easier to control, working it down through the feathers all the way to the skin. Don't forget to get under the wings, underneath the bird, around the vent and the head/neck too.

If you are dealing with Red Mites, you do seem to be correct that it may be a challenge to get rid of them. Work on cleaning out housing (throw away bedding or burn it, don't compost). Get some Permethrin Concentrate and mix it up according to the directions on the bottle. Spray your coop/housing making sure to get into nooks/crannies and nesting boxes. (You can also use Elector PSP if you wish). Red Mites live in the coop and can live on the birds too, so treating both the housing and birds are important.
Repeat treatment in 5-7day intervals to help break the cycle.

I know it's probably cold weather if you are in the US and this can also present with challenges when using something like a spray inside a cold coop. Do the best you can. I'd put back some fresh bedding, but not a lot until I did a repeat treatment inside the coop, since you'll want to clean it out again if possible.

For the hen that is wobbly and having a harder time. I'd start working on hydration and give her a direct dose of Poultry Cell 3-4times a week (1cc per 3lbs of weight given orally). Try to encourage her to eat. If she has the heaviest infestation, then the Mites may be what's causing her decline. A little Beef Liver a few times a week can also give her a boost.

For the Orpington with the scabs on the legs, I'd be inclined to paint the scabs with some Povidone Iodine, this should dry fairly quickly in cold weather and won't be quite so messy as ointment.

 

[OneLostHen]

Thank you for all the information.

I'll keep trying my best.