Bump on beak

[whinniebee]

I think the big bump on her beak is an abscess, it pliable when light pressure is applied but she doesn't seem to be in pain. If it's an abscess, what would be the best way to treat it?

 

[Kiki]

Is she kept in a cage...where there is something she is rubbing that part up against? Or on a feeder or waterer?

 

[whinniebee]

She's in a run/coop. The feeder is too wide for her beak to touch the sides but they use the nipples for water, would this be causing further irritation?

 

[Eggcessive]

Is there chicken wire or other sharp metal fencing that she could be poking through to injure her beak? I would definitely look around, since they can break and damage their beaks. Being chased into fencing can also happen.

 

[Debbie292d]

She's in a run/coop. The feeder is too wide for her beak to touch the sides but they use the nipples for water, would this be causing further irritation?

We have silkies who have been on nipple waterers for 8 years and nothing like that ever happened. They start on the vertical ones as chicks, then progress to the horizontal ones.

 

[whinniebee]

We have silkies who have been on nipple waterers for 8 years and nothing like that ever happened. They start on the vertical ones as chicks, then progress to the horizontal ones.

I don't think the initial injury was caused by the nipples, but the spot could be rubbing up against them and getting irritated? I'm less concerned about what caused it, and more about treating it. I've read that it's recommended to cut it open and drain it and administer some antibacterial treatment, but I don't want to jump to conclusions if it could be something else.

 

[whinniebee]

Is there chicken wire or other sharp metal fencing that she could be poking through to injure her beak? I would definitely look around, since they can break and damage their beaks. Being chased into fencing can also happen.

We have hardwire, no broken spots form what I've seen but I'll check again this afternoon. I'm less concerned about how it happened at the moment and more about how to treat it. I've flushed it with saline and ruined neosporin on it, but if it's an abscess I'm pretty sure we'll have to cut it and drain it. My concern now is doing that correctly and giving proper aftercare.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would be cautious in draining it because it does not seem painful to touch. How long have you noticed it being there?

 

[whinniebee]

I would be cautious in draining it because it does not seem painful to touch. How long have you noticed it being there?

I noticed it last night, but looking through pics it's been there, much smaller, for at least a week and i just did not notice. I don't live on the property with them so I don't see them every day.
It doesn't seem to bother her at all, even when I press on it, I just don't want to let it fester and get bigger. I did wash it with saline and rub some neosporin on it this morning.

 

[Eggcessive]

I was just wondering if it is really an abscess or just a beak injury that has swelled inside. Abscesses are usually painful, and they may break open and drain on their own sometimes. But lancing it if it is not an abscess could possibly cause her more problems if she injures it or the site gets dirt into it. Just being cautious, as I haven’t dealt with that problem before. But we tend to see a lot of these beak problems from fencing in that area of the beak.