Canker- Photos Finally!!- Advice Still Sought. What is My Next Step???

[ThornyRidge]

OK after what seems like hours of trying to post these darn pictures I am going through Photobucket.. here goes.. tried to pick best ones.. the one is a photo of the growth that came off of outside/inside beak in one large piece.. it reminded me of a tofu consistency white/yellow in color with the part on outside of beak almost like a scab/crusty.

The photo without the bird in it shows the mass laying on the paper in the center.. you can see it was one solid mass that came loose..and came off/out of beak/mouth
What should I do now? I continued to dab with iodine after removing mass. Should I do antibiotics or what other treatment for this?

 

[Texas ChickenZ]

I'm certainly not qualified to answer, but my first thought when I saw it was fungal infection? Hope someone more knowledgeable than me will know.

 

[jhm47]

Looks like partially dried pus. The bird likely had an infection that drained, and the pus accumulated in the affected area. It dried, and you noticed it and removed it. This could be the end of the story, but if you should notice signs of infection, you should be ready to treat it. I would not use antibiotics at this stage. Good luck!

 

[Beekissed]

Looks like a fungus to me!

 

[ewesfullchicks]

What about the eye involvement?

Are you treating that?

 

[mikarod]

Reminds me of the sores that I get on the corners of my mouth if I don't wipe them during the meal. Food gets caught in the corners..and can't escape, causing sores...which can turn into infections if left untreated.

Mind you...that's just my mouth that I have issues with. Don't know if it will help this area or not. I think you were right in removing it from her mouth.

 

[ThornyRidge]

Quote:
Maybe it is the photo that appears off but I am not treating anything other than the area that this growth (for lack of a better word) was in his beak/mouth area. This silkie rooster has shown no other signs of illness and truthfully did not seem to be affected much by this. His eyes are clear and no discharge in that area.. they are not puffy either despite the picture.. he has a wrinkly skin/face to begin with plus I may have been scrunching him as I also had to position him with one hand and take photo with other.. anyway it is now day 3 after removing that chunk of stuff and there is just a white spot (not like what I removed ) just inside the the lip of his beak where the growth was.. if it was is fungal what should I do.. I have been giving him infant liquid vitamins and rubbing a low sting iodine on the area daily.. I have given him no actual medication/antibiotics because I am not sure what this was. He was in a "rooster fight" several weeks ago and the only reason I knew was he had almost all of his feathers ripped out of the top of his head but there was no visible sign of injury at that time. I don't know if this was even connected. I am open to any and all suggestions.. He is still separate and is eating well.. and he seems to like the vitamins.

 

[Beekissed]

The white spot you describe is consistent with a fungal growth and it may or may not grow back. If none of your other chickens are affected with this, I would monitor this one. If it grows back, I would cull this bird. An ongoing fungal infection in just one bird could indicate a defective immune system and you wouldn't want to breed this back into your flock.

If other birds show growths, I would be looking into their environment for things that encourage fungal growth....dampness, moldy food, even an increased use of medicated feed or antibiotics can encourage fungal growth. If you find other birds with growths, I would remove all factors that encourage fungal growth: warm, wet bedding, moldy food, moldy water containers. Bleach all feeders and feed containers, let air dry and find a different food source or review how and where you are storing yours. Check the ventilation on your coop and check bedding for a "cap", with possible mold spores growing underneath. Check for moldy bedding from your bedding source.

Putting some ACV in your water for awhile can give the birds a shot of Vit. C and discourage mold growth in the water. Don't use this in galvanized containers, as this causes corrosion and leaching of the metal into the water.

When it is all said and done, if the flock is affected you can't go wrong with fresh air, sunshine, clean coop, water and feed.

If its just the one bird, cull for a hardy flock health standard.

 

[ThornyRidge]

At this poiint I have seen no other growths on other birds.. I have never given/nor is my food moldy.. I go through so much so quickly it is never left out in elements.. same goes with bedding.. I rake the bedding daily to stir it up and frequently change out bedding ( I use pine shavings with some periodic poultry lice dust mixed in) As far as water goes I currently use plastic buckets (unfortunately the only thing that works for me at this time) and they are cleaned out regularly. Also the coop that they are in only at night and free to come and go during day is not air tight.. there is ventilation and I have even left some ventilation for winter time (not covering totally all vents/screens).. During the day they have access to outside run that once was grassed but is now packed hard dirt area. With all of this in mind that is why I am stumped as to how this may have happened. I have never had any disease/ death of chickens to unknown causes and try to not medicate unless absolutely necessary. I have kept a smaller flock of mixed birds (1/2 through Meyer hatchery as peeps and 1/2 I raised myself) For the most part they have all lived happily together for many years.. infact my matriarchs are going to be 8 years old. This rooster has not shown any signs of any fungus/illness until this. I will continue to monitor and appreciate all advice and feedback.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

There is such a thing as an anti fungal medication. My vet just prescribed it for my hen that has bumblefoot. The vet said it needed to be given when the birds are taking antibiotics to prevent fungal infections. If it looks like the growth is coming back and you want to keep this bird, I'd suggest calling a vet.