Chicken has swollen ear with black "plug" inside

[SIMZ]

We've cleaned it well with hydrogen peroxide and applied mineral oil. It isn't oozing or bleeding - just popped out and looks like there is a black plug inside. We just discovered another chicken with some ear discharge, so we seperated that one as well and did the same. They stretch their necks and look like they're yawning. Ideas on what it is or how to treat this?

Thanks!
Stacie

 

[Blue_Myst]

Cleaning the wound should help, but you may have to start them on an antibiotic like tylan 50. It sounds like they could be getting some sort of infection in that area.

If you could provide us with pictures of the chickens, it would help in identifying what's going on with your hens!

I hope someone else chimes in for you, someone who has dealt with this before.

 

[Elite Silkies]

If they are adult standard breed chickens I would give them 1/2cc Tylan50 by mouth for 3 days. You can give them a shot in the breast, just whichever seems the easiest for you. Sounds like an ear infection to me.

 

[SIMZ]

Thank you for the help! They are just about 10 weeks old at this point- Buff Orpingtons. Where can I get Tylan 50?

Here is a picture. It's gotten horrible the last few days, although the chicken has been acting pretty normal. The second chicken simply had some yellow-ish discharge around her one ear on the feathers. Below is the link, for some reason the picture isn't coming up.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Is there anyway you can remove that plug? You can get Tylan50 at Tractor Supply, some feed stores carry it.

 

[dandydoodle]

Yuck, that looks bad. Is there a vet around you that will see chickens. I am sure it needs antibiotics. It looks bad though, I would see a vet.

Good luck,
Michelle

 

[SIMZ]

We tried working on it this evening but it seemed to be causing her discomfort, so we are going to see if the mineral oil will soak in and soften it up some more and try again tomorrow.

 

[fosterfarm]

We had the exact same thing happen with one of our hens last year. We couldn't find a vet to help for months so the growth got as big as her head, poor girl. Finally a vet took pity on us and she found that the only antibiotics that would work was Baytril. We gave it to her topically and by injection into the chest. It will likely help for the small infection, but if it continues to get bigger, it may have to be removed surgically. That is what we had to have done (it was only about $100 and just took an afternoon) and she is feisty as ever a year later...and her hearing does not seem to be affected, although she does run funny and tilts her head to the side.

Good luck!

 

[SIMZ]

My husband lanced this last night and tried to remove it. It seems to be some kind of a growth. It would only come out in small pieces.

What do you think? We're thinking the chick might need to be put down.

 

[fosterfarm]

It still sounds exactly the same as what we had. Her growth only came off in chunks as well. Again, the vet tested a sample and Baytril was found to be the only thing the infection would respond to. I think you should go to a vet and buy the baytril if you can (topical or injectable). If the growth continues to get bigger it can be removed by a vet surgeon (if you can find one to take pity on the poor girl. It took us forever). Our hen has been healthy for a year now, since her surgery. Here are the before and after pics of her.

Before:

After:

Good luck!