Chicken with swollen face after scratch

[JessaDee]

My hen was, I believe, scratched by a possum the other night (Friday). She had a small amount of blood under her eye, so I cleaned her up and watched it. Today she was fine when I let her out for the day, but I just checked her and the side of her face opposite the scratch is really swollen. She is otherwise normal. Eating well, plenty of energy etc. I’d like to treat it myself as there is no poultry vet anywhere close. Please tell me this is something that can be fixed

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you check her eye to see if it has pus inside or around the eye? If there is pus around the eye, it needs to be squeezed or clean out. Saline eye wash, which you can get at most pharmacies for under $4, can be used to wash the eye twice a day. Feed stores sell Terramycin eye ointment which can be applied to the eye twice a day 1/8 inch strip. Here is a graphic video on removing pus from around an eye:

 

[JessaDee]

Thanks so much for the reply! Apparently she was having a bad week. The left side was scratched in possumgate and the right side, I’ve determined, was a bee sting. I washed with saline twice daily and she’s as good as new!