Deer tick embedded in hen's face

[deacons]

I've never seen a tick embed on one of my chickens. Unfortunately, Ive got plenty of experience pulling them off of my horse, cat, and dogs.

However, this one was so tiny, and the surface area on her face so limited (it's right below an eye) that I was not able to get it off with my "tick removal hook" that has never failed me with any other animal...

The only thing I know to do is smother it in a petroleum jelly product, and the best I could grab while I could also grab he chicken was some neosporin. But the darn thing is still in there, and now she's scratching at her face.

It's not engorged yet, so I may grab some tweezers and try to pull it out, then reapply the neosporin.

Any other recommendations on what to do here??

 

[Brookliner]

Google "tick removal" there are quite a few recommended ways.

 

[deacons]

I guess I answered my own question...I smothered the tick in the neosporin, then waited about 10 minutes and grabbed the tweezers. I was able to grasp the tick with the tweezers on the first try, pulled straight back (I've recently read that twisting with tweezers isn't right, as you are more likely to leave the head in), and luckily, the nasty little thing popped right out.

Here it is (right side, tiny black spot):


It was hard to get a clear picture of it because it was so small, but the head did come out.

I wiped her face down with an alcohol prep pad, then reapplied neosporin. Fingers crossed there are no ill effects.

I truly had no idea ticks could bite chickens as they do other animals. I guess logically it makes sense, I just always hear people saying a benefit of chickens is that they eat ticks, not the other way around!!