do chickens get ear wax - icky sticky black stuff

[nuchickontheblock]

A while ago I posted that one of my girls had sticky black stuff on the feathers near her ears, almost blocking her ears. Someone suggested it might be blood if she were being pecked on. she was the bottom of the pecking order, so I watched them quite a bit for pecking around her head. That doesn't seem to be occurring. I washed her ears with warm water with some mild soap and wash cloth and removed most of it. She hated that!! LOL Now a couple of weeks later, the black goo has returned and she now seems to be irritated and red around her ears with a lot of broken feathers there. It's hard for me to take any pics -- I don't have a camera, but could try to borrow one tomorrow.
Do chickens have ears with ear canals like other dogs, cats, humans? I am new to chickens and not sure what their ears should look like.
any ideas what this could be? I don't see any evidence of lice or mites.
Thanks for any help.

 

[zoo2u]

hmmm, that is interesting. i have never seen that in any of my chickens over the years but my ferrets constantly battle ear mites and their ears have black, tarry stuff in them so i would check with a vet on this one.

 

[ruth]

She could have an ear infection. Try rinsing the ears with warm Betadine water and then filling the ear with regular Neosporin.