Face skin roughness and swelling

[JoanieShrubs]

This lavender bantam Araucana has been in the breeding pen (it's summer here in Australia) and I just noticed her face skin is rough and swollen. Red, bumpy eyelids and the feather follicles on her neck are raised.

I've pulled her indoors but not sure how to proceed as I don't know what's causing it.

She eats Showbird Breeder commercial feed. She has eXzolt regularly to ward off mites (it treats scaly leg mite which makes me doubt scaly face mite) and has had a fresh dose a couple days ago with no change to her face as yet.

She's penned with a male of her breed for half of the day. She sleeps in an enclosed run in a converted dog kennel with commercial sugar cane straw bedding under the wooden perch. It gets fresh bedding weekly.

A hen in the yard has just been diagnosed with ocular Marek's disease, it was latent and has surfaced on a high heat-stress day, so that may be related? They aren't in very close contact, maybe 50 meters away.

Anything I'm missing, have you seen this skin before, possible causes? TIA.

 

[JoanieShrubs]

hello @azygous @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock can I trouble you to have a look? If it's related to the other bird with Marek's I'll cull quickly

 

[Debbie292d]

Could she be molting?

 

[Eggcessive]

It could possibly be fowl pox, a virus spread by mosquitoes that causes scabs on the comb, face, and wattles. It lasts about 3-4 weeks, but most grown chickens recover unless they develop secondary infections. Could she also be getting pecked by the rooster? If so, I would separate her from him. Here is some reading about fowl pox:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

 

[JoanieShrubs]

Could she be molting?

Some of the other hens are molting, but I haven't seen any shed feathers in this girl's pen or environment.

 

[JoanieShrubs]

It could possibly be fowl pox, a virus spread by mosquitoes that causes scabs on the comb, face, and wattles. It lasts about 3-4 weeks, but most grown chickens recover unless they develop secondary infections. Could she also be getting pecked by the rooster? If so, I would separate her from him. Here is some reading about fowl pox:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

oh gosh I hadn't even considered that, I'll take a look. I've never seen the rooster peck her but it's possible. Her skin hasn't calmed down after five days away from him though :/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I just noticed her face skin is rough and swollen. Red, bumpy eyelids and the feather follicles on her neck are raised.

She has eXzolt regularly to ward off mites (it treats scaly leg mite which makes me doubt scaly face mite) and has had a fresh dose a couple days ago with no change to her face as yet.

Check inside her beak for any lesions or canker.

Even with the eXzolt, have you checked very carefully for any mites or lice that may be in the head feathers, face or in the ears - I'd re-check just to be sure.

She's red in places that looks like she may be scratching, like at her beak and top of her eyes - do you see her scratching her face with her feet?

You are in AU, so I'm not sure what you have available to you OTC. If you "rule out" Fowl Pox, then I'd consider applying an anti-inflammatory cream/ointment for a few days to see if the redness improves. I'm thinking a hydrocortisone cream, but I'd check to make sure this won't contraindicate with the eXzolt, don't think it will.

I'm rambling tonight, thoughts coming to me. She just had another round of eXzolt, she was already showing irritation before this, correct? Just making sure it's not a reaction to the treatment.

 

[JoanieShrubs]

Check inside her beak for any lesions or canker.

Even with the eXzolt, have you checked very carefully for any mites or lice that may be in the head feathers, face or in the ears - I'd re-check just to be sure.

She's red in places that looks like she may be scratching, like at her beak and top of her eyes - do you see her scratching her face with her feet?

You are in AU, so I'm not sure what you have available to you OTC. If you "rule out" Fowl Pox, then I'd consider applying an anti-inflammatory cream/ointment for a few days to see if the redness improves. I'm thinking a hydrocortisone cream, but I'd check to make sure this won't contraindicate with the eXzolt, don't think it will.

I'm rambling tonight, thoughts coming to me. She just had another round of eXzolt, she was already showing irritation before this, correct? Just making sure it's not a reaction to the treatment.

 

[JoanieShrubs]

Nothing inside the mouth, ears or nose. No mites or lice, or sign of them, on her face, head and neck. Her breeding partner did have lice when we first brought him in but they were treated in quarantine. I'll give her a bath and a rinse in Maldisol

 

[JoanieShrubs]

Sorry, got cut off.

I don't think she's reacting to the eXzolt, she was like this in the pen and i brought her inside and then dosed her two days later. I'm always extra vigilant with the individual dose because I did once overdose a prized hen on it and she got neuro damage and I had to put her to sleep.

I don't have access to hydrocortisone, I've put Savlon cream on her face for the first time this evening, that's an antiseptic cream with benzalkonium chloride that's soothing for wounds and cracked skin. She hasn't been scratching at all.