Help - Chicken shaking her head and not balanced

[Charaps]

I’m in need of some assistance. To help explain the events I will start from the beginning. I thought my chicken was simply broody because she was staying in the coop. I was concerned, due to not seeing her eat or drink for days, so I made her come out the coop. She immediately ran to water and food, and I then noticed all the other chickens acting like they were bullying her keeping her away from it. She would cluck and run away. I heard her making irregular clucking sounds. She then jumped on the perch where I noticed that she wasn’t really balanced. She started rubbing her head, on both sides, on the perch. She repeatedly would rub her head on anything in the pin. I removed the other chickens from the pin to allow her time to eat and observed her scratching her ears and face constantly. She was alone in the pin long enough to take a dust bath while I changed the bedding, putting down diatomaceous earth on the bedding materials. I’ve ruled out bullying because the other chickens aren’t pecking at her. I’m ruling out broody because I think she is simply more comfortable not being around the others. I’m thinking the other chickens are running her off because they are picking up on an illness that I couldn’t see until today.

What I have observed just today is white patches around her ears and her behavior is still exactly as I stated above. Nothing is draining from her ears. I did see mites on her and I’ll address that. But what else can be going on with her ears? I can’t see down her small ears but it’s obvious that something else is wrong. Any advice or suggestions on a course of medical treatment for her? Thank you all for your help.

I currently do not have them on any victim supplements but we start electrolytes in their water tomorrow.

 

[azygous]

Her symptoms point to a painful ear infection. You absolutely need to get help holding her so you can push back her ear flaps and look into her ears with a strong light. You will probably see a buildup of crust, perhaps yellow. You will then need to use mineral oil to soften the crust and then clean it out.

I use a tooth pick I've rubbed on sand paper to round off the sharp point. Clean out the ear by pulling as much of the gunk out as you can. Then drip a few drops of peroxide in them and when they look clean, stuff some Neopsporin or generic antibiotic ointment in them.

She may need an oral antibiotic if the ointment doesn't clear it up in a few days or she still rubs her head on the perch or scratches them with her feet.

Those white patches are just the color of her ear lobes, most likely.

 

[Charaps]

Her symptoms point to a painful ear infection. You absolutely need to get help holding her so you can push back her ear flaps and look into her ears with a strong light. You will probably see a buildup of crust, perhaps yellow. You will then need to use mineral oil to soften the crust and then clean it out.

I use a tooth pick I've rubbed on sand paper to round off the sharp point. Clean out the ear by pulling as much of the gunk out as you can. Then drip a few drops of peroxide in them and when they look clean, stuff some Neopsporin or generic antibiotic ointment in them.

She may need an oral antibiotic if the ointment doesn't clear it up in a few days or she still rubs her head on the perch or scratches them with her feet.

Those white patches are just the color of her ear lobes, most likely.

 

[Charaps]

Azgous, thank you so much for the advice. I'll update my post once I have help holding her down so I can take a look.