Help! I have a hen with big welts on her head mucus bubbling from eye

[cutlass1972]

I just acquired 10 hens from a local person and one of them turned up today with big swollen welts on her head and mucus bubbling out of her eye socket. What is it and what do I do?

I ahve already isolated her, but how do I treat?

 

[purpletree23]

Can you post a picture or describe what you mean by 'welts on the head'? Bubbling eyes usually mean respiratory infection. There are a few ways to treat it but I like Tylan. Get the water soluble kind. Much easier than injections. Your feed store might carry it or you can get it online at firststatevetsupply.com

Mix 1/2 teaspoon powder to 1/2 gallon water.
Make new solution everyday
Remove other sources of water so the Tylan solution is the only water they have
Treat for 7 days even if they seem better right away.
Treat ALL of your chickens because they have already infected. They just aren't showing signs yet.

 

[tulie13]

"Welts on the head" sounds like Pox if it is on the comb and wattles, can also be around the eyelid area. Wet pox shows lesions in the mouth and throat and can be fatal, "dry pox" is just an inconvenience that should clear up on its own, and after that they should be pretty immune.

Posting a picture would help to confirm...

 

[cutlass1972]

here are a couple of pics. I feel SOOO bad for this hen. I want to help her, but I dont know what to do.

 

[purpletree23]

That looks like dry pox on her wattles and comb. You can dab the spots with iodine and they should heal faster. Don't get it near her eyes or mouth though.

I see that she has drainage from her eye. I also noticed (but could be wrong) that she looks like she has mucus IN her mouth. She might have wet pox too. Look inside her mouth and see if she has any spots in her mouth or throat. The dry pox is a minor problem but the wet pox could kill her if she has it because she will stop eating.

I don't know the treatment for wet pox. If she does have lesions in her mouth you should change your title to 'NEED TREATMENT FOR WET POX' so help will come sooner rather than later.

Best of luck treating her.

 

[Imp]

Maybe this will help. Good luck

Imp

http://www.welphatchery.com/poultry_health.asp

 

[cutlass1972]

I could be wrong, but I think the wounds on her waddles and comb are peck marks from my other hens. I just introduced her and 9 other of her friends to my existing flock of 17 today, so There has been some pecking for order.

Thus far she is the only one exhibiting any issues. I hope she just has an infection from the pecking. I will go see if I can see in her mouth.

 

[purpletree23]

I'll keep my fingers crossed that it is marks from the other hens and her mouth is clear.

 

[cutlass1972]

ok, I think I may have found her issue. When I opened her mouth I noticed one side of her mouth was more swollen than the other, I also noticed very locallized puss and a yucky spot. I touched it and could feel something hard in there. I Got a pair of tweezers and was able to pull out a couple of pieces of what appeared to be sunflower seed shell or something.

Here are a couple of pics.. the first one was before I picked out the pieces and the second was after. In the second shot you can see straight down the pipe. Please tell me if you see anything out of the ordianry there as I am not sure what to look for.

and after bits removed.

 

[jenjscott]

I think the welts on her head you are talking about are the swollen sinuses. Hindsight is 20-20 and this is why we always say isolate 3-4 weeks before putting new birds with your flock. There are several diseases that have these symptoms, one of them being MG or mycoplasma gallisepticum, and another Coryza. Here's an article on MG:

http://www.worldpoultry.net/health-diseases/m/mycoplasma-infectious-sinusitis-63.html

and here is one on coryza

http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/480

Ihope these help.