Help with hard lump near pullets eye

[Hua]

Hi! My pullet has a hard lump near her eye causing her eye to also be swollen. Her other eye is fine. She was born in the flock and is 2.5 months old. I was thinking she got pecked too hard and it is an abscess. Any thoughts about what it is or suggestions about treatment?

 

[Eggcessive]

She may have a pecked face, but it also could be from fowl pox, or possibly a sinus infection. Is she acting tired, fluffed up, or not eating well? Do you have mosquitoes out that usually spread fowl pox? Is she breathing hard or gasping? I would get some Vetericyn eye gel, or clean it off with saline and add a small amount of Terramycin ointment to her eye. Depending on whether or not you feel it is fowl pox, the treatment would depend on that. With pox, you do not want to disturb scabs. Here is some reading about fowl pox:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/07/fowl-pox-prevention-treatment.html

Here is another link about MG which can cause sinus infections:

Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Synonyms: MG, chronic respiratory disease (CRD), infectious sinusitis, mycoplasmosis

Species affected: chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, peafowl, and passerine birds.

Clinical signs: Clinical symptoms vary slightly between species. Infected adult chickens may show no outward signs if infection is uncomplicated. However, sticky, serous exudate from nostrils, foamy exudate in eyes, and swollen sinuses can occur, especially in broilers. The air sacs may become infected. Infected birds can develop respiratory rales and sneeze. Affected birds are often stunted and unthrifty (see Table 1).

There are two forms of this disease in the turkey. With the "upper form" the birds have watery eyes and nostrils, the infraorbitals (just below the eye) become swollen, and the exudate becomes caseous and firm. The birds have respiratory rales and show unthriftiness.

With the "lower form", infected turkeys develop airsacculitis. As with chickens, birds can show no outward signs if the infection is uncomplicated. Thus, the condition may go unnoticed until the birds are slaughtered and the typical legions are seen. Birds with airsacculitis are condemned.

MG in chicken embryos can cause dwarfing, airsacculitis, and death.

Transmission: MG can be spread to offspring through the egg. Most commercial breeding flocks, however, are MG-free. Introduction of infected replacement birds can introduce the disease to MG-negative flocks. MG can also be spread by using MG-contaminated equipment.

Treatment: Outbreaks of MG can be controlled with the use of antibiotics. Erythromycin, tylosin, spectinomycin, and lincomycin all exhibit anti-mycoplasma activity and have given good results. Administration of most of these antibiotics can be by feed, water or injection. These are effective in reducing clinical disease. However, birds remain carriers for life.

Prevention: Eradication is the best control of mycoplasma disease. The National Poultry Improvement Plan monitors all participating chicken and turkey breeder flocks.

 

[Hua]

Thanks for the reply! I live in Hawaii and there are definitely lots of mosquitoes. As far as I know chickens haven't had fowl pox before, but it does look like a hardened scale similar to one of the pictures in the link. Could fowl pox only effect one side of the face? That's her other side above.

She has no gasping/hard breathing or discharge. She has an appetite and stays close to her mom and siblings. But the area is clearly bothering her. She rubs it on her side and doesn't like it touched.

She may have a pecked face, but it also could be from fowl pox, or possibly a sinus infection. Is she acting tired, fluffed up, or not eating well? Do you have mosquitoes out that usually spread fowl pox? Is she breathing hard or gasping? I would get some Vetericyn eye gel, or clean it off with saline and add a small amount of Terramycin ointment to her eye. Depending on whether or not you feel it is fowl pox, the treatment would depend on that. With pox, you do not want to disturb scabs. Here is some reading about fowl pox:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/07/fowl-pox-prevention-treatment.html

Here is another link about MG which can cause sinus infections:

Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Synonyms: MG, chronic respiratory disease (CRD), infectious sinusitis, mycoplasmosis

Species affected: chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, peafowl, and passerine birds.

Clinical signs: Clinical symptoms vary slightly between species. Infected adult chickens may show no outward signs if infection is uncomplicated. However, sticky, serous exudate from nostrils, foamy exudate in eyes, and swollen sinuses can occur, especially in broilers. The air sacs may become infected. Infected birds can develop respiratory rales and sneeze. Affected birds are often stunted and unthrifty (see Table 1).

There are two forms of this disease in the turkey. With the "upper form" the birds have watery eyes and nostrils, the infraorbitals (just below the eye) become swollen, and the exudate becomes caseous and firm. The birds have respiratory rales and show unthriftiness.

With the "lower form", infected turkeys develop airsacculitis. As with chickens, birds can show no outward signs if the infection is uncomplicated. Thus, the condition may go unnoticed until the birds are slaughtered and the typical legions are seen. Birds with airsacculitis are condemned.

MG in chicken embryos can cause dwarfing, airsacculitis, and death.

Transmission: MG can be spread to offspring through the egg. Most commercial breeding flocks, however, are MG-free. Introduction of infected replacement birds can introduce the disease to MG-negative flocks. MG can also be spread by using MG-contaminated equipment.

Treatment: Outbreaks of MG can be controlled with the use of antibiotics. Erythromycin, tylosin, spectinomycin, and lincomycin all exhibit anti-mycoplasma activity and have given good results. Administration of most of these antibiotics can be by feed, water or injection. These are effective in reducing clinical disease. However, birds remain carriers for life.

Prevention: Eradication is the best control of mycoplasma disease. The National Poultry Improvement Plan monitors all participating chicken and turkey breeder flocks.

 

[Isaac 0]

Have you noticed any pecking between them?

The black stuff looks like dried blood to me.

 

[Hua]

Yes, there has been lots of pecking and fighting. I went out of town for a few weeks and I don't think the person caring for them was feeding much. Out of the 3 chicks 2 have wounds on them. The other chick with the wound had it on the back of her neck, but is healing nicely.

I feel torn if I should put her down or not. If it's fowl pox I don't want to jeopardize everyone's health. I guess for now I'll just keep cleaning and applying antibiotics. Do you think a triple antibiotic cream is okay or should I get terramycin or vetericyn?

Have you noticed any pecking between them?

The black stuff looks like dried blood to me.

 

[Hua]

Here's another angle. The wound is raised. I'm not sure if this means a abscess that needs to be lanced.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

View attachment 1158678
Here's another angle. The wound is raised. I'm not sure if this means a abscess that needs to be lanced.

Fowl pox is a virus that runs runs its course. I would not think culling is needed. It's carried by mosquitoes so even if you culled the whole flock and started over you could pick up pox again.
If the bump is firm I would leave it alone. Put some ointment or something on it but don't lance it.
An abscess would be soft and fluid filled.

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed. Fowl pox is simply a virus, similar to chicken pox in humans. It does not look like the typical fowl pox lesions that I've seen pics of. I'd take a wait and see approach.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Pox was the closest thing I could think of. I thought it looked a little odd too but with almost no comb or wattles there isn't a lot of area for the pox to be.

 

[Eggcessive]

There looks to be some of the bumps on the opposite eyelid, and little fly bites or pecks so I would just watch it. It is probably pox, but peck wounds really require no treatment either. I would only put some Terramycin into the eyes with scabs. That can help prevent secondary bacterial infections, which can be common in the eyes. If you really think the big bump may be an abscess, go ahead and lance it with a needle sterilized with heat. Squeeze a bit, and see if you can express any thickened puss. If nothing but blood, it's probably a pox scab. Some use iodine on pox scabs or peck wounds to dry them up. Either way, you will not harm.