Hen face swelling!!

[dawg53]

Yesterday I noticed my PR hen face half of it was swelling. I left it alone bc she was eating and drinking and doing her normal routine and thought maybe it was from pecking but this morning her swelling got worse. It’s only on the one side and I don’t know what to do. The rest of my flock is fine.

Since your hen is eating and drinking normally, I agree with you that it might be due to pecking. Where is she located in the pecking order?
If she is at the bottom of the pecking order, you have your answer. You may not see other birds pecking her, however, when they go to roost for the night, that's when the pecking can occur. Chickens have a pecking order when it comes to roosting at night.

 

[Annalyse]

What are you using the treat the Mites? Are you cleaning out the housing and treating it as well?

Mites that mainly live on the bird is likely Northern Fowl Mites.

I would use a Permethrin based Poultry Dust to dust all the hens. Put the dust in a sock or stocking, then use that like a powder puff to dust all over. Be sure to work the dust all the way through the feathers to the skin.
Repeat in 5 day intervals.

For housing, clean it out, burn or throw away the bedding. Use a Permethrin based poultry spray to treat housing, making sure to get into cracks/crevices, nesting boxes, roosting bars, etc. Repeat treatment of housing in 5 day intervals.

Some use Elector PSP and find it works very well too. I've never used it.

The Mites are very likely what are causing swelling and infection, the scabbing around the eyes is probably due to her scratching. She may also have some ear infection too, hard to know.
Do your best to eliminate the mites. It may still be helpful to apply some ointment in the eye as suggested in POST#4 to help those scabs heal up and relieve some inflammation of the eye.

Mites can also cause overall decline. See that she's eating well and drinking. Poultry vitamins given orally 3X a week would be a good idea as well.

I have been spraying the entire coop every weekend. I did. stop though due to negative degree weather. I have been dusting them but the stores haven’t been stocking the dust and it’s been hard trying to get a new one. What’s the best Poultry vitamin I can give them? What kind of ointment should I give her?

 

[Annalyse]

Poor thing! Chickens get it from all directions it seems. I wonder if chickens in certain regions of the globe have it easier? Does anyone know?

Yes in the warmer weather I have it easier and as soon as it gets too cold for me to give them anything without it freezing on their body they seem to start having every problem that gives me a heart attack!

 

[Annalyse]

Since your hen is eating and drinking normally, I agree with you that it might be due to pecking. Where is she located in the pecking order?
If she is at the bottom of the pecking order, you have your answer. You may not see other birds pecking her, however, when they go to roost for the night, that's when the pecking can occur. Chickens have a pecking order when it comes to roosting at night.

She’s acually not at the bottom. She’s my biggest and heaviest hen and will hit back if pecked. She’s not at the top though I know my BO is at the top and then my rooster is second. She’s most likely the third. She’s a heavy girl too so when she jumps she flys into the wall depending on the height and so we made her a handicap ramp that she can use to get down from the roosts.

 

[Annalyse]

Here are the pictures from this morning.

 

[Sondraa]

She’s acually not at the bottom. She’s my biggest and heaviest hen and will hit back if pecked. She’s not at the top though I know my BO is at the top and then my rooster is second. She’s most likely the third. She’s a heavy girl too so when she jumps she flys into the wall depending on the height and so we made her a handicap ramp that she can use to get down from the roosts.

Awww...I love how much you care for them.

 

[Sondraa]

Still swollen I see. Am I imagining it...or does it look slightly less swollen?

 

[Annalyse]

Still swollen I see. Am I imagining it...or does it look slightly less swollen?

I’m not sure! I’m going to compare pictures right now! I think it got more by her beak and her eye is still squinting. Because of my job she’ll be roosting for bed by the time I get home but I saw her eating and drinking this morning. Tomorrow morning I’ll flush her eye out and apply some thing I can find at tractor supply tonight hopefully! And I’m going to see what vitamins I can get the flock tonight too!

 

[Annalyse]

Here is all the vitamins and eye drops I picked up. The eye drops say all animals but have pictures of horses, rabbits, cats and dogs doesn’t say anything about poultry but should be fine right? Any of these vitamins useful for her?

 

[azygous]

Use the Microcyn to rinse her eyes each morning. Use the Poultry Nutri-drench for two or three days to give her a nutritional boost. This formula goes directly into her blood stream as it doesn't need to be metabolized in the liver first. But more than three days of it can cause diarrhea.

Then use the Poultry Booster for every day nutrition. The VetRX can be used to help her breathe better. Follow the directions on the bottle.