Hen with swollen corner of mouth

[chick-habit]

I noticed today that miss America's mouth seems swollen/bulbous in the corner on one side. Here is a picture. Everything else seems fine. After losing two chickens last month in so paranoid about anything else going wrong.

The other side looks like this:

 

[Eggcessive]

Look inside her beak on the affected side for any yellow to gray patches that might possibly be canker infection.

 

[chick-habit]

Look inside her beak on the affected side for any yellow to gray patches that might possibly be canker infection.

If that's what it is, is it treatable?

 

[chick-habit]

Inside her mouth I can see a small darkish patch near where the swelling is. It almost looks like dirt.

 

[CuckooOrpington]

It looks like a trichothecene infection, also known as fusariotoxicosis. Various species of fusarium along with several other molds produce mycotoxins that differ in severity of toxicity. This is a common condition in chickens, the mold is found in a wide variety of seeds and grains, it is also found in the soil. Contaminated chicken feed is the most common source of fusarium.

The first sign of fusariotoxicosis is irritated skin around the mouth as seen on your hen. Chickens will refuse to continue eating trichothecene contaminated grain as it results in irritations. Offer good quality, uncontaminated feed and the irritation should heal itself. If the toxins persist she may get watery eyes and ragged wing feathers. Stretch out her wings - are the feathers neat and tidy or ragged? If they are neat the condition is not severe.

As suggested before, it could be canker. This is some of teh symptoms for Canker: Loss of appetite, rapid weight loss, weakness, darkened head, extended neck, frequent swallowing, watery eyes, foul smelling discharge from mouth, white or yellow sores in mouth and inability to close mouth.

 

[chick-habit]

It looks like a trichothecene infection, also known as fusariotoxicosis. Various species of fusarium along with several other molds produce mycotoxins that differ in severity of toxicity. This is a common condition in chickens, the mold is found in a wide variety of seeds and grains, it is also found in the soil. Contaminated chicken feed is the most common source of fusarium. 

The first sign of fusariotoxicosis is irritated skin around the mouth as seen on your hen. Chickens will refuse to continue eating trichothecene contaminated grain as it results in irritations. Offer good quality, uncontaminated feed and the irritation should heal itself. If the toxins persist she may get watery eyes and ragged wing feathers. Stretch out her wings - are the feathers neat and tidy or ragged? If they are neat the condition is not severe.

As suggested before, it could be canker. This is some of teh symptoms for Canker: Loss of appetite, rapid weight loss, weakness, darkened head, extended neck, frequent swallowing, watery eyes, foul smelling discharge from mouth, white or yellow sores in mouth and inability to close mouth.

They have good quality feed, however I had been fermenting their feed but 2 days ago stopped because the batch seemed "off" to me. I wonder if that could be the problem? They get quality feed and organic fruit and veggies every day. Really hoping it looks better by Friday otherwise thinking of taking her to the vet. I found it super hard to look in her mouth. There must be a trick to it. I'm afraid if I try to keep her head too still she'll snap her own neck trying to wiggle free.

 

[CuckooOrpington]

They have good quality feed, however I had been fermenting their feed but 2 days ago stopped because the batch seemed "off" to me. I wonder if that could be the problem? They get quality feed and organic fruit and veggies every day. Really hoping it looks better by Friday otherwise thinking of taking her to the vet. I found it super hard to look in her mouth. There must be a trick to it. I'm afraid if I try to keep her head too still she'll snap her own neck trying to wiggle free.

If it is Canker it will get worse a lot quicker than fusariotoxicosis. Yes, the feed may have been contaminated but it could have come from almost anywhere - water, souil, seeds she eats when she forages etc. I would recomend keeping her locked in the pen for a while and making sure her water is free of any mold. While she is in there you can add crushed garlic and soluble vitamins to her water. Mycotoxins can also be treated with a certain solution of Copper sulphate but I don't think that is needed at this stage. Just try to cut her off from the source of mycotoxins.

 

[Eggcessive]

That is interesting about the possibility of a fungal infection as CuckooOrpington pointed out. I have a couple of pet dogs who got fungus on their noses or face from the soil. Canker is a protozoan infection,also called histomoniasis, and can be treated with Fish Zole (metronidazole, Flagyl) 250 mg orally every day split into two divided doses, given morning and evening. Acidified copper sulfate 1/4 tsp per gallon of water can be used 3 days per month in the flock's water to help prevent the disease from spreading. That is available online, as well as the Fish Zole. If possible, I would get her to a vet to figure out what it is.

 

[chick-habit]

I'll take her to the vet tomorrow just to be safe. Thank you so much.

 

[Eggcessive]

I will be offline for a week or two, but please let us know what the vet says.