Hen with swollen nose?

[Oki&Nawa]

My young hen has a weird swollen nose and is pushed back. She might've gotten pecked by our young leghorn rooster! She sneezes every time she drinks water or is just running. I'm very nervous. Is her nose suppose to be like this? I'm new to hens and I'd like some help.

 

[azygous]

Have you tried to look inside the nares (beak holes) to see if a foreign object is stuck inside? Have someone hold the hen and the hen's head firmly while you examine it with a flashlight.

Try to take another photo, this time focus up as close as you can get to the hen's beak and nares. Have someone hold the hen's head steady while you take the photo. Do a shot from the left and another from the right side so we can see if there's any difference.

When you post the pics, select full size for all images.

 

[Oki&Nawa]

We've looked inside her

nares and she did have some chicken food in there. Her skin above the nostrils is pushed back and I'm worried if it's normal. I witnessed our rooster peck her since she's below the pecking order. He pecked her somewhere on the face and I'm assuming he pecked her nares back. She ran across the yard in pain and once I looked, her skin is pushed back. I'm new to hens and wonder if she's ok. Her friend on the left isn't pushed back and seems normal.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm only in my second year of keeping chickens, but I agree her face looks a little off where her skin meets her beak. Is it inflamed? I would guess she will be fine when she heals. Wonder if a littke antibiotic ointment (WITHOUT pain killer) might be a good idea. Anyone else?

 

[azygous]

That is definitely a curious thing. It's almost like scaly leg mite, the way the beak edge is separated from the adjoining tissue.

I operate a lot on intuition. If something appears a certain way, then it's a good place to start when trying to figure something out. I think the peck from the rooster was just coincidental, that the condition of the beak was already on its way to being what it is.

It's possible there is something irritating the tissue, a foreign body, a substance that she may have come into contact with, or microscopic mites, too small to see.

I would therefore treat it as an irritation of the tissue, and smooth on some coconut oil, keeping it moist several times a day for the next several days and see how it responds.

If it's a simple skin irritation, the coconut oil should heal it. If it's a mite infestation, the oil will smother them and get rid of them, and the tissue should return to normal.

Let's try that and see what happens. It's my approach to diagnose something unfamiliar to me by treating it and see what works. If the coconut oil doesn't do anything, we'll at least have ruled out those causes.

Please update your thread as the mystery unfolds.

 

[micstrachan]

Love the coconut oil idea!

 

[Oki&Nawa]

Thank you both for giving me advice! I will buy some coconut oil at a local supermarket. I'd update on her and see how it goes.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That is definitely a curious thing. I think the peck from the rooster was just coincidental, that the condition of the beak was already on its way to being what it is.

X2 It's something I've not seen before. Applying coconut oil is a good idea and won't hurt a thing

I'm almost inclined to think she pushed it back on a feeder or something, but then again...I don't see anything that screams "wound/injury" either.

@Oki&Nawa Welcome To BYC You have to bear with us picky BYC people We just LOVE photos. Can you post a photo of the beak full front - is there tiny "hole" where the beak meets the comb?

 

[Oki&Nawa]

Sorry for the late reply! Here is a picture Oki's mysterious situation. It seems that there are some very little exposed skin in the small dent.

 

[Terri Harmison]

It does look like she has a small cut just above her beak!