Her head and one eye is swollen shut! **SEMI-GRAPHIC** NOT PRETTY!**

[LadyinRed]

1) What type of bird , age and weight. Silkie. Unknown. Unknown
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Broody!
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Her top knot was torn off three days ago.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Head is very swollen and one eye is swollen shut. Slight bit of crustyness on skin
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. RIR hen or racoon.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Eating and drinking normally
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. N/A
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? None.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Self treatment
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. Will post picture in a few minutes
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use Shavings in coop


Discovered a broody silkie hen had her fluff torn from her head about three days ago. Ok no problem there. She had mites a week ago and I treated her for that. Now the exposed skin is swollen and crusty and her eyes are swollen and one is swollen shut. I assume another hen pulled her feathers out. I'll get pictures soon. She is the only one like this and ALL the feathers were gone at the same time and the others left are not even remotely loose. And she's already a horrible broody hen without not being able to see in both eyes. Help please!

 

[LadyinRed]

Here is a picture of her head!!!

 

[austradork]

Awww . . . poor thing. If she was mine, I'd put her on antibiotics and fast. I might even use neosporin (the NON-pain relieving kind - I hear that's dangerous for chickens). Swelling and crustiness make me me think she has an infection brewing. Keep us updated! She looks like an otherwise beautiful girl!

 

[chickenzoo]

That looks like it was pulled out by another chicken. If she had mites they lodge in the topknot of Silkies and Polish and get under the feather follicles and produce hard crusty skin balls, irritated inflamed skin and can cause the eye to get irritated and close . The other chicken may have been after the buggs on her head. Apply neosporin to head and affected eye and massage it open. Make sure the mites do not return.

 

[LadyinRed]

This morning both eyes were shut. But she was moving around fine, she went to the feeder and was eating. After she ate I got her, the chicken hospital tub, and food and water dishes and brought her inside. She drank a good bit after she got settled and now she's all fluffed up. I'm going to run to the store to get neosporin and see what I can do to help her. Thanks guys.

 

[LadyinRed]

Well I feel like a bad chicken mommy. She definately has mites still! And lots of them! Shampoo time. I got one eye open and one eye partially open and she is eating again. I did neosporin on her crusty scalp and now I'm going to prep the bathroom for flea shampoo to kill the mites on her body off.


After bath update!

She has both eyes open now and almost all the mites are gone! A few were moving around here or there but they certainly were not moving like before and most of them were dead and washed away. She looks much better now too. Seemed to enjoy the warm bath since she did not move at all during it but did not love the blow dryer. She seems to be feeling a little bit better with her eyes open now also.

 

[chickenzoo]

Adams flea & tick mist spray for dogs works well on mites. Spritz under each wing and around vent. Mites hide in small crevices of the coop and all kinds of places. I've been having a hard time with them also this year...even though I dust and dust and spray and spray everything......

 

[austradork]

Quote:
What a relief! And I didn't know you can SEE mites! I assumed they were microscopic. I feel stupid. Glad your girl seems to be feeling better!

 

[LadyinRed]

Here is a photo update! I'm useing adams on her today to make sure all the nasty little mites are gone and she woke up with one eye sealed shut again! Its open now but I have a feeling I'm going to need to keep a close eye on her. she's a pretty good little house chicken though. She also got her nails trimmed after her bath.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What a pretty little girl, I'm sure with the tlc she's getting she'll be fine.