Please help— Chicken has an abscess/puffiness on one side of face

[Chick_Maelle]

Please help me- I have a younger serama hen who has an abscess (?) on one side of her face. She has lots of energy, no mood change or weakness (so I’m really hoping it’s not part of a disease). I recently got back from a week away but she wasn’t like that when I left, I feel bad . See the difference of the right/left side of her face .What is it on her face and how do I fix it?? Please help

 

[deidreg]

I'm NOT an expert and others may have much better advice.

If this were my hen, I'd use a sterile needle to drain it. Then clean the area, apply bacitracin, and keep a close eye on her. I would also keep her separate from the flock for a couple days.

Good luck!

 

[Chick_Maelle]

I'm NOT an expert and others may have much better advice.

If this were my hen, I'd use a sterile needle to drain it. Then clean the area, apply bacitracin, and keep a close eye on her. I would also keep her separate from the flock for a couple days.

Good luck!

Thanks for your advice. How do I know if it is an abscess or just puffiness for sure? I guess puffiness would be on both sides?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Please help me- I have a younger serama hen who has an abscess (?) on one side of her face. She has lots of energy, no mood change or weakness (so I’m really hoping it’s not part of a disease). I recently got back from a week away but she wasn’t like that when I left, I feel bad . See the difference of the right/left side of her face .What is it on her face and how do I fix it?? Please help

View attachment 3404245View attachment 3404246

What does the inside of her beak look like?
A clearer photo of the right side of her face too.

Does she have any lice or mite?

Chicken pus is solid, so very unlikely to be drawn out with a needle.
Hard to tell if this is an abscess, canker, pus/infection from respiratory disease or something else all together.

You have 2 other hens that have some issues as well, you posted about them yesterday in this thread.
Not sure if any of the symptoms of all 3 are related, but it would be good to investigate further so you can decide on the best course of treatment.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hen’s-eye-is-stuck-shut-weak-chicken.1564182/

 

[Chicken poppy]

Im going to tell you a story of what happened to my chicken with a very similar issue. I’m not saying this will happen to yours but just preparing you. Keep in mind this was on the part above the eye and not underneath so much like yours.

My chicken started having her eye get puffy, no mood changes til probably the very end. But her ”eye” got bigger and bigger, so big that when talking to a vet they said any day it would pop out.

I ended up euthanizing her because the cost of the surgery was over $1,000 and said to be “risky” because they have never seen something like it.

This could be totally different but if over the course of a few days it keeps getting worse, act fast or be prepared for euthanasia.

Wish you the best of luck for you and your hen, sending lots of love.

 

[Chick_Maelle]

What does the inside of her beak look like?
A clearer photo of the right side of her face too.

Does she have any lice or mite?

Chicken pus is solid, so very unlikely to be drawn out with a needle.
Hard to tell if this is an abscess, canker, pus/infection from respiratory disease or something else all together.

You have 2 other hens that have some issues as well, you posted about them yesterday in this thread.
Not sure if any of the symptoms of all 3 are related, but it would be good to investigate further so you can decide on the best course of treatment.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hen’s-eye-is-stuck-shut-weak-chicken.1564182/

Thanks, I will update when I get home.

 

[Chick_Maelle]

What does the inside of her beak look like?
A clearer photo of the right side of her face too.

Does she have any lice or mite?

Chicken pus is solid, so very unlikely to be drawn out with a needle.
Hard to tell if this is an abscess, canker, pus/infection from respiratory disease or something else all together.

You have 2 other hens that have some issues as well, you posted about them yesterday in this thread.
Not sure if any of the symptoms of all 3 are related, but it would be good to investigate further so you can decide on the best course of treatment.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hen’s-eye-is-stuck-shut-weak-chicken.1564182/

Alright, this is what she looks like tonight:

Inside the beak looks normal except for the part in the corner that overlaps the area. I noticed some mites on a different chicken so I treated them all with Ivomec. The cheek is not hard but it is firm. She doesn’t react if I touch it. It has a yellow colour to it too.

Im getting concerned that it’s part of a disease since another chicken in the flock (I made a separate thread: it’s the black frizzle with the eye that wouldn’t open) has a similar puffiness but above the eye. The eye is open now, but under where the scabs were is now a sort of puffiness. Here’s some photos:

 

[chickenE]

Not an expert, could it be Infectious Coryza?

 

[Chick_Maelle]

Not an expert, could it be Infectious Coryza?

I really hope not

 

[Wyorp Rock]

New chicken owner here. My poor Dottie has been struggling for a spell. I have tried so many things and none of them have helped her. I checked her crop and it seemed to be emptying but with more inspection and feeling the other hens crops of what is normal, I have discovered that hers feels like there are tiny pebbles in there. It doesn’t feel like the other girls crops. There are not any chicken vets around here and I am scared to death!! Any wisdom is appreciated.

Inside the beak looks normal except for the part in the corner that overlaps the area. I noticed some mites on a different chicken so I treated them all with Ivomec. The cheek is not hard but it is firm. She doesn’t react if I touch it. It has a yellow colour to it too.

Is vet care an option?

Having a yellow inside the beak could be Canker or it may be from respiratory infection.

Do you notice a bad/foul odor coming from any of the birds? If there's a bad odor, then Infectious Coryza and/or Canker would be the likeliest suggestion.
Sometimes birds can have more than one disease at play, so it's not uncommon to also have Mycoplasma as well.
Getting some testing/diagnostics would be best so you can give the correct medicine to see if you can get symptoms to clear up.

If that's not possible and there's no odor, then you can try treating with Tylan50 to see if it helps with symptoms. Dose is 0.25ml per pound of weight given orally 3 times a day for 5 days in a row.

The swelling around the eyes and sinus is probably pus. You'll want to flush/clean the eyes with saline, then see if you can remove any pus.

If there's a bad odor, then you'll want a Sulfa drug to treat them. You can order it online.
Possibly Baytril may help, but usually a Sulfa drug is used if there's odor.

Keep your water station cleaned. Don't add any new birds, keep a closed flock. If you lose any, then getting testing will give you the best information.