Raised bumps with hard white heads

[MacCheese01]

Hello friends,

I have had back yard chickens for years but this is the first time a chicken has developed these bumps. I tried to drain but didn't get any puss. A friend thinks it might be bot fly larva, but google suggests that is only in mammals. I only have a small flock, they are moved weekly to new grass. We do live with cows nearby which is new.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Hello friends,

I have had back yard chickens for years but this is the first time a chicken has developed these bumps. I tried to drain but didn't get any puss. A friend thinks it might be bot fly larva, but google suggests that is only in mammals. I only have a small flock, they are moved weekly to new grass. We do live with cows nearby which is new.

It almost looks like canker. Not sure if it can progress to the outside. When you open her mouth, are there any chunky white pieces or white lesions inside?

Anything can be a victim of bot flys. But bot fly larvae usually only make one hole to breathe.

I'll tag some others here. @Eggcessive @azygous @Miss Lydia

 

[Ursuline Chick]

@casportpony is this fly strike? I don't have an answer but would really like to know the answer. Thank you

 

[azygous]

Are mosquitoes part of your life? If so, it may be fowl pox.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Poor thing, I really don't know but I am going to follow along.

 

[Eggcessive]

I also would look inside the beak for any white or yellow gunk? Fowl pox could be a possibility for the beige spots. I also would wonder if this was possibility of a peck abscess. If it seems like pus, I would clean off the area with Betadine or chlorhexidene.

 

[MacCheese01]

Thank you for all the input. The bump doesn’t seem puss-y and we couldn’t see a little larvae moving. I treated with antiseptic, then some antibacterial cream, and then some Vaseline. If not better tomorrow I may take to vet as this is my one “baby” chicken. I’ll report back.

 

[Eggcessive]

Did you check inside her beak with a light? Look for any white to yellowish gunk.

 

[MacCheese01]

We tried to look inside with a flash light but our nurse skills are lacking. I don’t see any fluid coming from eyes or beak.

 

[MacCheese01]

Thank you everyone! Not fly strike, not bot flies, seems like infection from being pecked. We are treating with antibiotic cream and she seems to be doing fine. I can't bear to lance her face to drain the pus but am doing warm compresses. She seems to be doing well.