Rooster w/ Ear Infection, What to Do? Brahma Rooster 7 1/2 yrs old

[Wyorp Rock]

I was not able to completely clean out the ears of some tiny pieces I saw that appeared to be solidified infection, but the big stuff is out, peroxide used, then packed with triple antibiotic that includes polymixin (article dawg linked mentioned that as being very effective if it is ear canker) and then dropped a drop of the silver solution into the ointment as well. Can't hurt, might help in this situation. I don't know that this is contagious necessarily, have never encountered any contagions in all these years because I have strict biosecurity, no wild birds get into the barn, etc, but the Brahmas are famous for getting food all over themselves when I feed them scrambled eggs and such and some ends up at the ear area. I treated all three of them because those three are in such close proximity all the time and their water has Oxine in it. In fact, I put that in all the waterers in the barn, used to do it frequently, but life got in the way and I hadn't for a long time. Good thing I have a mostly full quart bottle of it.
At the moment, I have a 2 1/2 yr old EE hen dying in a hospital cage, 2nd of this young hatchery group. I swear, no more darn hatchery stock! Turns out the same every time, darn it.
By the way, thanks, my friend. You must not live very far from me, being in the N. Carolina mtns. N. GA mtns here, 8/10 of a mile from the NC line.

Oh, it stinks to have one not doing well. Does the EE have some reproductive problems?

I'm more on the SC side of the mountains, but probably about 3hrs or so from you.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, it stinks to have one not doing well. Does the EE have some reproductive problems?

Seems that way. She'll be the 2nd in that younger group (they'll be 3 in April) that I've lost, the first also an EE. I'd say reproductive, yes, because the first definitely was. Huge bloated abdomen, weighs nothing otherwise.
This one, a splash color named Scarlett, looks like a true Ameraucana, was the best layer in that entire flock, every morning like clockwork; maybe that high production was her undoing. My original hatchery flock went the same way, starting just after they turned 2 years old. That was Ideal Poultry, not at all "ideal" in my opinion. These many years later, I was tired of separate groups, wanted a fun flock of bantam Cochins and EEs, but these are from Cackle and going the same way. I thought EEs, being mixed genetics, and a different hatchery would give a different result. The bantam Cochins are goofy and sweet, including all the roosters, but these EEs are the, craziest loony bunch I've ever had, They're my first hatchery EEs. In the past, I would create my own with my true Ameraucanas and Barred Rocks, very different result, calm and easygoing. These go off caterwauling 10x every day, flighty and scared of everything. Of 6 EEs, only 2 are actually fairly calm and normal, LOL.

Adding that, apparently, I've lost count. Originally, I had 6 Cackle EE hens, then lost Ripley to reproductive stuff a few months ago, now Scarlett is gone, so I now have just 4 EE hens. Thankfully, two of those are the most calm among them as well as the most beautiful. If they had all been like these two, I would be happy with them, but dang, they cause so much commotion!

 

[speckledhen]

Bash is doing fine, I think. Ears look much, much better. He had a couple of days with peroxide and antibiotic ointment, then I decided to do just the antibiotic with a drop of the colloidal silver in each ear and no more peroxide as I know it can begin to destroy healthy tissues. I've been doing the same to Brandy and Cora, just in case. I did put the Oxine in the water because it's antibiotic, anti-viral and anti-fungal. We'll see how it goes, but wanted to update the thread with the progress. Appreciate the suggestions. Now, I can add another unexpected encounter to my own chicken experience arsenal...as if I wanted that, LOL.