Some kind of ear infection

[crj]

Maybe someone here will know what else I can do for my hen. I have a hen that is getting a build up in her ear. It seems to bother her a bit. I find that she opens her mouth a lot to unclog her ear. She has been getting a build up of hard crusty yellow stuff and works its way out of the ear. I use hot water to soften it and tweezers to get the stuff out. It smells bad too. Not super bad but bad. When it's softened it looks like I'm pulling out scambled eggs from her ear.

I've used hot water with Q-tips, I squirt water into her ear to flush it, I also use peroxcide and then hot water to try to get out more. What is close enough to the ear openning I will grab with some tweezers. I noticed that every 2 or 3 days I have to work on her ear again. I've even put baby oil in her ear to kill any mites. No mites. I massage her neck and that seems to bring more up but not enough to get at it. So, I'm not getting to the core. She is very good about it and loves the hot water and the massage. She has been a sport about it. She is a Light Brahma. I will try to get pictures the next time I bring her in.

At the moment she is hiding out with another hen that is hiding from the roosters. She has an apron on and her feathers are growing back. She wants nothing to do with the roosters poor thing. At least the two are keeping each other company.

Any suggestions what I can do about the ear?

 

[Funky Feathers]

Ooh, Ooh, I love a good ear infection. Sorry, I get excited about treating these, it is so much fun.

Can you get ahold of a 1cc (insulin) syringe without the needle? The small end that the needle goes on fits perfectly into a chicken's ear, and you can scoop out the pus with that. Make sure you get it all out every time, do it twice a day and do the flushes too like you have been. Thing is, she needs systemic antibiotics (Tylan 50 injectable, 1/2cc in the breast muscle twice a day) works great. Do these things for 5-6 days and it should clear up. I have had experience with this with the Silkies I used to have. Good luck, and have fun!

 

[crj]

Can I give her tetracyline in the water. Duramicin-10.......... same thing just can't spell them....... lol I don't have anything else at the moment. I may have a friend that does.

I have been using a syringe to get water in her ear. I find the eggy stuff goes very deep and down into the ear where you can't get at it. As I massage her around her ear I can see it move up but never to the point where you can get it. It will disappear back into her head. She has been really good about it. The outside of her ear is swollen. I even cut away the feathers that cover the ear openning. I will try and get a picture tomorrow. I don't know how much stuff will be in there.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Terramycin is not as good, it is for G.I. (gut) infections, not skin/external. Cephalexen pills (250mg) twice a day would work. Or use the Tylan. You need to get it all out, keep working it up as best you can. Warm, almost hot water may help with that. Dang, I have the perfect tool for getting down in the ear, but I am not close to you.

 

[MobyQuail]

we had one of these recently. a black rock hen was looking wore out.
I scooped her up and saw it immediately. it was oozing, boy was it fun to clean, and clean again, and again.
finally, now she is doing better, and ugh, it did smell...

 

[dawg53]

Fattie is correct, go with the tylan 50 injectable. To clean and clear the ears directly, flush them with hydrogen peroxide. Use a Q-tip to wipe them clean of goop. You might have to take off abit of cotton at the tip to get it into the ears and get them cleaned real well. Then pack both ears with neosporin (without pain reliever) and leave them. You might have to repeat this procedure one more time, but they will clear up and be healed.