Swollen comb on silkie hen

[aabennet]

My hen has a very swollen comb. We also have a case of scaley mites in our coop, so I thought that was the issue and have been treating it as so, but the swelling has not gone down now for a few days. Could it be a sting? I'm worried it's something more serious - she has been acting normal. Image is attached.

 

[snow5164]

Could be a bite , are there any other symptoms ? How’s the poop? Eating ? Acting normal ?

Better pictures might help

 

[Chickenmamalizzy]

My hen has a very swollen comb. We also have a case of scaley mites in our coop, so I thought that was the issue and have been treating it as so, but the swelling has not gone down now for a few days. Could it be a sting? I'm worried it's something more serious - she has been acting normal. Image is attached.

Can you please tell me- How did this resolve for your hen? One of my most beloved silkies has become almost unrecognizable, since her comb began to swell; I 1st noticed (maybe 2 weeks ago, give or take?) when after greeting her by name, I had to second guess myself. Although I have about a dozen black silkie hens, related paternally, I have found ways to remember who's who; be they bearded, single or walnut comb and even down to their delicate toes, I usually know who I'm talking to, but Cricket did not have the same face that I've loved since that easter morning she & her sister's eggs (abandoned by mama as late hatch eggs), came to life in my little incubator. of course, as soon as I picked her up, she gave her unmistakable Cricket snuggles, but I was none the less alarmed. I recall seeing a little bump or localized inflammation, on her cheek previously, but it had been in the same spot and at the same size for some time, so I chalked it up to being like a mole or beauty mark. That bump was no longer noticeable, tho, just the swollen comb. She has no other symptoms that are obvious to me at least...no sneezing, head shaking or coughing, nor any sinus discharge. I just praying that it isn't some sort of mass or growth. The closest avian vet for us, is a 3 hour drive over 2 mountain passes, so I would like to determine what we're dealing with and if it is treatable, before making her ride in the car all day to drive halfway across Washington state and back.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

One of my most beloved silkies has become almost unrecognizable, since her comb began to swell; I 1st noticed (maybe 2 weeks ago

I recall seeing a little bump or localized inflammation, on her cheek previously

She has no other symptoms that are obvious to me at least...no sneezing, head shaking or coughing, nor any sinus discharge

Welcome To BYC

The OP has not been online since 2018 when this thread and only made the one post so I doubt they will respond.

Can you please post several good clear photos of her and the comb?
How old is she?
Where are you located in the world?

 

[Chickenmamalizzy]

Welcome To BYC

The OP has not been online since 2018 when this thread and only made the one post so I doubt they will respond.

Can you please post several good clear photos of her and the comb?
How old is she?
Where are you located in the world?

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated
Cricket is 2 1/2 years old. (dad is a black silkie, mom is a buff silkie)
We are in Wenatchee, Washington.
these are the best my phone camera produced, sorry. I also interrupted her snack time with fresh corn on the cob, so her face was a bit messy and she wanted to be back with the corn instead of on my lap!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated
Cricket is 2 1/2 years old. (dad is a black silkie, mom is a buff silkie)
We are in Wenatchee, Washington.
these are the best my phone camera produced, sorry. I also interrupted her snack time with fresh corn on the cob, so her face was a bit messy and she wanted to be back with the corn instead of on my lap!

Can you tell if she may have a small injury/peck or sting to the comb?
Any lice or mites?
Is she not well - are you having to keep her inside?
Any symptoms like lethargy, not able to move about well...etc.?

 

[Chickenmamalizzy]

Can you tell if she may have a small injury/peck or sting to the comb?
Any lice or mites?
Is she not well - are you having to keep her inside?
Any symptoms like lethargy, not able to move about well...etc.?

there doesnt appear to be any obvious focal point of the swelling, no obvious scabs or anything oozing. I haven't seen anything crawling around in her feathers, although I have never an opportunity to identify lice or mites on any of my chickens previously, so I'm not exactly sure that I would know one from the other; never-the-less, no tiny specs moving about, that I can see.
Cricket and her sister sleep inside the house at night, but they come and go, milling about in the garden and mingling with the rest of the flock during the day. Her appetite seems normal, and she's as active as she usually is but I have been picking up a kind of nervous, restless energy from her...almost frantic, at times, but not for any determinable purpose, that I can figure. She and her sister share a nest for egg laying in my bedroom & I've found her on it every few days, which is pretty normal for her. I don't think she's getting broody, tho she can be; she hatched two broods this year, and are old enough to be independent now. I guess it could be hormonal but her comb has never been effected before.
She hasn't developed any neurological ticks or exhibited any confusion but the last time they went for a ride with me to run errands, she jumped out, while I was exiting the car....she is a seasoned co-pilot and has never attempted jump out of the car before. At the second stop, I was now alert to her interest (having just collected her, with some effort, from an almost empty parking lot), yet she was so determined that even with my effort to keep her from doing so, she leapt to explore a much more active and populated parking lot. And like any nightmare scenario, she refused to come to me, opting rather to zoom under parked cars, playing " catch me if you can"! As I circled the car that had been idling in front of the store, mortified and spilling with apology for the spectacle, a good Samaritan, with "chicken experience", came to our rescue and helped me corner her at a bush. SO- this is NOT normal behavior for Cricket, AT ALL. I suppose it could be her midlife crisis but something tells me that she is bothered or uncomfortable and maybe going a little coo-coo, as time passes. Which is what has led me to wonder if she has a mass or growth maybe starting in jher sinus area? She doen't seem to be rubbing her head or acting like its irritated...only time will tell if her comb will continue to become more swollen- if that will even be something I can measure some how? I'm just hoping that someone has already gone thru a similar experience and can shed some light or point me in the right direction, so I can figure out where to take her for help... there are Avian vets in Pullman, thru WSU and there are also Avian vets in the seattle area, but their facilities are all different, as far as diagnostic and treatment options.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is she possibly starting to molt?
Has she been laying any eggs?
I don't know what would make the comb swell, but I would keep watch on it for sure. It is a good idea to measure it somehow. Trying to think how you would do that. Maybe measure it with a string and write that down?

While this is not a cure, she may benefit from some extra vitamins if you think she's going a bit coo-coo. I would give her 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 Tablet B-Complex for 5 days in a row. Then go with once a week. See if that helps at all. A little treat of eggs a few times a week may also give her a boost.

Keep us posted on how she's doing.

TOO CUTE! That she rides with you to town. I can't imagine doing that with the wild things I have. If one got loose in a parking lot I'd never get them back (well, maybe 1 rooster I have, he would probably come to me, but anybody else...forget it)