What is This???

[932ninja]

I just picked up 3 chickens from someone who had a cat attack in their urban coop and wanted her girls to go to somewhere more rural for their safety. The one was killed yesterday. I brought the three survivors home and one of them has this big bump at the base of her beak near her eye. I am wondering if sinusitis could occur in one side only, or could this be a result of the cat attck, or something totally different??? I am sending a SOS to you experts. When I opened her beak it seemed a bit "bubbly" for lack of a more medical term and her breathing sounds a wee bit raspy, but I could also be paranoid.... I have injectable Baytril and tetracycline, and duralactin (?) on hand.

 

[sunflour]

Wish someone with experience would reply. Any post puts this back in view.

No personal experience, but looks like it could be an abscess. How is the chicken acting? Eating, drinking, acting ill?
I assume this is only on one side of the face? Is it soft or firm. Any drainage from the eye or mouth?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have other chickens or poultry? It looks and sounds like a possible respiratory disease. Does she have a bad odor? While an abscess from a peck wound or injury could possibly be a cause, mycoplasma (MG) and coryza can cause the sinus infection that shows in the picture, and the rales or rattles you hear when she is breathing with an open beak. Those are both contagious and make carriers of all in the flock. If you have other poultry, then I would isolate her and her 2 mates far far away from the others. Many people would cull this chicken, but if you plan on treating her Baytril would work. Tetracycline in the water may also help instead. Here is a good link to read on the respiratory diseases: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[dawg53]

I agree with Eggcessive that it could possibly be from a hard peck. If this is the case, it would be similar to water on the knee. You can use a needle to puncture the bottom part of the swollen area and clear "water" should gush out. Puncturing it on the bottom is for drainage purposes. You can also gently and slowly squeeze it to force the liquid out the puncture hole. Then if nothing comes out, it would be an indication of a respiratory disease and an antibiotic would be required ie...baytril, tylan, etc...

 

[932ninja]

I have 17 other chickens in an outside barn stall (they free range on 4 acres all day). Currently this girl is being kept in an inside barn stall. I got a better look at it and there doesn't appear to be any "head" or site of impact on the bump. It is fairly firm. I gave her 1/2 cc of Tylan orally. My plan is to continue that for 5 days. I really don't want to lance it or anything. There doesn't seem to be me a smell in her mouth, but her color appears paler than "normal", but I am quite a novice.

 

[sunflour]

I have 17 other chickens in an outside barn stall (they free range on 4 acres all day). Currently this girl is being kept in an inside barn stall. I got a better look at it and there doesn't appear to be any "head" or site of impact on the bump. It is fairly firm. I gave her 1/2 cc of Tylan orally. My plan is to continue that for 5 days. I really don't want to lance it or anything. There doesn't seem to be me a smell in her mouth, but her color appears paler than "normal", but I am quite a novice.

I think you are doing the right thing. Watch her closely. I wouldn't lance unless you really think its abscessed and had "matured" enough to help.