swollen face/eyes

[Jrose]

I have 7 mature hens, 19 3~month old chicks, 14 2~month old chicks. They have all been roosting and living together for nearly a month with no issues. They free range about 1/3 acre.

A few weeks ago I had 5 rogue roosters visiting daily. They would roost with the girls if I wasn't diligent (not all chicks were outside at this time). They had leg mites and feather mites, and goodness knows what else. Very unpleasant creatures. I got permission from the owner to butcher them and did so, but they were in contact with the girls for at least a week. I spotted mites during that time, but have been checking daily since and have not spotted any more mites.

Today one hens face is unusually puffy. No discoloration. Comb and waddles are rich, shiny red and filled out, NOT swollen. Its just around her eyes. Her face looks bloated. I have not seen this on any other chicken. Shes terribly flighty due to hatching with only one eye, so I haven't been able to catch her yet for photos or inspection. She's alert and on her feet.

Thoughts on the swollen face? I've been nervous those roosters may have brought an illness with them. All chicks appear well.

 

[Stiggy]

photos would be great. it could be face mites, they make the face swell and go flaky and itchy. cooking oil/ vasaline to the face, wattles, lobes and upper neck/ head each day for a week then every second day for 2 weeks should solve it if that's the problem.
yes ranging chickens can bring mites, lice sickness etc in so being diligent is a must.

 

[Eggcessive]

Swelling of the face or around an eye is usually a respiratory disease such as mycoplasma, coryza, or others. Those diseases are chronic and make carriers of your flock. Antibiotics such as Tylan50 may treat symptoms. Here is some reading about the respiratory diseases and symptoms: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044 and
http://umaine.edu/livestock/poultry/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-faq/

 

[Jrose]

Photos. She's blind in one eye and her beak grew back funny from factory clipping (she was a battery hen), but she manages, forages, and preens well. The waddles do look a bit swollen now. Her head is very warm. I combed her over and found no bugs. Her eyes (or eye) is bright and clear. She's at least 3 Yeats old.

I checked sereral other hens and chicks and see nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[Jrose]

Many of the diseases in the links shared are applicable to facial swelling. All are contagious. If the roosters brought something in a month ago, I'm sure everyone's exposed to it. I suppose administering antibiotics and doing a deep clean in the coop would be my starting point?

 

[Jrose]

Update: I cleaned the coop out today. Will moniter progress with my puffy hen. Today, one side of her face is nearly normal (her good side thankfully). Side with the bum eye is still puffy but does not look as bad as yesterday.

 

[Eggcessive]

It's interesting about her left pupil being irregular. Sometimes Mareks disease can cause an irregular pupil. and there is a condition called coloboma that looks like this, but isn't Mareks. Here is a thread to read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/845701/ocular-mareks-any-doubt
I would give her 3 days of shots of Tylan 50 to see if it reduces the swelling in the left eye. Terramycin or Neosporin ointment applied to the eye may also help.

 

[Jrose]

It's interesting about her left pupil being irregular. Sometimes Mareks disease can cause an irregular pupil. and there is a condition called coloboma that looks like this, but isn't Mareks. Here is a thread to read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/845701/ocular-mareks-any-doubt
I would give her 3 days of shots of Tylan 50 to see if it reduces the swelling in the left eye. Terramycin or Neosporin ointment applied to the eye may also help.

It's been like this since day one, the pupil has never changed. She has absolutely no vision in this eye, so she's pretty flighty. It's saved her life though, actually! She's keen to get a move on when trouble starts.
She's been with me for over 3 years now and has never had any illness or problems. She's laying regularly right now for the first time ever, actually. She doesn't lay when she's no relaxed, I think, and the new coop I built, with the introduction of the chicks seems to have sparked her production.

I've only lost 3 hens in 3 years; 2 factory birds to internal laying and 1 to a dog bite. Only had 1 incident of mites with introducing new hens and I've never had any illnesses.

It sounds like Marek's is pretty contagious and has extreme mortality rates, so I doubt she has Marek's.

I checked her after dark today and the good side of her face looks near-normal. The heat is not as bad as yesterday. The other side is still a bit puffy. I'm wondering if she could've had a freak incident of dust in her eyes, or maybe she ate a bee and got stung or something? She's acting 100% normal.

 

[Jrose]

Update: She's almost totally normal today. Very, very minimal swelling present. Who knows I guess?