What is wrong with my chicken's head?

Keylime

Songster
6 Years
Mar 1, 2018
76
69
146
Northwest Arkansas
I have a flock of 17, multiple breeds. I went away on vacation for two weeks (my neighbor was looking after them), and I found one of my cream leg bars in a pretty bad state. Lethargic, eye black and so crusted over I thought it had gotten pecked out, one wing drooping, and hard, dry, crusty patches all over a bald head.

Is this scaly face, pox, or fungus? She is about two years old and is the lowest on the pecking order, so her feathers never really look great, unfortunately. I checked her for lice and mites and couldn't find any. I gave her an Epsom salt bath, tried to get her eye open (without success), and applied olive oil and triple antibiotic ointment to her head.

What do you think?
 

Attachments

  • tempImagekhKtsc.png
    tempImagekhKtsc.png
    5 MB · Views: 37
  • tempImage7dyqVU.png
    tempImage7dyqVU.png
    5.6 MB · Views: 19
  • tempImagefFJTLE.png
    tempImagefFJTLE.png
    4.7 MB · Views: 15
  • tempImageEAcW3X.png
    tempImageEAcW3X.png
    4.4 MB · Views: 15
  • tempImage0TNOy4.png
    tempImage0TNOy4.png
    3.9 MB · Views: 19
To me it looks like she is being seriously abused and feather pecked/plucked by the rest of the flock. I do not think it is a disease situation. I would apply antibiotic ointment to her eye and scalped areas.
 
To me it looks like she is being seriously abused and feather pecked/plucked by the rest of the flock. I do not think it is a disease situation. I would apply antibiotic ointment to her eye and scalped areas.
You are right. On further inspection, she has puncture wounds and a broken wing. We are also missing another chicken. Our niece came over and l collected eggs without our permission and left the nest box open. Our chicken sitter said she saw a girl collecting the eggs. Sitter came in and closed the nest box. I think a predator injured this chicken and took the other.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom