Chickens are symmetrical, one side looks just like the other, drawing a line through the center will divide the animal.
Symmetry is common in most animals, if your bird develops a bump on its head, and starts to look lopsided, you’d be right to be worried. So, why does this happen? This article looks into it
If your chicken’s head grows a bump then the temperature of the bump and how the bump feels when you touch it can help you determine if the bump is caused by a respiratory infection, a tumor, or an insect bite
Table of Contents
Bump on my chickens head
A chicken’s head isn’t very large, a bump on the bird’s head will be very noticeable and will look quite odd. If your bird has a bump on its head, here are the possible reasons:
The problem: An abscess
Pecking from other birds, and accidents, can cause your bird to develop an opening on its face. If bacteria gets into the opening and infects it, the opening can produce puss and form a lump on the side of your bird’s face, this is an abscess.
What to do:
You can use Antibiotics to help the abscess go down, or you can drain the abscess.
If you choose to go the route of using antibiotics, you’d need to use antibiotics made for chickens. You can find these types of antibiotics at feed and farm stores. Antibiotics made for chickens include tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and Tylan.
Draining the abscess is also an option. Check whether the abscess is in fact an abscess by nicking the lump with a scalpel blade or piercing it with a needle to see if any pus comes out.
If the bump is an abscess, you can drain it then clean the wound afterward.
A vet visit is also recommended, vets will be able to offer antibiotics such as Baytril, cephalexin, or Clavamox to treat the abscess.
The problem: Respiratory disease
Respiratory infections can develop in your chicken, these types of infections don’t only affect humans. Coryza and mycoplasma (MG) are infections that can cause swelling that look like a bump on the chicken’s head.
Other signs of respiratory infection in chickens include yawning, bubbles/foam in the eyes, nasal discharge, wheezing when breathing, and shaking of the head.
What to do:
If your bird does have a respiratory infection, then you can give them injectable procaine penicillin G. It is also recommended that you take your bird to a vet to have it checked for an infection
The problem: Insect stings
If your chicken gets stung by an insect, like a wasp, spider, bee, or hornet, it can develop a bump in the area. The stung area will get swollen and look like a bump.
Chickens can get stung on any of the non-feathery parts of their body. Unfortunately, even if the bird is in pain, it won’t show signs of distress. Chickens have evolved to not show signs of distress, distress is a sign of weakness in the wild.
What to do:
Firstly try to locate the stinger and remove it. After removal, apply a paste of baking soda and water to the area. Unfortunately, if the area is clogged with blood, then you may not see the stinger.
The problem: A tumor
Chickens, just like humans, can develop cancerous or non-cancerous tumors. A benign tumor is a non-cancerous tumor, it is simply a lump of tissue. A malignant tumor means cancer. Both of these resemble swelling.
If the bump is hard then it is likely a tumor and not an abscess.
What to do:
Taking your bird to a vet to have the bump assessed is recommended. They’ll be able to tell you whether it’s a benign or malignant tumor. Cutting the tumor will cause it to bleed profusely so taking the bird to a vet is recommended over cutting it off yourself.
FAQ
How do you treat a head wound on a chicken?
Your bird may not necessarily have a bump on its head, but the animal may have a wound on its head. Head wounds are pretty simple to treat.
If the blood in the wound isn’t clotting then use styptic powder and pressure on the wound to stop it.
Once the blood has stopped flowing flush the wound with iodine, hydrogen peroxide, or betadine.
Once done, leave your bird in a clean isolated location checking the wound for healing and infection daily. Clean the wound if infected.
How do you treat a swollen chicken head?
Another condition that your chicken may have is an ailment called swollen head syndrome (SHS) which affects the area around the eye.
This is an acute upper respiratory infection in poultry. There is no proven medication for this illness but antibiotics can be given if there is a bacterial component of the disease.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, bumps on your chicken’s head are not common, if your bird has a bump on its head you’re right to worry.
This bump may be an abscess, a respiratory infection, an insect bite, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor.
You can likely figure out what the bump is on your own at home, but, if you can, it would be best to take the bird to a vet for a diagnosis.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Chick Broke Shell But Not Membrane, Chick Pipped But Didn’t Break Membrane, White Spots On Chickens Head, Chicken Has An Abscess On Its Face, My Baby Chick Keeps Falling Over