Question What the heck is this???

[MuskokaMaiden]

During a spa treatment on a BLRW I discovered strange lumps on the back of a her neck. They appear blister-like so naturally I jumped to the conclusion that I'd scalded the poor beast but in retrospect I can say that the water was not hot enough to do so. They are big & kinda squishy (versus hard/firm) & don't seem to cause her any discomfort. I'm at a loss. No scabs, lesions or redness but they are kinda lumpy & localized.
The poor girl is in a bad way...I discovered she also has lice. I have not had to battle that particular critter before but find it difficult to believe they could be the cause of this.
I did manage to take pics but they're not great. Any ideas??

[windwalkingwolf]

Looks like maybe folliculitis? If she's been digging at feathers/lice/nits, it would make sense. If the lumps are actually blisters with clear fluid, it could also be an allergy or sensitivity. Chickens don't usually get lice unless they're not moving around much due to feeling unwell, or sight problems or pain, and then parasites move in and compound the problem. First step would be kill the lice and remove nits, and see if her skin calms down.

[MuskokaMaiden]

Thanks. I should've mentioned that I isolated & treated her (& everyone else for that matter) with ivermectin. I noticed her withdraw somewhat awhile back but attributed it to flock adjustments after losing her sister. I later noticed that she seemed to hold her head/neck in a slightly unnatural curve to the left when relaxed but she would straighten up upon inspection. In short, she seemed off but had no further obvious symptoms...ya, what you say rings true. It does seem to involve the feather follicles but she can't really get at the area to dig at it. Let's hope that the critters are the cause. She seems to have livened up but I'm giving her another spa treatment/dusting today.
Thanks again :wink: