Huge lump on my chicken (pointy growth)

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fernv

fernv

Chirping
7 Years
Apr 23, 2014
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My 1 year old dominique has a very large (about the size of an egg) lump/growth on her back next to her tail. Her comb has faded, she is sleeping on the floor instead of on the roost, she goes to bed a few hours before the rest of the flock - generally fading.

Does anyone know what this might be or what I could do to help her?

(It has been there for at least a couple of weeks now.)
 
The more information you can give us the better we can help. For example:

Can you post a photo of it?
Does it feel hard or soft and squishy, and does it feel hot, like there's an infection there? Does it move about under the skin?
Do you have a problem with insects - mosquitoes, horseflies etc - in your area - could it be an infected bite?
Have you already tried anything to treat it, or not?
 
I'll get some photos when my husband gets home and can hold her still and push aside the feathers covering it.

This morning I noticed she has a large, semi-raised pale spot on her wattles - it wasn't there yesterday. A smaller one is developing on the other side of her wattles too.

I'll poke around more later when we take photos - don't want to stress her too much, but I think it is fairly hard, no signs of infection or injury (but it is feathered so it's hard to tell.) No insect issues.

I haven't done anything to it as I don't have a clue what it is. We are pretty sure it's not an infection though.

We have 4 other chickens, all seem healthy. They free-range and roam into the brush daily.

Thanks for any help!
 
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A photo would be great.

Is she eating / drinking / pooping normally? If she isn't eating or drinking enough then that could cause her to be lethargic and look dull, and you would need to consider separating her or bringing her inside to try and get some fluids and food into her.

You say that they forage in the brush daily - do you have any thorny bushes, briars etc that could have stuck into her? I know you say that you don't think it is an infection, but it is worth considering all possibilities.

Hopefully the photo and your closer inspection may be able to shed some more light on it.
 
I got some photos, it is more of a cone-shaped growth than a lump. It's hard to tell the shape in the photos, but it is hard and pointy and sticks out about 3".

She is eating and drinking normally, but seems tired and stays in or near the coop most of the day. Her poop is sometimes normal and sometimes liquid. The bushes are not thorny, but anything is possible.


It is on the right side of her tail in this photo.



The one below is so you can see where on her body this growth is.
 
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Tumors anywhere inside or outside the body can be a problem with Mareks disease. This doesn't mean that your hen has that, since any hen can have a tumor, but I just wanted to mention that. Tumors are usually firm, where an abscess would feel softer. Since it is near her back where she could get pecked or injured during mating, does it look like an abscess? Here is some info on Mareks disease: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/502
 
She isn't showing any of the listed symptoms of Mareks. We don't have a rooster, so mating injuries are also out.

It's a strange growth, looks kind of like a scab on people, but it's huge and growing out in a pointy cone...

What about the growths on her wattles, any ideas there?

Thank you for the ideas!

:)
 
Do you have mosquitoes out right now? That possibly could be fowl pox. You might do a search for avian pox or fowl pox on Google or on here for some reading and pictures.
 
It looks flat, like a skin condition, but it's actually a pointy cone shaped growth coming out about 3" from her body. It is hard.

I haven't seen any mosquitos out, it's pretty early for them here - I'm in eastern-ish Washington state.
 

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