Hard growth on chicken face

[Shamo123]

I have a young cockerel that has had a growing lump on his face for a while now, it started off small but has grown quite large now as can be seen in the picture. It is very hard and almost feels like it's a part of the chicken if that makes sense. I am planning on culling him tomorrow anyway but I'm asking this question as I now have a hen that is starting to develop the same lump although hers is still small so i would like to treat it if possible but i need to know what it is first.

Thanks in advance.

 

[lazy gardener]

Are there lesions in his mouth? It looks infected. I really have no idea. B/C it appears to be contagious, I'd contact your county agricultural extension poultry expert and see if they can identify the cause. Do so before you cull him.

 

[Eggcessive]

What is on the corner of his beak that is dark looking? Can you look inside his beak and in the bottom for any yellow patches that might be canker (histomoniasis?) If it is not canker, I would suspect cancer or a large abscess. Recently, someone had a chicken with a lesion around the beak and wattle that some though was canker, but turned out to be a cancerous tumor. Get a necropsy if possible by your local poultry vet.

 

[Shamo123]

Are there lesions in his mouth? It looks infected. I really have no idea. B/C it appears to be contagious, I'd contact your county agricultural extension poultry expert and see if they can identify the cause. Do so before you cull him.

Nothing that i can see, if it was infected it should be a little soft at least right? This has been rock solid ever since started out as a small lump.

The hen that developed a lump hasn't actually been with him for a long time, they've been completely separate for a while now. The chickens that were with him until recently aren't showing any issues.

 

[Shamo123]

What is on the corner of his beak that is dark looking? Can you look inside his beak and in the bottom for any yellow patches that might be canker (histomoniasis?) If it is not canker, I would suspect cancer or a large abscess. Recently, someone had a chicken with a lesion around the beak and wattle that some though was canker, but turned out to be a cancerous tumor. Get a necropsy if possible by your local poultry vet.

Just had a look and the dark looking matter you saw turned out just to be food, the inside of his mouth looks very clean so I can probably rule out canker.

Are cancerous tumours and abscesses meant to be very hard?

 

[Shamo123]

No one on this forum has any idea whatsoever what it could be?

 

[Kiki]

Chicken pus (infection) is hard.
It is not the same as human liquidy pus.

 

[CCUK]

Sorry. I have no idea. All I can suggest is that you take her to a vet to get checked out. Is she eating and drinking ok?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am planning on culling him tomorrow anyway

No one on this forum has any idea whatsoever what it could be?

Did you cull the cockerel? If you did, did you cut that open to see what was inside?

Photos of the current hen with swelling and what the inside of her beak looks like would be good too.

Swelling can be from so many things (insect bite or wound to disease) it's hard to know sometimes unless there are other symptoms. If you happen to lose your hen it would be a good idea to send her for necropsy/testing.

 

[Shamo123]

Chicken pus (infection) is hard.
It is not the same as human liquidy pus.

It has to have a colour though right? When i cut open the growth on the hen the only thing i saw was clean blood and i made quite a few incisions too.