HELP - Found lump/growth on baby chickens side.

[Jayb1rd]

Breed: Wyandote x Frizzle
Age: 1-2 months old
Sex: Unsure (thinking she's a hen)
Name: Ash

Ash is very active, doesn't have problems walking, eats her food well, drinks plenty of water. Follows the usual routine that we have done with all our previous chicks. Overall she is a healthy, happy-looking chick. But recently we noticed her feathers aren't growing well. We didn't think much of it but we continued to keep an eye on it.

Her wings, back, bottom, everything are exposed, there's nothing except for a few rows of feathers here and there. This afternoon we decided to check her over for anything, and we found a small egg sized lump on her right side. Roughly just above the wing, nearing the chest area.

Has anybody else experienced this kind of thing at all? We have never had this problem with any of our chickens. I'll be taking her to a vet this week, but if anybody here has any idea what it could be, I'd seriously appreciate to hear what you think.

Thank you.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome to our wonderful BYC community. I hope you feel at home here and enjoy sharing your chicken adventures and making friends.

As regards your chick, are you sure you are not mistaking a very full crop for a lump or growth. It is located on the right side of their chest and they do reach an age where they are moulting and stuffing themselves full of food and the crop becomes really prominent and out of proportion. Some chicks show this much more than others.
Can you post a photo of her so we can take a look before you spend a fortune on vets fees, especially when she is otherwise acting normal and happy.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[Jayb1rd]

I apologise for the seriously late response. Since my post, our chick has suddenly gotten bloody spots across her skin as you can see in the photos. A family member recently ordered things to deal with lice, does it look like lice could be the problem here??

Thank you.

 

[rebrascora]

Firstly that is almost certainly a cockerel, so don't go spending a fortune on it in vet's bills unless you are particularly attached to it.
I would be inclined to guess that it is being feather pecked by the other birds, perhaps because it is a frizzle and maybe low in the pecking order with being young or looking different. Yes it could be due to lice or mites.... only mites such the blood and they live in the coop and crawl onto the chickens at night to suck their blood. Not sure where in the world you are but mites are usually more of a problem in summer or a mild winter climate whereas lice are more of a problem in the winter when dust bathing facilities are often limited due to wet or frozen ground. I would be surprised if there are many lice on that bird because he has so few feathers for them to hide in and keep warm, but certainly worth checking. Spending time watching the dynamics of the flock may give you an insight into the problem. Excessive preening would indicate external parasites or you may see feather pecking/bullying going on.... roosting time is a good time to watch for both.
Have you established whether the lump you were concerned about was just his crop or something more concerning?

 

[Arya28]

Borax and/or diatomaceous earth dust bathes for mites should help. Poor birdie! I would say the lump is just a full crop also though, if it's 1-2 months old that could still be a hen. Cockerels usually have bigger combs and are crowing by then, in my experience. If you are concerned about your bird you don't necessarily need a vet anyway, there are lots of home remedies for mites! Beware of using toxic chemicals to treat it.

 

[Jayb1rd]

Thank you both for your responses, we ended up taking little Ash to the vet just to check. He thankfully does not have mites/lice, looks like the other chickens had been getting into his nest and ripping his feathers out during the night. We have made sure to seperate Ash from the others and keep him with our other birds for now where he will be safe. Also will be bathing him twice a week with Fidos wash (as prescribed by our vet) just to make sure he can make a full recovery without the risk. Just until he is healed up and old enough to be able to handle himself.

The lump I was concerned about earlier is definetly his crop. (Sorry I forgot to clarify that in my last reply)

Really not sure if Ash if a hen or a cockerel just yet, but either way he's a very special part of the family.

Thank you both for your help/suggestions during this, so sorry it turned out to be a false alarm!