Strange lump on my hens back

[littletmv]

You guys are all so helpful. I will tend to my girl, and post the update

 

[speckledhen]

Though this may not be your hen's issue, sometimes an oil gland can develop a tumor or blockage from a vitamin A deficiency. I just necropsied a bantam hen with a lump under the gland, used to encompass her entire backside but after a round of antibiotics, most of the accompanying infection had been eradicated, leaving a smaller hard lump.

She went downhill and passed this morning. She was always one to eat mainly the 11 or 13 grain scratch mix I threw out in the mornings and leave her layer pellets so she could have easily given herself a deficiency. A mainly seed diet will do that. Going forward, they will have to be watched for that, perhaps given a vitamin supplement more often. It's a first for me. I've seen infected feather follicles in years past on rare occasions, too, but I felt this was way more than that and unfortunately, I was right. But, then, it was plain I could do nothing to save her.

So, just an FYI for everyone. My hen might have been worse because she was a tiny 1.5 lb bantam and every issue is heightened with them.

 

[littletmv]

Thank you for sharing that information, and I am sorry for your loss.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you for sharing that information, and I am sorry for your loss.

Thank you. I just try to pass on every bit of information I learn as it comes up. This is just a new one on me. Hope to never see it again. Best of luck with your hen.

 

[littletmv]

UPDATE: it was a ingrown feather.. I hope I did it right. I was very gentle, and she was a good girl. I got the entire feather, including that stem thing

 

[speckledhen]

UPDATE: it was a ingrown feather.. I hope I did it right. I was very gentle, and she was a good girl. I got the entire feather, including that stem thing

Excellent! It did appear to be that and thank goodness that's all it was.

 

[action jackson]

Glad to help remember it can happen again in same spot so check every year the bump was like when we swell up from i.e. a splinter or a pimple ingrown hair I forget what it's called think it starts with a k I wanna say kreotin but am not sure it's kinda like the cortisone we produce as people