10 day old chick with soft bumps on head - Help!

[mixedchickenguy]

Short backstory: one of my mixed bantam hens hatched 4 chicks on 12/04, and one of them developed what look like little bubbles on its head. This chick's left wing also hasn't grown since it hatched, but I'm not as concerned about that since it acts like any other chick.

The bumps are clear-ish and soft to the touch. They don't seem to bother the chick at all, but I think they have grown since it hatched. There's one big one and one smaller that I can see, but there could be more.
The other babies and mom haven't pecked at this chick at all, and it can eat and drink well. The five are in a stall separate from my other chickens. They have a ceramic heat emitter, water that gets dumped and refilled twice a day and constant access to chick starter. I also offer them scratch grains daily.

Does anyone know what I can do for this chick? Anything I can add to help it?

 

[LaFleche]

This might be a malformation of the skull with brain material pressing through.
Obviously, there is some genetical bone malformation going on, as the left wing did not develop.

ETA: Was the hen that laid this egg perhaps treated with some antibiotics? Some antibiotics can lead to malformations in the offspring:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/17453677608988729

 

[mixedchickenguy]

This might be a malformation of the skull with brain material pressing through.
Obviously, there is some genetical malformation, as the left wing did not develop.

Thanks for such a fast response. My hen's mother had quite a few issues with her chicks, so it would make sense if those issues got passed down. I should make sure she can't hatch more chicks in the future.

As far as the possible malformation, how would I be able to tell? The bubbles kind of look like they're filled with clear-ish fluid, if that helps at all.

Edit: No, this hen is a year and seven months old and has never been treated with anything.

 

[LaFleche]

As far as the possible malformation, how would I be able to tell? The bubbles kind of look like they're filled with clear-ish fluid, if that helps at all.

The brain is sourrounded by liquor cerebrospinalis.

To be able to clearly determine whether this is a partly open skull or something else, you would need an x-ray of the head.

Examining the head yourself by gently palpating the area might bring some insight, but it also could put pressure on exposed brain material and make things worse.

The danger of serious infection is also the reason why I would be hesitant to try and aspirate this fluid build up.

 

[LaFleche]

So, if a vet (x-ray) is not an option, I would just leave it alone and observe daily to be able to recognize when the suffering starts and it will be time to put it out of its misery.

 

[LaFleche]

And welcome to the BYC community!

 

[mixedchickenguy]

So, if a vet (x-ray) is not an option, I would just leave it alone and observe daily to be able to recognize when the suffering starts and it will be time to put it out of its misery.

Alright, thank you for your help. I'm actually quarantined at the moment so I can check on the little one many times a day.
I might try to see if I can find someone who will see chickens. I brought this hen's brother in for a respitory problem (drove an hour and a half) and the vet took a few looks at him and said there was no problem and just to elevate his water off the ground. He prescribed medication for a respitory infection, which I gave to him as directed. That bird died a month later. I don't know if this is relatively common as I had never brought a chicken to the vet before.

 

[LaFleche]

Alright, thank you for your help. I'm actually quarantined at the moment so I can check on the little one many times a day.
I might try to see if I can find someone who will see chickens. I brought this hen's brother in for a respitory problem (drove an hour and a half) and the vet took a few looks at him and said there was no problem and just to elevate his water off the ground. He prescribed medication for a respitory infection, which I gave to him as directed. That bird died a month later. I don't know if this is relatively common as I had never brought a chicken to the vet before.

Vets with avian knowledge are very rare and usually expensive. So is is quite common that a "normal" vet will not be able to diagnose or treat a sick chicken correctly. But any vet should be able to perfom an x-ray, no matter the species.

As there would be no remedy for an open skull issue, in your case, I would just let it live running together with its siblings as long as it does not suffer.
You will notice soon enough when it will be time to end it, or maybe the liquid filled bubbles will shrink on their own, who knows?

In case it survives against all odds, make sure not to breed from it.

 

[LaFleche]

How is little Bumpyhead doing today?