Bump near eye

[Vicki B]

Grace just went through sickness (Diarrhea weight loss not moving around much about two months ago) has not laid an egg in a couple months. I doctored her up on my own. Then she went through a molt. now she is doing great still has not laid but now I see this bump near her eye. Any ideas? She just started trying to lay today and is doing the squat when I am near her.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous

 

[azygous]

If the lump is soft and squishy, it's likely nothing serious. If it's hard as a rock, it's more likely a neoplasma tumor caused by the lymphoid leucosis virus. They can be either malignant or benign.

I have a twelve-year old hen with one of these tumors over her eye. She's had it half her life and it has slowly grown over the years and has caused loss of sight in that eye. It began as a lump at the outer corner of the top of the eye, and it now covers most of the right side of her face. Otherwise, her health seems unaffected by it, and she's robust and healthy and still commands the flock.

My flock has been diagnosed as carrying the LL virus.

 

[Vicki B]

It is pretty much soft and squishy except the middle almost looks like a scab. I tried to squeeze it a little but she didn’t like that so I stopped. I will keep an eye on it. Thank you so much for the response.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It is pretty much soft and squishy except the middle almost looks like a scab. I tried to squeeze it a little but she didn’t like that so I stopped. I will keep an eye on it. Thank you so much for the response.

I agree with you, it does look like she may have a scab? ingrown feather? or something there.
Not sure how much you want to do. Carol's (@azygous ) input here would be good, but I would be inclined to apply a warm compress, swab the area with a little betadine or chlorhexdine and doing little probing with a sterilized needle to see if there's a embedded feather under the scab to see if that is the issue. Once done, then swab again and dab on triple antibiotic ointment.

 

[azygous]

Thanks to @Wyorp Rock 's ability to enlarge a photo on a BYC thread, I can see that "scab". Another BYCer recently had a chicken with a similar bump and was very concerned about it. I encouraged them to make tiny nick with a sharp point in the center and to watch very carefully at what then happens.

I said it may be in ingrown feather shaft and nicking it slightly may release it, and it is likely to pop out as a "U" shaped thing. Further gentle poking and prodding should release the shaft like a "jack-in-the-box. Dab with an ointment and the chicken is good to go.

That's exactly how it unfolded with that chicken which happened to be a roo. Trying this should do no harm. Just be careful to wrap the chicken in a towel burrito style to immobilize its movements so it doesn't risk getting a sharp point in her eye should she make a sudden jerky movement.

 

[Vicki B]

Thank you so much. I was thinking an ingrown feather since she is going through a hard molt. I will try tonight after work.