button quail chick with HUGE neck blister! HELP!!

[KattyKillFish]

My aunt was holding her favorite quail today and noticed something like a bubble of air & water under the skin. there is no fluff on the bubblem it's just bare. She doesn't seem to be in any pain or discomfort and she isn't crying excessively. she doesn't show any pain when i touch the blister or anything, and she's not lethargic but does seem to want more water then any of the other chicks. also, last night one of her siblings died mysteriously. he didn't show any strange symptoms or anything, he was a normal, healthy, active little quail only hours before we found him. not sure if that has anything to do with the blister but it may help someone figure out what's wrong...

i really don't want to cull her unless it is absolutely necessary. My aunt really loves her and wants to take her to Washington with her in a few months. here are a few pictures. nor a great picture but they it's the best i could get. PLEASE HELP!!!!

~*UPDATE*~
here are some better pictures. hope it helps. what should i do?

 

[redhen]

wow thats weird! hope someone can chime in to help!

 

[Mrs MIA]

I have never seen that before.

If it were mine, I would wait a few days, and keep an eye on it. If symptoms of pain start to develop, I might think about carefully (and in extremely sterile conditions) draining it. Since I don't know what's causing it, it's hard to say.

They're awfully tiny right now. If it can go another week it might stand a better chance of healing well if you do drain it. Sorry I can't be more direct... I've just never seen anything like it!

 

[KattyKillFish]

i was thinking i should drain it but i don't want her to start bleeding or anything. i don't know what to do! If there was a vet in town i'd taker her to him... I'm so worried

 

[shmooborp]

its ain air buble in the crop . ty and palpate it a little .

 

[KattyKillFish]

but it's on the back of her neck, and it's filled mostly with water. if it is a crop bubble can it still be on the back of the neck?

 

[TimeMist]

Has she had any injections at all on that side? I have seen swellings like that around an injection site.

I have also seen the same thing on a wild bird after having a puncture wound from a cat.

 

[KattyKillFish]

no injections. not sure how she'd get a wound though, unless she is being pecked at, and that I don't see happening and i spend a HUGE part of my day with them (8+ hours)
i think your suggestion is the more likely to have happened, but how?

 

[TimeMist]

Is there anything that it could have caught it's neck on? A small bit of wire sticking out of a cage, anything like that?

I think you should just monitor it's size for now. If it starts to get bigger then you may want to drain it. It shouldn't bleed very much if at all. You would require a sterile needle and then just a small hole just through the skin close to where the fluid is so you can push the fluid out. But honestly just wait first. If it's not getting any bigger it's not going to cause any harm at the moment.

 

[amazondoc]

As someone said -- it's probably just an air bubble in the crop. Yes, the crop CAN extend that far around the back -- especially in a baby.