Chicken with a weird injury! Please, Help!!

[AriadneCastro]

Two days ago I noticed a bump on her back (size of a small olive), right under her left wing. I didn't know what to do at the time (no vets here!) and since she appeared to be alright, I thought maybe it were just a bug bit. Today, however, she is not appearing alright anymore, has fluffed up her feathers and is lethargic. The bump is slightly smaller, but all the skin around it is looking awful, dry, falling off, almost like if she had been burned. I also noticed what appears to be a small hole in the bump (visible on the photo) Please help me, I have no idea what it is or what I shall do! Afraid I'm going to lose my girl, she's not even 1 year old ...

 

[Eggcessive]

Feather cysts can be common, but the skin form of Mareks disease or an injury could also be possibilities. I would clean the skin with antiseptic, and using a sterilized needle, open the bump and probe it with tweezers to see if it could be an ingrown feather cyst. Tumors can also be a common occurrence in chickens, as well as skin abscesses from injuries.Hopefully these links may help.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/feather-follicle-cyst
https://www.beautyofbirds.com/feathercysts.html
http://multifarious.thatraymond.com/tag/chicken-health/
http://canarytales.blogspot.com/2009/12/removing-feather-cysts.html

 

[chickens really]

It may not be Mareks.

Anyways it looks like an old peck injury that is healing and possibly infected if puss is present?.....Break into it and clean with warm salted water and spray with Blu-kote......It will heal up quickly....



Cheers!
Edited by staff.

 

[azygous]

I agree. I appears to be an injury, and the black "hole" in the center of the swollen area is the biggest clue.

To treat it, I would wrap the patient tightly in a towel. Warm up a wet compress in the microwave and have one more standing by as the first one cools. Make sure it isn't hot enough to burn. Test it on your own skin. It should be as hot as possible without burning.

Hold the hot compress on the infected area. When it cools, repeat immediately with the next hot compress.

This should bring the puss to the surface. Press gently on the swollen area and move your fingers toward the black "hole". Keep doing this until you've expelled as much puss as possible, and you will probably see a foreign body, wood splinter perhaps, emerge with the puss.

Clean the area well with warm soap and water. I like Vetericyn, then an application of triple antibiotic ointment.

Keep her under observation. If the area become bright red, it is infected. You will need to give her an antibiotic if that happens. Then repeat the hot compresses and the accompanying expulsion of puss.

Keep the would clean with a moist ointment on it.

 

[chickens really]

Possible Bott Fly......Squeeze it out the puss....If a hole?.....Maggot or Bott fly larva....



Cheers!

 

[Eggcessive]

Not MEREKS and I wish people would stop scaring people with this unless it has been diagnosed..........YIKES!

Anyways it looks like an old peck injury that is healing and possibly infected if puss is present?.....Break into it and clean with warm salted water and spray with Blu-kote......It will heal up quickly....



Cheers!

It seems that I posted that this could be an abscessed injury or an abscessed feather cyst. Mareks can cause skin lesions, being 1 of the 4 types of Mareks. Many possible feather cysts or skin abscesses on threads have turned out later to be something that has caused death. I did quite a bit of research today to find threads to post on ingrown feathers, and found several of these threads. If an abscess or an ingrown feather is not the cause, then that is something to look into later. Here is an interesting thread to read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1070870/how-do-i-treat-multiple-feather-cysts
For info on skin Mareks, another good link: http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/#/disease/Marek's_Disease

Feather cyst and removal-photos by danasducks

 

[AriadneCastro]

Thank you all for your valuable help! I gave her a warm bath, cleaned the spot (which, by the way, is only bare skin) and tried to open the bump with a sterilized needle. However, I didn't manage to do so, because it is kind of a hard tissue. It doesn't seem to be any pus in there, and she doesn't show pain when touched. I believe it could be a cyst, but I don't feel confident enough to grab a scalpel and just cut through, I'm afraid I could make it worse... She looks a bit more energetic today, has eaten her treats, etc.. my question now is: is a cyst "safe enough" to leave it for a month or so, until I can take her to a vet?

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you all for your valuable help! I gave her a warm bath, cleaned the spot (which, by the way, is only bare skin) and tried to open the bump with a sterilized needle. However, I didn't manage to do so, because it is kind of a hard tissue. It doesn't seem to be any pus in there, and she doesn't show pain when touched. I believe it could be a cyst, but I don't feel confident enough to grab a scalpel and just cut through, I'm afraid I could make it worse... She looks a bit more energetic today, has eaten her treats, etc.. my question now is: is a cyst "safe enough" to leave it for a month or so, until I can take her to a vet?

I would just watch it and take pictures to note any rapid growth. Animals get odd cysts commonly. If you note any changes, then you could repeat the lancing or try a vet.