Chicken with TUMOR?!

[kmlove89]

So, I have had chickens for about a year. Five chickens.

Well I thought my short one with furry feet just had a big growing breast. My friend whom has had many chickens before pointed out that she thinks its a tumor.

How do I get rid of this? Surgery? How much does it normally cost? Is this commen? Is this fixable? Is it painful? Is it even a tumor? Please help. All suggestions welcome.

 

[chicknmania]

I don't think that's a tumour. Is it hard or does it feel squishy like fat or like it is filled with liquid? I think I have read about this before....dropsy, maybe? Anyway, just keeping this bumped up for you.

 

[kmlove89]

its just plushy? lol? I will look it up and hopefully get more responses thank you!

 

[Judy]

Is it possible it is a very enlarged crop? Can you feel a crop separate from the lump? Both sour crop and pendulous crop are things you need to look into, if it is.

Read here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=219897

 

[fcoop]

Hi,
So today i have gone out and my chicken looks exactly like this,,, balding where the crop is?

What can it be?

 

[kmlove89]

An enlarged crop is what it looks like now that I looked it up. But I cant really find any info just pics.

It is just like a big boob? Just one though. I can feel where it attatches at the top.

What can I do about this? Is she in pain? I feel bad for the little girl.

 

[fcoop]

Hi,
So yesterday afternoon i went out with another person and the two of us 'successfully' induced vomiting on our chicken.

As petrified as i was, we gently turned her upside down and held her by the legs, she was so calm.

We then massaged her crop gently, and she slowly brought up everything.
It was definitely sour. It had the smell.

It took some time, as you can imagine after bringing up enough stuff to fill up a space the size of a tennis ball.

We took a few go's at it, as we found that if we turned her up the right way and let her have a break, we were more successful at getting more out again.

Today she is looking much better, her crop is still a little enlarged, but i want to monitor her for a bit before we do it again, she is eating, more verbal and much more mobile...

 

[threehorses]

Well better out than in they say.

Now as phase II to your treatment there are some important things to do as followup.

First, keep her up for a few days. She should only receive easily dissolved feeds. (Crumbles, yogurt, water, applesauce once or twice).

Yogurt: feed daily, 1 teaspoon. replaces the good bacteria in the entire digestive tract including the crop. The good living bacteria are what keep yeast/fungus in control. Yeast and fungus bloom during a soured crop, so you want to use yogurt for a week to take care of that problem. Feed direct if she likes it, or mixed in another treat if she thinks it's too sticky.

Applesauce. Babyfood applesauce is best. You can even get the kind that is applesauce/oatmeal. The fibers/pectin in the applesauce will cleanse the crop without clogging it. The pectin additionally makes the good bacteria "happy" by feeding them. The more the good bacteria eat, the more they multiply. The more the good bacteria multiply the less problems with fungus your bird will have.

Crumbles - if you use pellets, make them into crumbles in the blender this week. These feeds all fall apart in a glass of water. They also fall apart in the water of the crop. That means they won't stress the system with the task of having to grind them. That also means they're more readily absorbed, even in a digestive system that has recently been "poisoned" by it's own sour contents.

Oatmeal, cooked: Soothes the digestive tract. Great to hide yogurt in. The fiber cleanses and appeals to good bacteria.

Organic apple cider vinegar: 1 teaspoon in the gallon of water. The pH of OACV helps correct that of the digestive tract back to normal. The pH correction is friendly to good bacteria, devestating to bad bacteria and fungi. Additionally, organic still has living bacteria in it and some pectin. this highly complements the yogurt. OACV is often used for yeast infections that go systemic. This is important to your bird as the fermenting rotten feed in the crop bred fungus and yeast. So now we get rid of them or at least get them back to normal, healthy numbers. OACV will also help clean out the 'sludge' left from the backed up crop.

Keep her up away from grains, grass, grit, and other solid foods. If you don't know what's too solid, put it in a glass of water for 10 minutes. If you come back and it's not mush in the bottom of the glass, then it's too solid.

So this week:

Easily dissolved foods only: Free choice 'crumbles', and her special mash.

Day one: Mix 1 teaspoon or so of yogurt with an equal amount of water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of applesauce. mix. (Add some cooked oatmeal if you want - or she wants) Mix that in with the crumbles, about the same amount or more. Stir well. Let set 10 minutes til the water absorbs. Give that to her as the first meal of the day.
She should always have free choice crumbles and OACV water. Take her food up 30 minutes before feeding the mash; it'll make her more hungry. put the crumbles up after she's done with some part of her mash.

Days 2-4: Make the same mash but without the applesauce. Otherwise feed free-choice crumbles and OACV water. Make sure her crop is emptying.

Day 5: re-evaluate her. If her crop is good, smells good, food's moving, droppings are good SLOWLY introduce her to more solid feeds. Keep her on free choice crumbles and oacv.

Let us know how she does, please.