clear lump on chest of 3 week old chick

[pgstepaenk]

Anyone with advice on this, I would really appreciate some guidance! I just got home from work and one of my 3 chicks has this weird swollen lump on her right side chest. It is not her crop, I can actually see through the skin and it is rather clear in this swollen area. I checked on them this morning and didn't notice anything and It wasn't there last night when I was actually holding her so it has developed quickly! Any help would be so appreciated!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she having any distress, such as trouble breathing or making a clicking sound when breathing? The crop can look very big and clear in baby chicks. Subcutaneous emphysema, windpuff, or a leaking air sac can happen after an injury to the neck or chest. It is a collection of air under the skin from an injury to an air sac, or in some cases from an infection. If the chick is in no distress, I would not do anything. If it gets huge, or the chick has trouble breathing, and you're sure it is a leaking air sac, then you can try deflating it with a 22 to 18 gauge needle. The air can reaccumulate, and it may have to be repeated. After deflating it, apply some antibiotic ointment, and hold gentle pressure for several minutes on the needle sight.

 

[pgstepaenk]

Wow - thank you so much for the info! She doesn't seem to be in any distress and we haven't noticed any strange breathing sounds. We will just keep an eye on her for the time being then and see if it subsides and keep checking for other signs of discomfort. Thanks again!!

 

[pgstepaenk]

We took a flashlight behind her so you can see that the bulge on her chest is clear so either air or fluid. Not sure which at this point.

 

[pgstepaenk]

I do hear a clicking sound now when she breathes. It still looks the same. Is it time to try to do something about this problem?? Any other opinions on this out there?

 

[Eggcessive]

Many use an 18 gauge needle to puncture a leaking air sac, and press the air out . I had a 2 week old chick with a click and a large leak involving the whole right side, and I used a 22 gauge needle which worked well. The chick recovered. I would use some plain Neosporin ointment and a piece of gauze to apply gentle pressure to the needle site for several minutes after puncturing to skin with a needle. Here are some links to read about deflating a leaking air sac:
http://ijasvm.com/ijasvmadmin/upload/IJASVM_5113cbc51d31b.pdf
http://www.pjbs.org/ijps/fin1339.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/171121/deflating-subcutaneous-emphysema