For over two and a half weeks now one of my 14 week old pullets has been sick. I noticed she was fluffed up and no eating or really moving. On exam, she had a large, hard growth under her shoulder. Took to the a vet (not a poultry vet-there are none) and she said it wasn't dislocated but probably an abcess. A week of baytril and metacam and the growth is getting bigger so I freeze the area with lidocaine and try to lance it to clean the gunk out (the vet said not to-that the antibiotics would take care of it). It's not a abcess but huge swollen mass of muscle. It's mandarin orange sized now and hot. She's still not eating well-crop is never full. Just sits huddled up. We culled her. Did a post mitten and removed the growth. Under it, the should WAS totally out of joint. Looks like the only reason it was staying put at all was because the growth was surrounding it. There was also another smaller similar growth in the opposite breast muscle. All internal organs were beautiful. Tumor/growth didn't look malignant. Were we right to cull tonight? Should I have taken her back with the new knowledge that it was not an abcess? Ugh. I hate this part of having animals, they can't tell you what's wrong or how much pain they are in!
You are the only one that can answer that question. Others may have opinions of would have - could have but really what is done is done. I understand what your feeling but at least you took her to the vet and tried. On the bright side she is no longer suffering. Some would have culled her in the beginning. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Sorry about your girl, you had a hard choice to make. As her owner these decisions are up to you, and I can't fault you at all for culling her. She was a chicken, they don't care about tomorrow, and you didn't let her suffer but did what you felt was right for her. From what you say with the multiple growths you found, it doesn't sound like the outcome would have been much different if you had taken her back to the vet.
