emergency question

[Weeg]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @Overo Mare @azygous

 

[MissE]

As the growth is hard as a rock... golf ball, it does not seem to be what i would id as an abscess. there's not one soft area at all. I will check here out in the morning to see if the size has changed. Other than the growth, she seems normal.- - - I just looked at my pictures and isn't her comb rather strange too? She has a good weight on her.

I haven't dealt with an abscess in a chicken, but with cats and dogs they are quite hard. As far as her comb, I guess I don't know what it normally looks. Hopefully it will be an easy fix. She's an older bird, so it could be a number of things. At least she is eating and drinking.

 

[azygous]

I have a hen going on age thirteen years old. She has a neoplastic tumor over her right eye. It's hard as a rock and is slow growing. These also occur on the neck. They are associated with avian leucosis or lymphoid leucosis which my flock carries. My hen has had the tumor half her life and doesn't appear to suffer any pain from it.

I am going to guess this may be what your hen has. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03079450801898815 If she's otherwise normal and doesn't seem to be in pain, the best thing is do do nothing.

However, it could mean your flock has lymphoid leucosis, a common avian virus. Have you ever tried to hatch chicks from your flock only to have most of the embryos die in the shell? Have you hatched chicks from your flock and had them die before they reached one year? If so, then you likely have LL in your flock.

 

[aart]

she stopped laying about a year ago... she's not young anymore (about 7 yrs)

Do you see any sign of a puncture wound? Wondering if it is an abscess. She may have been bitten by something or poked with a piece of wire or a nail. Had to deal with a couple with cats. Nothing at night to baseball size yuck in the morning.

It appeared that fast?
Bug bite would be my first thought too.

Where in this world are you located?

 

[Eggcessive]

If it is hard it sounds like a tumor. Tumors can be common in chickens, and can be from lymphomas caused by Mareks disease or leukosis, both viruses. Other tumors in chickens are ovarian tumors and skin tumors. Here is a picture of a tumor in a chicken that was casued by Mareks disease:
https://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/avian_atlas_assets/MD-013A x750.jpg

 

[sera phine]

I have a hen going on age thirteen years old. She has a neoplastic tumor over her right eye. It's hard as a rock and is slow growing. These also occur on the neck. They are associated with avian leucosis or lymphoid leucosis which my flock carries. My hen has had the tumor half her life and doesn't appear to suffer any pain from it.

I am going to guess this may be what your hen has. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03079450801898815 If she's otherwise normal and doesn't seem to be in pain, the best thing is do do nothing.

However, it could mean your flock has lymphoid leucosis, a common avian virus. Have you ever tried to hatch chicks from your flock only to have most of the embryos die in the shell? Have you hatched chicks from your flock and had them die before they reached one year? If so, then you likely have LL in your flock.

I've never hatched chicks; I usually buy babies. She's doesn't seems to be in pain. My flock numbers only 4.

 

[MissE]

It appeared that fast?
Bug bite would be my first thought too.

Where in this world are you located?

Yup. Cat was sleeping next to me. He was still there in the morning looking like he had two heads. Vet drilled a hole in his face and drained half a cup of pus. I thought he had a snake bite or something. Vet said he most likely got bit by my other cat. He said when lumps grow slowly, there is more of a chance it's a tumor or something severe. When it comes on fast, its generally injury related and easier to fix.

Northern MN, but was in Arizona when I had the joy of the first abscess.

 

[sera phine]

It appeared that fast?
Bug bite would be my first thought too.

Where in this world are you located?

I'm in greater Los Angeles city of studio city... I do raise bees; wonder if she tried to eat a bee... they all drink from the same drip fountain!!!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Tick bites can cause large swollen areas that can appear purplish due to bleeding. If that could be a possibility, you could try giving 1/2 of a 25 mg Benadryl tablet orally. A tumor might be less likely if it swelled that large overnight.

 

[sera phine]

If it is hard it sounds like a tumor. Tumors can be common in chickens, and can be from lymphomas caused by Mareks disease or leukosis, both viruses. Other tumors in chickens are ovarian tumors and skin tumors. Here is a picture of a tumor in a chicken that was casued by Mareks disease:
https://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/avian_atlas_assets/MD-013A x750.jpg

my chicken's "thing" kinds looks a lot like the photo of marks disease...