favourite new chickie has a tumor?

[kinnip]

My flock is only 2 weeks old and all appear healthy, except the sweetest one. She had some constipation trouble early on which cleared up. She eats and drinks. She's the fastest runner and the best flier. She's also the smallest and doesn't seem to be feathering out like the others, although her wings are quite developed. On her right breast she has what appears to be, and feels like a tumor. It's definitely getting larger, about the size of a shooter marble now. Her whole body fits in the palm of my hand. It doesn't seem to be slowing her down. None of the other chickens seem affected, nor do they pick on her. She has been vaccinated for Marek's. Could this be a cyst associated with the vaccination? Could it be a symptom of runting syndrome? I found a vet 70 mi from here who'll see her, but I don't want to put either of us through that unnecessarily. She's so sweet-- a perfect lap chicken. I don't want to lose her.

 

[tiffanyh]

Are you sure you are not regering to her crop? Iti s located on the right side (her right) of the breast. It is where there food is stored before heading off to the next spot. Ecspecially when they eat mash, it feel hard when it is full. When they are free ranging, eating grass, it is smaller..... your other chicks should have it after they eat a lot also.

 

[Ace_king_brahma]

It might just be a full crop. If it feels like there is something in it like food then she has just stuffed her crop. Once it gets ground up and passes on down the digestiv system the bump should shrink.

 

[greyfields]

I'm guessing it's her crop. Does it feel squidgy? If it's rock hard, it could be an impacted crop (but very unliekly at that age).

 

[kinnip]

Thanks, that's reassuring. I thought about the crop, but dismissed it because she isn't in any distress. It's been growing for the past week. Is there anything I should be doing to help her pass it? I saw the pics of the crop op. I do not have those kinda huevos!

 

[kinnip]

Call me a worried mother hen. I just spent a few minutes massaging it and the firm lump seems to have moved on. The flesh in the area is kind of soft and a little loose, like there's just too much of it. I'm assuming the impacted crop hypothesis was correct. Given her age, will the crop return to its proper condition? I've read that this can be a recurring issue. Is there something I can do to keep it from happening again. She's already had a rough start with the constipation thing. (I've already had a rough start, in fact.) Why are the sickliest the sweetest?

 

[arlee453]

Shouldn't be impacted at that age if all she is getting to eat is chick starter and water.

It may be that she's just eating too fast and not drinking enough water to soften up the starter/crumbles.

If this becomes a regular issue, you can try taking this chick out a couple times a day to feed a very wet mash made of warm (not hot, not cold) water and chick starter.

I'm thinking that it's not really a problem though - I've had some chicks that just had harder crops than others as they were growing up.

 

[kinnip]

I have read that it's rare in chicks to have an impacted crop, but I suspect the pine shaving bedding was the culprit. They really like to scratch in it and fight over it. I've never seen any of them eat it, but I'm sure it happens. The warm, wet mash sounds like a good idea anyway given the other problem. When she was constipated, she slept a lot, and would go to sleep in my hand. She doesn't sleep as often since the big poop, but she still drifts right off whenever I pick her up. It's adorable, but it makes me worry that she's still having digestive issues.

 

[arlee453]

Duh... silly me - I didn't even think about the possiblity she's eating the bedding. that could be your problem if it reoccurs...

 

[kinnip]

Thanks everyone. If anything else happens, I'm sure you'll hear from me. I think I should change my login to worriedsick.