Growth on 6 m/o hen

[bookworm1902]

My wife and I just noticed a neck growth on our 6 month old black copper maran. Her feathers on her neck were stuck out like a cowlick (only from yesterday or the day before), and when we inspected it today we found the growth right above the area.

The feathers look like she stuck her neck through the chain link fence and got stuck on the nub and scraped her neck too hard on the fence, unless it’s somehow related to the growth.

I’ll attach pictures of the growth, hopeful one of you can identify anything about it. It's pretty raised and bulbous [around 1 cm wide x 1 cm tall], almost like a deer tick, but a little wider. The feathers around it were adhered to it, my wife had to peel them away so we could see it.

She hasn’t been showing any other symptoms of anything wrong with her. We are worried about Marek’s disease, especially because we are having a fresh batch of chicks shipped to us in two days, and really hope we can rule that out. Ideally it's just some kind of raised trauma or infection and can be treated/healed.

Can anyone please help us identify what this is?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Looks like it may be a feather cyst.

 

[bookworm1902]

Welcome To BYC

Looks like it may be a feather cyst.

Thank you for the response! Now that I know what to google, they do look similar. My goodness, but that would be so much better than a tumor.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It would be better than a tumor.

If vet care is an option, that would be best, you want a vet familiar with birds (Avian).

If that's not possible, then you may want to probe it. For some reason I'm not finding the video I'm looking for. There are videos on youtube about treating feathers cysts if you wish to try to treat yourself.

@Eggcessive or @coach723 may have the link.

 

[coach723]

I'm not finding the one I'm used to either. There are several on canaries that do show up. Same thing, just smaller. If it's a feather cyst then you will get a bunch of pus and keratin debris out, and possibly a malformed feather. You may be able to open it enough with a large needle, but you may need a small scalpel. Once it's cleaned out really well, then general wound care until it heals. As always, vet care is best if that is an option, but many times, out of necessity, people do this themselves.
Not a video, but this link has some pictures:
https://bitchinchickens.com/2020/12/03/case-study-feather-follicle-cyst/

 

[bookworm1902]

I'm not finding the one I'm used to either. There are several on canaries that do show up. Same thing, just smaller. If it's a feather cyst then you will get a bunch of pus and keratin debris out, and possibly a malformed feather. You may be able to open it enough with a large needle, but you may need a small scalpel. Once it's cleaned out really well, then general wound care until it heals. As always, vet care is best if that is an option, but many times, out of necessity, people do this themselves.
Not a video, but this link has some pictures:
https://bitchinchickens.com/2020/12/03/case-study-feather-follicle-cyst/

Thank you so much!