Hamburg with big growth in nasal cavity?

[calicokat]

Ok, I"m stumped on this one, hoping someone can help me figure it out

Both of my hamburg hens had strange brown bumps/growth in their nasal cavity. One had it on both nasal openings, the other only on one. I've been watching it for a few months, and they don't seem to be in any pain or other health symptoms. Neither of the roos they each are partnered with have anything like this. They are being fed layer crumbles, some scratch once a week or so, household food scraps and treats. Same diet they've had for a couple years.

I got curious and picked one off each hen,and the weird thing is the part I could see, sticking out of their nose was brown and, IDK, almost wart-like looking?? But when it came off, the part that was down in her nose was bright yellow - yolk colored! It was about the size of a big pea. Neither one was happy about me doing this, but neither one seemed to be in any pain afterwards either, just irritated about being messed with.

There was no blood or drainage. It seemed like they started small and grew to fill their nasal openings, even stretching one of the girls nasal opening a big larger it looks like.

Anyone have any idea what I'm dealing with? I thought maybe they got a piece of food stuck in their nose, but it seems odd that they both would, and that it would stay there for months and get bigger. So I''m just puzzled. Any ideas would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I have read about others who have had blocked nares from pieces of feed that have hardened. It apparently gets hard to remove even with soaking. Do you have any pictures of this before you removed them?

 

[dawg53]

It could possibly be sinus canker, any foul odor associated with it? A pic or two would help.

 

[calicokat]

Nope, no odor. Will try to upload pix I just took.

The first one shows a small growth still in one hen's nose. Next is the cavity left after removing one of the growths - I took it off about a week ago. It almost looks like a piece of ?? cartilage ?? maybe is poking out from the right side of the nasal opening. It was there when I removed the growth, I was afraid to mess with it. The growth on this one seemed to stretch her nasal opening - it was the biggest of the growths.







those are both the same bird - here is the other hen, the first pix is the side I removed it from, and the second is just her normal nose - no growth was on that side - that second one isn't a very good shot, and she's just closing her eye, not dying or anything, silly girl!

 

[calicokat]

Hopefully the pix help. I can take others if needed.

 

[dawg53]

There are two possibities: Like Eggcessive mentioned, it could be impacted feed. Softening it by using a drop or two of warm water from an eyedropper may or may not work, then using a toothpick to dig it out might work.
Here are pics of a bird with sinus canker, perhaps you can use this as comparison to decide if it might be canker or not:

 

[calicokat]

I don't think it looks like your picture Dawg, so maybe it was food. I did think when I pulled it out that it was bright yellow like of a piece of corn or egg yolk. I didn't soften it, just caught my fingernail on a sticking up part and picked it out, and it came out with just a little effort.

If it was food, is there a way I can help the nasal area "shrink back down" to normal, or just get back to normal?

 

[dawg53]

I don't think it looks like your picture Dawg, so maybe it was food. I did think when I pulled it out that it was bright yellow like of a piece of corn or egg yolk. I didn't soften it, just caught my fingernail on a sticking up part and picked it out, and it came out with just a little effort.

If it was food, is there a way I can help the nasal area "shrink back down" to normal, or just get back to normal?

No idea how to shrink the nasal area down. I've dealt with a hen where she inhaled a feed granule and it somehow ended up on the right side of her face just under the skin. I looked like a zit, and I cut it out and put neosporin on the wound, cleared up in no time.
Maybe in time the area will "regrow" and shrink to normal size.

 

[DuckyK]

My Silkie has the same exact thing. I have been picking at the brown thing (only on one side) and got a little piece off but there was some blood so I cleaned it well and put neospirin and left her alone for a few days. Today I decided to take a toothbrush and clean her beak and eye( which is crusted shut and may or may not be related) and the thing finally popped out and had the same yellow inside that you described. There was no major odor but I did hold it close to my nose and smell it and it smelled like plaque. Like the white plaque on your teeth in the morning. I would think since this nostril has been plugged for a while there is going to be SOME smell. I poured vet rx over eye (which she had open finally!) And swabbed it around her nose too. Is this canker or just dried snot and food? Nothing in throat. Other nostril fine. Eye infection in opposite eye and seems better. ????

 

[DuckyK]

Also she is a total food hog and I could totally see her inhaling food quickly to make sure no one else get some.