HELP! 3 week old light brahma chick with huge lump on head!!!

[wondertwinpower]

I have 7 qty 3 week old chicks. The two brahmas pullets were purchased at a local feed store who said they came from Ideal Hatchery. Yesterday I noticed that the light brahma seemed to be a LOT larger than the rest of the chicks, and I just figured she's growing faster because she's going to be a huge chicken. Today, when I picked her up to take her back to the brooder after our play time outside, I felt this huge squishy lump on the back of her head! Also her crop is very engorged and squishy. She's behaving normally (eating, drinking, running around, pooping), but what it the world that that lump??!!??? I'm going to try to post pictures.

 

[wondertwinpower]

 

[wondertwinpower]

OK, so I'm new to chickens. I saw the above-pictured lump this morning before I went to work, put all the chicks back in their brooder, and came to work. I'm searching the internet for a possible cause/diagnosis, and now I'm worried that she may be contageous and it's all I can do to not run home and separate her from the rest of the chicks!

What would you do? Should I leave work to run home and check on her and separate her from the other chicks?

 

[wondertwinpower]

Nobody has any ideas on what's wrong with her?

 

[ten chicks]

I have 7 qty 3 week old chicks. The two brahmas pullets were purchased at a local feed store who said they came from Ideal Hatchery. Yesterday I noticed that the light brahma seemed to be a LOT larger than the rest of the chicks, and I just figured she's growing faster because she's going to be a huge chicken. Today, when I picked her up to take her back to the brooder after our play time outside, I felt this huge squishy lump on the back of her head! Also her crop is very engorged and squishy. She's behaving normally (eating, drinking, running around, pooping), but what it the world that that lump??!!??? I'm going to try to post pictures.

Check lump to see if it is a wound. As for crop,she probably has just been eating. They have grit? If concerned about crop,check at night should be full,check in the morning before she has eaten,should be smaller and empty,this way you will know if there is a problem.

 

[wondertwinpower]

Thanks for the response. I've checked her closely and I don't see any sign of a wound. To give the lump a size, I would say its the size of a half golf ball and very soft. Her whole body actually feels like a water balloon. I'm not really that concerned about her crop, except it felt like it had only fluids in it, but now I can feel solids. Yes, they have chick grit available. She is awake and alert and walking around, eating, drinking, etc. I'm hesitant to remove her from her sisters because that makes her cry and I don't want to cause extra stress if I don't have to.

 

[wondertwinpower]

Her crop was full last night and empty this morning, so no crop problems. She's still acting fine, but I noticed she's scratching her head/neck a lot. Could she be doing this to herself?