Hen has feather loss and major swelling in chest - Help!

[mveranes]

I thought my chickens were molting (two) in a flock of four, but one hasn't grown back her feathers in a very long time. Today, when I picked her up for the first time in a long while to more closely examine her, I realized she has a huge puffy swelling on her entire chest. It felt like poking something made of jelly rather than solid flesh. It's quite large and very pink. She also has feather loss around her bottom. The other chicken grew back its feathers mostly but also doesn't have feathers on her bottom. Both are still laying. What to do? It seems quite serious. She is thin with this large growth but she used to be a really solid big girl! Help!

 

[86121]

Could it be mites?

 

[chefchick]

I am guessing mites and a possible impacted crop?

 

[mveranes]

Mites would be visible, right? I don't see any bugs on her skin. The skin without feathers (on her bottom, on chest and neck) is bright pink but no blisters or bugs or anything, and her healthy areas have their normal, healthy skin color with no little bugs. I'm going to research the impacted crop, any suggestions for diagnosis and treatment?

 

[chefchick]

my girl that just had it went downhill very quickly with it. I noticed a swollen breast like you mentioned one day and didn't think much of it- because she was always a piggie. Then within two days- when I realized what was going on, she had eaten so much grass, hay, or whatever that her crop was bigger than a softball, and very hard. I tried massaging her, and olive oil like was suggested on here. I know now that she was gorging herself because she was so hungry...it was just getting worse. Chicken vet is not an option for us, andI figured a home surgery on her crop would be too dangerous for me to try myself. hub had to cull her and put her out of her misery. There are links on here for what to look for and a home surgery if you have the equipment and skill (and a strong stomach) to do it.