Leghorn with growths on earlobes (not urgent)

[mysticaingeal]

Hi,

Kira, my 3.5yr old Leghorn has growths on her earlobes and I was wondering if anyone has an idea of what they might be. Not urgent.

- she's had these most of her adult life, though they do change size and shape and sometimes look inflamed
- she's healthy, eats and drinks well, and is the boss of the flock
- our vet (who owns her own chickens) wasn't sure what they were but didn't seem too concerned
- she has had mild fowl pox previously (and has the occasional reoccurance) but those sores look quite different and follow the usual path of fowl pox ( i.e. healing and going away after a while)

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with something similar or ideas of what might be going on. Kira is our only Leghorn so I don't know if this is just something that happens to chickens with larger earlobes? Any help is appreciated!

 

[orelsi]

Never seen this before. Fascinating display. I'm very curios to know what it is.

 

[coach723]

Never seen one exactly like this either, but there is a pretty broad range of normal. I've had some old birds with gnarly looking legs, that on first look would be suspicious of scaly leg mites, but they are not. Just raised, gnarly scales, for no discernible reason, zero mites. Old age stuff. I wonder if the size and bumps are attracting attention and pecking, which is causing some of the inflammation and what looks like injuries? The comb and wattles look normal, so being localized to just the earlobes is interesting. I've seen very wrinkled lobes, kind of similar, but not the round bulges. Do they feel hard, soft, fluid filled, no different than the rest of the lobe? Might just be her.