Buffy, a two month old Buff Orpington, developed a large lump on the left side of her neck about an inch below her head, so it was too high on the neck to be a full crop. It felt more hard than soft and we feared it might be a tumor, so I took her to the vet today. It's hard to see the lump in the photo, because her feathers cover it, but it's the size of a large blueberry. When I lift her feathers (see photo) the lump can be seen, and now it has a dark spot in the center that wasn't here before. The veterinarian said it was a cyst and it would be best to leave it alone and let it work itself out. I asked about lancing, draining or removing it, and he said if it had been on her wing, for example, he might consider lancing it, but even then he would probably advise leaving it, because a cyst will usually run its course, he said. It will eventually rupture, and he explained that that point you can gently get behind the bump and sort of milk out the fluid after it bursts to help it drain. The lump is actually on the side of her neck, under the skin, no inside the throat or near the trachea, and you can almost get your fingers behind it, which is how he knew it was a cyst. He examined her and said she is otherwise healthy, the body is in good shape, she acts normal, her poop is normal. TMI? ;-) So we have high hopes that she will be fine. I told him some people on this website have mentioned lancing and squeezing a cyst, but he didn't think that was a good idea or necessary. He said when it has developed to the extent that it is ready to drain it would burst on its own. There is also risk of infection as she sometimes scratches it with her foot. If the skin around the base of the lump becomes red, he said, it could mean that it has become infected. But that is not the case at this time. I am passing on the info FYI for others whose chicken may have these symptoms, as maybe it will spare someone a vet visit. No treatment was needed.
