Lymph nodes in Chickens?

[mhallgren]

This Spring a neighbor and I and my daughter bought some different varieties of chickens. They were giving theirs chickens scraps and all of a sudden one of them couldn't stand up. Then another one couldn't stand up. They both had large lumps near their ear and on their necks. One died but the other took weeks/months to finally recover. It didn't walk at all for more than a week. These two were Americana chicks. None of the other chicks had this happen to them. The neighbors said they had given them old fruit.

I had been babysitting my daughter's chicks and 2 of them were americanas too. I gave them back to her 2 weeks ago and she put some grapes in their cage. The next day she called me frantic that one of the americanas couldn't stand up. I thought it had gotten drunk from rotten grapes. I have separated it from the other chickens because it can't walk and today I noticed 2 very large lumps on it's neck - one is right on the puff of the cheek. It is either a cyst or an enlarged lymph node. I have been making sure it eats and sometimes force feeding it food and water. I tried to poke the spot as I can see it is full of fluid but the skin is too thick and I am too squeamish to do it. I can tell the chicken hurts when I try. It has been almost a week now with it not walking but it is still living. Has anyone else has had this happen? This chick came from the same place as the neighbors.

 

[dawg53]

They couldve been some type of tumors or growths that were pressing against the esophagus/trachea, narrowing either. When the birds ate, they couldve choked or suffocated to death. A necropsy would tell you what you're dealing with. You can contact your local extension office or your state department of agriculture to find out how to go about doing this.
Here's a link regarding lymph nodes:
http://www.holisticbirds.com/pages/immunesystem0504.htm