Mass on leg/knee of pullet

[raenapaige]

We just found this mass on our 6 week old pullet. She doesn’t seem to be in pain or avoiding use of the leg, and all we have done so far is wipe it off with alcohol. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!!

 

[Perris]

could she have been sitting in a wet or poopy patch of bedding? To me it looks more like skin damage from the outside than something in the joint trying to get out. But I'll flag up some experts who will surely know better, @Wyorp Rock @azygous @aart

 

[aart]

Sorry, have no clue.
Could be an infect wound or something from within.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes a blister or scab will form on a new baby chick when they are walking on their hock or the outside of the hock because of a slipped tendon in the leg. It could be that it has been there awhile and gotten bigger. If bedding gets damp, that might cause an abscess. I would clean it with Betadine or Chlorhexidene twice a day. Does it feel soft and mushy or hard?

 

[azygous]

It could be an ulceration, beginning from a simple laceration, and perhaps staph infection has now occurring. The swelling indicates possible bacterial infection.

I would treat it with twice daily soaks in hot Epsom salt water, no hotter than the back of your hand can handle without burning. You can also try heating a wet wash cloth in the microwave to just below burning and use it as a hot compress to overheat the infection. But you must be very careful it's not hotter than what your hand can take or it can burn. This is a very effective way of going at an external staph infection.

Then treat with Vetericyn and antibiotic ointment. Forget bandaging a chicken. You'll lose that battle.

A drawing salve such as pine tar can also be used to good effect. This treatment has been used on farm animals for 2000 years, and is simple and effective.