Odd, featherless bump

[Wyorp Rock]

It's hard to know if it's an air sac or not - there is an abdominal air sac, so if she was bullied and ran/injured herself, it's possible it could rupture.

Waiting on the OP to give more info if they can. Since the pullet is having difficulty breathing and the lump is above the vent, it may be worth investigating.
Of course, this is a guess on my part.

Hopefully if the pullet stays calm she will make it until the vet appointment.

 

[micstrachan]

At this pont, I think any reasonable guess is worth investigating. I think the little sweetie needs some intervention for a realistic chance.

 

[feather13]

Thank you all for your kind and generous comments! The chick was awake this morning, but still lethargic. I went down to let the others out of the coop and when I came back up, she was dead.

The lump was really hard, so I don't think it was an air sac rupture (although I'm going to file that possibility away for the future; I had never heard of it). It was about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide, so a strange shape, too. The heavy breathing and bottom up/straining led me to believe it was egg binding, but the tumor/lump was way up beside her tail.

Maybe she had something else, but I'd never seen a lump like that on any bird. It was plucked of feathers, but not red nor were there any lacerations or anything like that. No mites or lice either. It couldn't have been an infected cyst because there was no pus and no redness. Maybe cancer? Just grasping at straws. Again, thank you! Wish there had been a better outcome to this.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm so sorry you lost her

If it was hard, then you are probably right it was a cyst or tumor.

I don't know if you would be inclined, but if you still have her, you could investigate with an informal necropsy to see what it was. Some people don't want to do that and I understand. I'm of a curious nature, so any of my sweet girls that die, I have to try to figure it out - sometimes, I still just don't know for sure though.

It's heartbreaking to lose them, but especially that young. She was a pretty girl.

 

[microchick]

You have my deepest condolences. It's so hard to loose one and not know why. Know you did your best, gave her good care, tried to help her but in the end her little spirit wanted to fly free.

Chickens are so good at masking what is wrong with them when they are sick that sometimes no matter how hard you try by the time you notice something wrong, it is too late to do anything. Heartbreaking, but it just the way chickens are.

 

[feather13]

Thank you for your kind words. I'm leaving the country on Saturday and since things are pretty hectic, won't do a necropsy this time around. There is a site nearby that does necropsies though, so will keep it in mind for the (hopefully far distant) future.

For many years, I bought chicks exclusively from the same place, about 30 minutes from my house. They were always very healthy and only died from predator attacks until I figured out how to build a safer coop and run. The last two batches I got from the hatchery though have been really devastating in terms of what appear to be disease deaths.

Last year, of a batch of 12, only one has survived to adulthood (a Silkie who has laid maybe three eggs total) and of a batch of 12 this summer, there are only four survivors who are around five months old and none have laid eggs yet (and the little bantam flew into the new aviary hardware cloth and has a serious limp now). They have had suspected Marek's, confirmed fowl pox (that only spread to the Silkie and none of the seven older hens), and sudden death. It's really heartbreaking because every single chick I've gotten from that hatchery over the years has been incredibly sweet (including breeds that are often seen as aggressive).

I guess I'm just venting here. I keep my coop clean and safe and the chickens have lots of room to free range even though I live in a very urban area, so I don't know what's going on with these disease-related deaths.

 

[microchick]

Thank you for your kind words. I'm leaving the country on Saturday and since things are pretty hectic, won't do a necropsy this time around. There is a site nearby that does necropsies though, so will keep it in mind for the (hopefully far distant) future.

For many years, I bought chicks exclusively from the same place, about 30 minutes from my house. They were always very healthy and only died from predator attacks until I figured out how to build a safer coop and run. The last two batches I got from the hatchery though have been really devastating in terms of what appear to be disease deaths.

Last year, of a batch of 12, only one has survived to adulthood (a Silkie who has laid maybe three eggs total) and of a batch of 12 this summer, there are only four survivors who are around five months old and none have laid eggs yet (and the little bantam flew into the new aviary hardware cloth and has a serious limp now). They have had suspected Marek's, confirmed fowl pox (that only spread to the Silkie and none of the seven older hens), and sudden death. It's really heartbreaking because every single chick I've gotten from that hatchery over the years has been incredibly sweet (including breeds that are often seen as aggressive).

I guess I'm just venting here. I keep my coop clean and safe and the chickens have lots of room to free range even though I live in a very urban area, so I don't know what's going on with these disease-related deaths.

Oh, no, vent away, please!

One word jumped out at me. Marek's. I have it in my flock. Ocular along with the Neuro variety and probably the visceral/tumor type. You really need to think about having a necropsy done, especially if the hatchery you bought them from has had suspected Marek's disease.

If indeed your girl had a tumor that took her life, that could be a warning light that there is indeed Marek's around. Something to think about. Those do seem like awfully high death rates for a flock.

 

[feather13]

I'm so sorry (x1,000) that you have Marek's in your flock. I never had this problem until I got a big batch of chicks from the hatchery I've used for years with no problems. Out of eight adult hens and two surviving pullets that should be laying eggs by now, we get only one to three eggs a day during excellent weather, less if it's hot or cold I've heard that's a sign of Marek's. Otherwise, they have plenty of shade and sun, no stress, good food, free range, clean coop, etc., so should be laying a lot more.

I looked online for Marek's tumors and none of the images I saw present like the biggish subnormal tumor/lump my chicken had, for whatever that's worth.

What do you recommend for getting Marek's out of a flock? I'm not going to cull healthy-presenting hens that are dear family pets. Should I just wait until they all live their lives out and then wait a few years to get more, in the meantime removing as much soil as I can and using Oxine like crazy? It seems extreme, but I really *do not* want to see any more pets suffer through Marek's symptoms (or Fowl Pox, also devastating). Thanks for hearing me out!

 

[microchick]

Hey no problem. Personally, I have lost almost 20 birds since this started for me last spring. This time last year I had 38 birds. Of those 38 I have 19 standard sized birds and 3 bantams left. Luckily my buff O hens went broody crazy this summer because they hatched almost 40 chicks for me and I managed to hatch 11 of those 40 in my incubator.

I've lost more birds from my bantams to Mareks so I know what the pain you are experiencing is like.

I'm not giving up. My oldest birds,the original flock that was decimated by the first outbreak, are almost three now and I'm beginning to see who is going to be resistant. Of that flock, I have 4 with ocular Marek's and as you know, once exposed, always exposed and carriers so you cannot truly 'get rid' of it unless you breed for resistance and as bad as it sounds, hope birds survive it to be bred and produce resistant chicks. It will survive in your soil for up to 7 years and from recent threads, have come to realize that it is everywhere.

You can bring in new chicks, but your only choice is to bring in vaccinated ones.

I would highly suspect that Marek's is behind your hen's death given the history your wrote.

Having Marek's in your flock is heartbreaking, but not the end of the world.

 

[rebrascora]

The first bird I euthanized and necropsied with Marek's had 2 large subcutaneous tumours. They were attached to the muscle. I've never seen another one like it, but almost every Marek's bird I have had has been different. If you suspect you have Marek's in your flock and have seen birds exhibiting some of the more classic symptoms, then the likelihood is that that lump was a Marek's tumour. This bird was at the prime age to develop it. Your sudden deaths were probably also Marek's related. Tumours on the heart usually kill them suddenly without any symptoms.

I'm sorry for your losses. It is a horrible disease.