OMGosh - WHAT is this growth?! Warning gross graphic

[ElkMtnCove]

This hen (White Leghorn) is this year's chick and laying well. I was petting her the other day and felt underneath her feathers a big glob. It looked like a hen had pooped on her but it was hidden well in the feathers and rock hard. I tried to scrape it off and realized it was stuck extremely well to her.

So just now I brought her in the house and soaked it. It got a little soft and a tiny bit spongy and I was able to break off the tip. That is where you can see "something" (sorry, but no way to describe but kinda dog penis looking).

At the base, next to her skin I was trying to gently work it off and the back side broke away and blood started pooring out. I held the "whatever" up tight to her until the bleeding subsided.

I do not believe it is a parasite, it does not move and she's in pain when I touch it. I didn't want to take the rest off for fear of her bleeding to death, it's obviously a part of her.

What the HECK is this??!! At this point I'm thinking there is nothing I can do for her, not sure I want her eggs (cancer??), obviously not worth a huge vet bill (have those already)... What would you do? I not big on culling but I don't want other hens to get it, not sure those eggs should be eaten, don't see I have but one choice.

Has anyone seen this before? Any advice would be very much appreciated!! Oh, this is not near her vent. It is on her side, covered by the last part of her wing tip. Luckily hidden from other hens and it didn't seem to bother her, she looks/act healthy and so far have not found anything wrong with her eggs. I'm pretty certain on the eggs because I have only 5 leghorns and I get 5 big identical bright white eggs every day.

So here's the pic. If you are squeemish

I'd hit the back button now. Thank you all for any advice!! julie

 

[heatherkh]

WOW I have no idea. Do you have an avian vet nearby?? it's good that she obviously isn't suffering any ill effects at this time, but I'd want to get whatever that is looked at.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Is it where the oil gland is? Or more off to the side? Hard to tell in the pic's. Birds sometimes get plugged up oil glands or tumors in the gland.

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Wish I had an answer for you - will give you a bump in the hopes someone else can i.d. it. That's a nasty looking thing...but please don't cull until you know what it is...

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
This is my first thought also.

If it is not an oil gland tumor/abcess, I am one who would probably remove the thing by cutting/pulling it off even if it does bleed and then letting the hole heal.

 

[elmo]

I think that's some kind of prolapse. The oil gland is at the base of the tail but on top, on the back, not under the tail.

I would not try to cut it off. Clean it up as best you can and see if you can gently push it back inside. You can do a search here on the subject of prolapse.

Edit: Oh! I just reread the original post and realized this is not coming out of her vent. Never mind about the prolapse. But it's not the oil gland, either.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
It looks to me to be intestine. But I have never slaughtered a chicken. Anyone think it could be so?

Could it be the cecum? I would take the chicken to the vet if you can. Maybe it can be reinserted and sewn up with no aftereffects?

 

[chkn]

So it looks like and infected and impacted oil gland.

 

[Erica]

Wondering if it could be a keratoma? I had a hen with a very similar looking growth once; when it came off (while I was trying to catch her one day) there was a red wound underneath, so it was definitely similar to your picture.

It didn't invade the hen's body (so far as I could tell) but I presume, being a cancer, that it might have done this eventually. However my hen died from an unrelated illness so I never found out.

I don't think there's a treatment for keratoma, but it might be worth a google.

best wishes
Erica

 

[ElkMtnCove]

Quote:
This is my first thought also.

If it is not an oil gland tumor/abcess, I am one who would probably remove the thing by cutting/pulling it off even if it does bleed and then letting the hole heal.

Tumor sounds like a possibility (TY!), but not anywhere near the oil gland..,unless there's one that not on the tail? This is on her side, about 3" away from her butt.

The base of this problem is 3/8" wide. Cutting it off (did a little digging on oil glands while I'm waiting for answers) I'm thinking I'll have severe bleedout, just judging by how much blood came out from just one side of it pulling away from her skin.

Avian vet is just too much for a $10/hen. I'm still paying off a $1,500 horse vet bill that was an extreme emergency (and I still lost the filly).

I may sound tough using the "cull" word and all but I really don't take loss very well. Just don't have the money to "fix" a hen.