OMGosh - WHAT is this growth?! Warning gross graphic

[Davian]

Looks like a tumor...looks exactly like a tumor actually and if its growing fast its probably cancerous unfortunately.

I've seen them on dogs a bunch of times just like that but never on a bird.

 

[nurse_turtle]

I would totally continue to eat her eggs. She would appreciate that you appreciate her efforts.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I would absolutely not eat her eggs. If this is a tumor (which it likely is) then cancer cells show up in the blood and all over the body. This is how it spreads, and it is common sense that if it is large enough to see, then it is fast growing and very might well be all over the body too. I would never take a chance like that with consuming her eggs or selling her eggs to someone else. You have no way of knowing that it has not spread to other organs or tissues unless you get it biopsied to find out if this is already malignant.

 

[ElkMtnCove]

This morning she has a bright red spot (probably 3" circle) on the outside of her feathers. Not sure if she pecked at her or what. I have her in a dog kennel in the kitchen. She ate good yesterday and started making the "I laid an egg" announcement, but there was no egg.

I'm guessing the stress will stop production but she's got some in her that will need to come out as she was laying. I'll try to clean up the area and treat with baking soda, start some antibotic in her water.

Darn, in retrospect I should have left it alone but ignoring a problem with a chicken isn't something I do.

Oh...one thing I noticed last night that I forgot to mention. I was showing it to my husband when he got home and the skin color of the left side of the wound is blue (kinda like a silkies), right side pink. Wouldn't that indicate that when she did start to bleed yesterday, and I put "the thing" back, it bled some internally?

I couldn't even cook dinner after all the photos & info I found while trying to research it. I tell ya one thing - I'm SO glad and remember the reason I have chickens. Large egg production and those poor girls in battery cages is horror. All of us on this board know that chickens DO have personalities and some come incredibly close to viewing us much more than a food source.

 

[ElkMtnCove]

Quote:
Dang. Her "thing" had a hard crust (likely scabbinb but totally looked like dried poo, hence trying to wash it off). Did they crust over on dogs?

Don't know if you saw my post this am but she is pecking at it, I can tell cause she has blood on one side of her face.

If you could please reply about the crusting over of a tumor, than that'll help me determine how to proceed. As much as I don't want to kill anything, my gut feel is I'm going to have to put her down. She has not laid an egg yet this morning and a couple of my other leghorns have already. If she's holding it in, that's not good either.

Sadly she has turned from a I'll hold my wings out so you can peck me up, to a wild frightened animal. I guess it was much more painful than I thought and me = pain.

I rescued a mite-ridden silkie hen and you wouldn't believe the bath she went through, yet she was just as loving as ever (once we could hold her and got rid of the cooties). She was not from my flock and never went to live with them. Total house chicken, thought she was a dog. Sorry, ot - she just was special but died fm a weird long lasting eye infection.

 

[Davian]

I honestly dont recall if they crusted over or not...its been years. They looked like that and were very hard (not squishy at all).

 

[silkiechicken]

Tumors can come in all shapes, sizes, textures... I've seen dry ones, lumpy ones, ones that have burst through the skin, and ones that abcess and end up being scratched up... all on mice that is (skin cancer research).

Eggs will be safe though, you can't get cancer from eating it.

 

[ElkMtnCove]

Quote:
Thank you. I've decided to give her lots of yummy goodies and have my husband "help her cross" tonight.

She is dripping blood now a little and has runny poo. Even sick chickens or housed chickens fm an injury have never had it as bad as hers so I don't think it's stress. Has to be pain or tumor thing related.

Bummer, not going to be a good day (especially for her). I decided to not try to clean it, don't want to traumatize her more. If I can stop the bleeding w/out stressing her I will, but right now it's just a drop every now and then (but consistent) and it was not doing that yesterday.

Thank you all for the help. We will probably open her up to see what it looks like at the attached part and underneath. Anything unusual I could take pics if anyone is interested...in the interest of education?

Darn darn darn. Not the fun part of owning chickens.

 

[SaraFL]

I'd be very interested in seeing the pics if you feel you're able to take them. Sorry it's come to this. It's a hard decision, do what you feel is best.

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

I'm really, really sorry. If it helps, take comfort in the fact that she's helping to educate a whole lot of us at BYC. I for one would be very interested in the pictures, if you feel up to taking and posting them. I'd love to see a photo of her pre-nasty growth, if you have one. I'm so sorry this is going to be your day...you've got lots of friends here who can commiserate...
Amy