Rooster Has a solid ball shaped mass in neck, can't hold head up anymore.

[Smuvers Farm]

 

[Incukahlan]

Alright, time for an update. So sorry for everyone who has been waiting. Husband got home late yesterday, so I ended up trying to see what was inside of the mass this evening. We've been very busy. Now, he was holding his head up this evening, but the mass did not seem any smaller. He also is no longer lethargic after being brought in from the coop. I think he wasn't able to get to the water and food efficiently with the mass weighing him down. I have him in his very own cage now with food and water directly at ground level so he can reach both.

I first tried lancing it with a needle, but nothing came out, not even blood. So then I used a small scalpel to cut a very shallow slit that was no more than 1/2 a centimeter in length (I wanted to keep it as small as possible, to avoid infection and prolonged healing) Once I got past the outer skin layer and into the ball itself, it was very hard and a little blood came out. There doesn't seem to be any liquid, pus, or anything like that. It just seems like thick fatty tissue, which leads me to believe that it is indeed some type of tumor. I cut a little deeper to see if maybe it was just thick pus or simply another layer, but beneath that just seems like more fatty tissue. I don't think he could feel what I was doing, he only reacted to being restrained, not the cutting or lancing.

So now I'm kind of stuck. If he continues to do well, I may just keep him separated and see how it goes. I don't want to risk putting him back with the other birds if he may be contagious. I have no idea. If he goes back to being lethargic or the mass seems like it is keeping him from living a normal life and he is suffering I will consider culling him, though I would hate to have to do that. Thank you to everyone who passed along advice and knowledge, I really appreciate all of it. If you have any other suggestions or thoughts, please let me know.

 

[timothylw890]

Could always try to drain it and hope for the best and if it is an abcess flush it. Hope he does well but if he doesn't make it could dissect after and try to figure it out and post the results you found or some pics for us to see.

 

[BoyTheRooster]

If it's not an abscess, it would probably be better to take him to the vet

 

[camochick96]

I was really hoping that it’d be full of puss and that’d be the end of it! Probably is a tumor of some kind. Hope he continues to act better, even though that sounds unlikely at this point.

 

[Eggcessive]

There are fatty tumors called lipomas, but there are usually squishy, not hard. My dogs get them. Sebacious cysts are also common, and I have pulled out some bloody fluid from those with a syringe and needle. They may become hard as well. I would take your time, seeing how he gets along, to make any decisions. Watch and measure it to see if it grows any. Let us know here how he gets along.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Alright, time for an update. So sorry for everyone who has been waiting.........

Thanks for getting back to us... I just wanted to ask though... did you notice any bad smells? My hen (I may have posts here.. not sure) had a big lump on the side of her head that I had the vet remove, and i do think it was kind of hard and fleshy, not gooy, but one thing was for certain, it smelled when she cut it open.

If your rooster's neck growth smelled bad, its very possible that its some sort of infection or abscess, and if so, it is one of those things, typically, that don't cost a lot for the vet to remove. Its a somewhat simple procedure for them.. albeit, sometimes very stinky.

I hope your roo gets some solutions to his problem. He is very lucky to have you!

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I so wish you had pictures! .. But that is just my over-curious self talking.