Strange Musculoskeletal disorder? Humpback chicken? Tumor? Need advice as I am stumped. Any vets wan

[Madison-Jamil]

I have a rooster who is five or six months old. He has always been a little off. He was extremely slow to feather and I presumed due to a slow feathering gene. He does not crow, he is extremely skittish although that has been improving a lot in the last month. He has always been very particular about how he is held and if you hold him wrong he will nip you but has never done anything else hat could be seen as aggressive. He is accepted by the flock and has some close friends within that group that he spends the day with.

Last night when we were putting our birds to bed my husband noticed something he thought was a lump on Gwen. We handle each of our birds daily as we bring them to the runs under our big trees and then carry them to bed at night and we have not noticed this dramatic deformity in the past. He has always seemed to have an odd/contorted body shape but nothing like looking like a humpback. My first thought was a tumor but upon palpation I can feel only bone structure. His legs have full range of motion. His gait is a bit off and his wings are not lateral. He seems to always be leaning. His eyes look bright, alert and healthy. His appetite is normal and he is exhibiting normal behaviour a such as dust bathing, scratching, foraging and socialization.

I am unsure of his breed. Due to his muffs I have presumed an EE. We got him with 9 other chickens of various breeds/mixes at the Oregon Poultry Swap spring event this April. He is not from a hatchery, was hatched in a home incubator from the sellers flock.

The abnormality is on his right side near his hips, I think it's slightly above his hip. I wondered if he had dislocated his leg but he is walking. Here are some pictures I took last night:

Any help, thoughts will be greatly appreciated. We do not want to cull him, just give him the best life possible, so looking for ideas on treating or caring for his condition.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If you can have him seen by a vet, they may be able to give you more insight/information.

My best guess would be genetic/developmental disorder.
You would not want to use him for breeding, but of course he may make a nice pet.
Watch to make sure he eats well and stays hydrated. He may benefit from some extra protein depending on what you feed. There are higher protein feeds like all flock/flock raiser that can be fed to birds of all ages, just offer oyster shell free choice to any laying hens you may have. Scrambled/hard boiled egg, tuna, mackerel or meat are also protein boosters.

Just my thoughts.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/612300/humpback-chicken
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/590101/bantam-has-lump-on-back#post_17409770

 

[Madison-Jamil]

Thank you, I was wondering if it was scoliosis. Soon after getting Gwen we realized he had some issues and I decided early on to not use him for breeding, I just want him to live a full life here one our little farm.

I feed Scratch & Peck grower as a fermented feed and add some gamebird starter feed to the mash to increase protein as many of our breeds have additional protein requirements. I never feed layer because we have twenty roosters and I know it can be very bad for their health. Oyster shell is always available for the hens and we have always had nice quality shells. We have fed raw, unprocessed sardines during molts before, I will have to add mackerel to the list Also if any eggs are cracked they do get scrambled and given back to a bird that needs a boost.

If we get a spare bit of cash I would love to take him to he vet for x-rays to get some definitive answers for our piece of mind and to know how to give him the best care. Hopefully that will be soon, we just bought a very neglected farm and the needs are endless but animals do come first when it comes to allocation of resources. A couple other birds from the same breeder had crooked toes and another of our boys from her has crooked toes and knock knees. Makes me wonder is the incubator had some issues. The other rooster is getting on fine and is a wonderful, kind, and attentive bird. He hangs with our Silkies and OEGB.

 

[Eggcessive]

There is a condition called roach back that can be common along with other bone deformities, and can be caused by vitamin or trace mineral deficiencies in the parent stock. There are a few pictures on BYC threads of roach back, if you search for that at the top of this page. In the links Wyorp Rock has given above, you will find some of those.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you, I was wondering if it was scoliosis. Soon after getting Gwen we realized he had some issues and I decided early on to not use him for breeding, I just want him to live a full life here one our little farm.

I feed Scratch & Peck grower as a fermented feed and add some gamebird starter feed to the mash to increase protein as many of our breeds have additional protein requirements. I never feed layer because we have twenty roosters and I know it can be very bad for their health. Oyster shell is always available for the hens and we have always had nice quality shells. We have fed raw, unprocessed sardines during molts before, I will have to add mackerel to the list

Also if any eggs are cracked they do get scrambled and given back to a bird that needs a boost.

If we get a spare bit of cash I would love to take him to he vet for x-rays to get some definitive answers for our piece of mind and to know how to give him the best care. Hopefully that will be soon, we just bought a very neglected farm and the needs are endless but animals do come first when it comes to allocation of resources. A couple other birds from the same breeder had crooked toes and another of our boys from her has crooked toes and knock knees. Makes me wonder is the incubator had some issues. The other rooster is getting on fine and is a wonderful, kind, and attentive bird. He hangs with our Silkies and OEGB.

Sounds like he is well taken care of

As long as he is eating, drinking, pooping and getting around ok, just give him some TLC and enjoy him.

Wishing you well!