Tumor/Growth on Hen

[FlyingNunFarm]

You could always try to soften it with some VCO as well.

 

[mamahen_mary]

Here is a closer pic of the tumor. The part where the blood is, is where I pulled off a scab. It continued to bleed and it didn't appear there was any puss like substance that came out.
Also don't know if this is related, but her poops continue to be a bit watery and we cleaned up her vent again. Oh! And she laid an egg today.
Any other ideas/suggestions on what to do?

 

[mamahen_mary]

Has it grown quickly? Tumors can be common in chickens. Some are associated with lymphoid leukosis or Mareks disease. You might consult a vet for more advice or for removal. I would use plain neosporin ointment, Vetericyn, or betadine on it.

I'm not sure how quickly the tumor has grown, this hen is a bit harder to catch and doesn't get as much "love" from my kiddos as the others. We've know about it for a few days. Anything other symptoms I should look to for Mareks? I believe it was vaccinated.

 

[TwoCrows]

So the "bloody area" about "3 o'clock" on the mass was a scab that I pulled off to see if I could see any feather but it only bled and I saw a little bit of white hard substance. Should we be more aggressive in cutting on the mass to see what is below the skin?
It has a fair amount of blood flow to it. You can see veins and blood below the mass where the skin separates from the "breast meat".

This doesnt sound like an ingrown feather but rather tumor like.

 

[mamahen_mary]

Should I be more concerned about her watery/loose stool and poop covered vent area? We've had to wash it 2 days in a row.....

 

[FishMtFarm]

While I haven't (yet?) experienced it myself, cutaneous Marek's tumors from my research don't look like this. I am not saying it's NOT Marek's: simply that this doesn't look like a typical Marek's tumor. Lymphoid Leukosis generally manifests as tumors on viscera and not as a cutaneous lesion. My best guess would be ingrown feathers or an old hidden wound that developed an infection that the body walled off (similar to the staph that causes bumblefoot).



Not true, that's not what a leaky vaccine means. It just means it's not a perfect immunity, so any bird exposed to Marek's might become a carrier. ANY chicken, vaccinated or not, must first be exposed to Marek's in order to spread/pass it on to others. The vaccine alone can not cause the spread of Marek's disease. Vaccinated birds are simply more likely to survive exposure, and therefore may be silent carriers. But they must be exposed before they can be carriers. Be careful as this misinformation sometimes means people don't vaccinate, based on a misunderstanding.

Actually the vaccine can spread it. Read this study in this article:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous

 

[Nambroth]

I just posted that PBS artical today with the same thoughts that vaccinated birds can spread it to unvaccinated birds. I think I better go correct that.

It is a very common misunderstanding. Thank you for correcting it!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry she is not doing well.

The only way to know for sure if she has Marek's is to get some testing performed. Your CA State Lab is reasonable in pricing from what I understand. If you cull her, refrigerate the body and send her in.

Here's a very good detailed article on Marek's
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[Granny Hatchet]

It is a very common misunderstanding. Thank you for correcting it!

11 minutes ago#150527

 

[FishMtFarm]

The virus was known to be fairly ubiquitous before the vaccination was first created; it did truthfully kill countless birds both in the industry and on individual's properties before we ever developed a vaccine. Some studies show that this family of virus (herpesviruses) are some of the oldest on the planet.
It was often not called by name but old farmers and poultry keepers often knew if a young bird developed "The Splits" that it was likely to die. What we are finding now is that the vaccine has probably just accelerated the virus' evolution/mutation into strains that are more deadly, given the conditions in commercial poultry operations. Similar to how an overuse of antibiotics in some situations have created antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The answer isn't necessarily to stop using antibiotics but to be careful and selective in their use, and continue researching better ways. In this way, vaccination (and I'm talking only about Marek's now, other diseases/vaccines are different!) might not be right for everyone, but is still the best choice for some, depending on their poultry goals. It is my hope that we might develop a perfect vaccine for this virus one day. Fingers crossed!

Very well put, I like that veiw.