Tumor or abscess? I think tumor ...

[Kiki]

There is nothing on it in the new pictures so I think anything black must be dying tissue ... ? :'(

BRB Let me log in on my phone so I can zoom in and see better.

 

[Firefoot]

Is the third photo from before you plucked and lanced it, and the first two photos are how it looks presently?

I would agree that this looks like a tumor, but I hope I am wrong. It looks like it ulcerated and turned nasty very fast after it was messed with, although I don’t blame you for trying to lance it. I would have done exactly the same.

Yes, the third photo is from when I first found it, when I was halfway through cleaning it up and horrified at how huge it was (at that point). I thought it was a feather cyst or abscess so I lanced it :/ And yes, the first two photos are from today after cleaning it but before dressing it with anything. It's absolutely enormous and I feel awful for my poor girl.

 

[Kiki]

Yes, the third photo is from when I first found it, when I was halfway through cleaning it up and horrified at how huge it was (at that point). I thought it was a feather cyst or abscess so I lanced it :/ And yes, the first two photos are from today after cleaning it but before dressing it with anything. It's absolutely enormous and I feel awful for my poor girl.

It looks pretty bad, I am sorry.
I'm tempted to tell you to cull her on one hand and on the other I'd like to see if you continue to doctor her if it does get better but I don't really think it will.

 

[Firefoot]

It looks pretty bad, I am sorry.
I'm tempted to tell you to cull her on one hand and on the other I'd like to see if you continue to doctor her if it does get better but I don't really think it will.

My gut says it will not get better, and several people on FB (where I posted first, sorry guys) also agreed that it does not look good. I will re-assess tomorrow, though. Poor girl is cosy asleep in her crate and if she can sleep okay, I'll let her be for now.

 

[Firefoot]

If I do put her down or if she passes on her own, should I send her out for a necropsy?

 

[Tesumph]

Yes, the third photo is from when I first found it, when I was halfway through cleaning it up and horrified at how huge it was (at that point). I thought it was a feather cyst or abscess so I lanced it :/ And yes, the first two photos are from today after cleaning it but before dressing it with anything. It's absolutely enormous and I feel awful for my poor girl.

I am also hesitant to suggest culling.. but I don’t think there is much home treatment you can do for this one. I have seen many ulcerated tumors like this on dogs but I don’t have as much experience with chickens. The only treatment is to completely excise it and send it to pathology to see if it’s cancerous; in my experience, rotting and angry tumors like this usually are.

I would hold off on this one for now until you get more opinions, especially if she is still active and seemingly pain free.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

 

[Eggcessive]

I have no experience with tumors or feather cysts, but it looks like it was a feather cyst from one or more impacted feathers. I have been looking at some videos on YouTube recently of birds with feather cysts being removed, and I am leaning more toward that. But I am not a vet, nor an expert. Hopefully, that is what it is. But they tend to reoccur again.

 

[Kiki]

If I do put her down or if she passes on her own, should I send her out for a necropsy?

It's always good to know, if it is an option.
Are you in the US if so you can find your state lab here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/necropsy-and-disease-testing-lab-info.1236884/

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are a few links to read and watch to help you see if it seems like a feather cyst:
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feather-cysts-in-birds

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/feathercysts.html