Very swollen comb!

[tighthead]

Hello, this is our first time posting on here and I am sad to say it is because one of our chickens is not perfect! We have a 9 month old barnevelder who has grown a huge lump on her comb. We have searched this site but can't find anything to match this one! If anyone can help us in identifying whether this is a cyst or not and if we can treat it all that would be great.
ot and slightly gives if you squeeze it gently, suggesting it is fluid more than hard lump. Any ideas gratefully received!

 

[Hazelbunny]

Oh My! Now that is a swollen Comb! I have never seen anything like this. Is she away from other Chickens? If a chicken pecks that it might just make things worse.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

@casportpony can you help? I personally think you should try draining the comb of fluid. Someone had a cockerel or rooster that had swollen wattles and they drained the fluid.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @tighthead Welcome To BYC
@Eggcessive ?

Can you take her to a vet?
I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that.
I am not a vet, so what is posted is personal opinion.

If it feels like fluid, I would be inclined to see if it would drain.

Are there any tiny wounds, peck marks or possible insect bites that may have caused the swelling?
Is she eating/drinking o.k.?

Hopefully others will chime in with their thoughts.

 

[Eggcessive]

How does the top of the head feel to you—firm, hard, soft, squishy? I would guess that it is soft and squishy from the pic, and that might be due to a head injury with swelling, a bite from an insect, tick, or spider, or it could be a tumor. A leaking air sac around the head could be possible from injury. Do you feel air underneath the skin? Has it been extemely cold where you live? There is a disease called swollen head syndrome in poultry, which may be another possibility. It does not look like the typical frostbite in a comb, but that would be another possibility.

 

[andreanar]

I would drain it if it feels like it is fluid filled, then flush it out with saline and betadine. That's just me, I'm a poker!

 

[micstrachan]

Oh, wow. Poor thing. I have not seen this, but I do wonder if draining it would help. Is a vet an option? It almost seems like a poke with a sterile needle and cleaned skin surface might alleviate some of the pressure. But, of course, this would come with the risk of infection. I hope you get some answers.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you suspect a leaking air sac from air trapped under the skin from an injury, you can clean the skin, and insert a large sterilized needle just under the skin, and push air out to deflate the area. If using a hypodermic needle, use an 18 gauge. Afterward hold pressure on the needle site, and apply plain neosporin ointment.

 

[tighthead]

Thank you all for your advice.We tried to drain the lump,but no fluid came out.
The next day the swelling was starting to put strain on her eye socket so we decided to have her put down.The PM revealed a massive hard cyst
RIP Big Madge.

 

[BantyChooks]

Thank you all for your advice.We tried to drain the lump,but no fluid came out.
The next day the swelling was starting to put strain on her eye socket so we decided to have her put down.The PM revealed a massive hard cyst
RIP Big Madge.

So sorry. Any idea what caused it?