Weird Lump on Silkie

[silkieRaiser]

Hello,
One of my silkies has a strange lump on her right front. It’s a bit bigger than a golf ball. Could it be a tumor? She seems very lively and I don’t notice any behavior changes. She is slightly broody if that makes a difference, though she does go outside for at least 3 hours each day. I can provide pictures if needed.

Thank you

 

[Cayuga momma]

Pics would help! Thank you.

 

[silkieRaiser]

Here they are. She is about 2 years old.

 

[rebrascora]

I may be stating the obvious here but a golf ball sized lump on the front right of the chest would normally be the crop. Is this something other than just a full crop and if so, where is it in relation to her crop.... above, below or to the left or right?

 

[silkieRaiser]

The thing is my other silkie doesn’t have it. I’m not super familiar with chicken anatomy but I can feel on both of them they have a pointy-ish thing down their front. I think that’s the crop? The lump is just to the right of it.

 

[rebrascora]

It may be that one is just a bit more of a glutton than the other. The crop when it is full will normally feel like a round pouch.f The texture, if it is full of pellets or grains will feel a bit like a bean bag but if they have drank water then it can be more mushy and pliable or even squishy. The pointy-ish thing down their front as you describe it is probably their breast bone and it runs down the centre. The crop is over to the right side where the chest and neck meet. It fills with food through the day as the bird eats and drinks and then that food is slowly released into the digestive tract whilst they are roosting at night.

 

[silkieRaiser]

Okay. I’ll check if it’s the same tommorow morning.
Thanks so much.

 

[rebrascora]

For information, the crop should be empty first thing on a morning before the hen has had access to food. If the crop is not empty at this time, it suggests a possible impaction. Usually, to do a crop function test, you feel the bird's crop when it gets up to roost at night and it should be full at that time. You remove access to the feeder and then check it again when you let them out the following morning and it should be flat at that time.