What is this Scabby & Enlarged Thing on Roo's Chest?

[MissChick@dee]

I would like it to get to a point of drying out once the soft tissue begins to granulate. Just me but I’d keep him out of the baths. See what the other pockets do. Some drawing salves sound good but I’d let the skin draw tight for a day or two...Iffin that’s my 2 cents.

 

[Acre4Me]

I would do another soak and get the rest of that gunk out of there. It may require a scalpel and tweezers and extra willing hands.
Something is going on to cause his body to produce puss. There may even be a splinter or something stuck inside.

Agree. But, what part would you take a scalpel to? The yellow areas?

A side note: As long as he tolerates it and doesn't get snagged in anything he's fine wrapped up in vet wrap. I had a hen out with the flock bandaged up for a month or two without problems.

Good to know!

The tissue in the hole looks pretty pink and nice~a bit of good news!

Exactly what I thought when I saw it. "Whew! Looks healthy!" But, also make me think we discovered this AFTER he had begun to heal from whatever the initial trauma had been. Since he has such a big bit of skin, like a deflated balloon , I suspect he must have been swollen. We never noticed, I guess because his feathers hid it, and we are often looking down on the chickens because we are taller, or he is minding his hens, so not near enough to have noticed.

I honestly like bee propolis even better.

Guessing this is not bee pollen? I'll have to look it up.

I would like it to get to a point of drying out once the soft tissue begins to granulate. Just me but I’d keep him out of the baths. See what the other pockets do. Some drawing salves sound good but I’d let the skin draw tight for a day or two...Iffin that’s my 2 cents.

Yes, I see your point. I'll check it out tomorrow to see if another soaking would be beneficial (there are a couple of other smaller scabs). But might determine that vet wrap at night (with gauze and maybe some Neosporin) might be the thing to protect the raw skin when he's roosting for a few days or a week. Also, need to figure out if I need to open up any of the areas, like the yellowish patches - so that I can <blech> squeeze out some puss.

 

[Acre4Me]

I think if left long enough (and I don’t mean in a good way) this yellow area will eventually become another blackened area. Right now there is still the thinnest layer of compromised skin covering it and keeping it from oxidizing.
The more I come back to thinking about it, the more I think it needs to be opened and cleaned out.

Ok. Now that the large black plug came out today with healthy skin underneath (pics in previous post), I'm happy, but think the yellow areas need to be addressed. So, should I knick the corner of the yellow areas with a sterile, sharp instrument (might be an exacto knife sterilized if I cant find a scalpel)? Then squeeze out the yellow puss?

Also, I'm not sure what comprises the main enlarged mass. I suspect that if it was from a trauma or abrasion of some kind, that it might have been larger than it is now and we are just seeing the remainder of it. But maybe it is a tumor that grew and became infected because it was being pressed against on the roost at night or something. I'm not very well versed in this area at all. So is there any way to determine if it is a tumor?
@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @casportpony @azygous?

Thanks a bunch for all your guidance everyone!

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Bee propolis is made by the bees and used as a waxy sealant. It has been found to have a lot of health benefits.

I personally start investing where the plug came out. See if there are any connections to other yellow areas within the bag of skin.
If not I would work the other round area that looks like is about to be a plug. Again once its worked out see if there is any internal connections.
If not I would open up the large yellow area. I made a horizontal mark between what looks like two rounded areas. If that area seems softer I would open it that direction.
If it really doesn't seem any different I would open it vertically to have the most access to the area.

This is all based on pictures. You can see and feel what we can't so it's a judgment call. That's my opinion.

 

[azygous]

A tumor would be solid or hard. If this thing is spongy, it's a cyst or possibly an infected lesion.

Keep in mind that chickens heal up very quickly. As long as you approach the site with utmost care to sterilize instruments and wear surgical gloves, use Betadine or Vetericyn on the lump before and after surgery, the patient will be fine.

Also, understand that chicken skin is very thin. You do not need to do more than a shallow cut to access the yellow pus.

 

[staceyj]

A few thoughts.

Why soaking is beneficial:

The heat of the water plus magnesium sulfate if you’re using Epsom salts both aid in increasing the fill rate of tiny capillaries near the skin surface. Increasing circulation near a wound is proven to help it heal and heal faster than a wound not soaked.

Please make sure to have plenty of supplies on hand.

And wear gloves. Eye protection isn’t a bad idea either- even if it’s just that you wear glasses or reading glasses.

*Do not wear contact lenses when working on a wound.

You do not want an eye infection caused by a speck or globule of infectious material flying into your eye and contaminating your contact lens.

Vet wrap,
betadine or hibiclens ( both are excellent antimicrobial antiseptics) ,
a syringe for flushing out the craters after the yellow stuff is removed ( this will be very important as the wound shrinks to avoid re-infection in a pocket) and
whatever healing medium you decide upon.

@FlyingNunFarm’s friend makes a product she believes in and has had firsthand experience with. I plan on getting some- just haven’t gotten to it this month.

Manukau honey is a proven natural product as well and available almost everywhere now, although I think the results vary according to where it comes from.

Veterycin spray gel has become very popular and I admit I’ve had good results with it on bad bumblefoot infections.

And triple antibiotic ointment has been used for decades now.

Whatever you get- get plenty. Initially at least you’ll
have to be very liberal in your use of it.

One tip I like to share around here every once in a while is that every once in a while I “harvest” old towels for pet first aid.
Usually 1 or 2 I tear off the hemmed edges all the way around then cut the entire towel into roughly 6 inch squares. Then I put all the squares through the wash with soap and bleach ( no softener) on the hot setting. After they’re dry ( no dryer sheet) I put them in a couple of big ziplock bags and keep them for emergencies. If I need them smaller I can cut them down more.

If they get totally disgusting I can throw them away.
If I can stomach looking at them, I figure they can be salvaged and I soak them overnight in a bucket of 1:10 bleach solution then rinse them the next day and put them through the wash again.

I like them so much better than just having nothing but paper towels. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll need paper towels too, but when you decide to dive into dissecting the yellow areas it would be good to have something like this on hand rather than a paper product that will fall apart and possibly leave debris in the wound bed.

Washing them AFTER cutting them generally removes any loose bits or fuzzies off the edges. Any thready or raggedy ones (after the dryer) I pull or tear with my hand rather than trim with scissors.

 

[staceyj]

When dealing with wounds and abscesses remember that gravity will be your friend in draining.
Always have an opening at the bottom of a wound.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would disinfect it and try to squeeze out what you can get out. We are hoping that there is solid pus in there, and that you can get it out with a couple of sessions. You won't hurt to squeeze some. If you get blood, then move on to another area and squeeze. Then disinfect and apply some plain neosporin ointment.

 

[Banditschickens]

 

[Cragg Klefor]

What a really informative thread!!!!
Rooting for you and your Roo @Acre4Me