Cyst/Tumor? [large images]

[chris]

A while ago, I noticed that one of my chickens had sore skin from dust bathing on her crop, and breastbone area. It was just red, then a few weeks after that, I noticed what looked like a sore - which I assumed was from either perching, or rubbing her breastbone area on a fence post foundation where she dustbaths.

Today, when just giving them a quick check over - I noticed a fleshy growth, which feels like two small lumps connected to each other, but still quite loose inside her (i.e. not fixed to anything).

Do chickens suffer from tumors/cysts often? I've attached some pics below, if that helps any.

No signs of mites, lice, or other pests - she still lays fine, is bright eyed and bushy tailed etc.

Random though - if it is something sinister, would her eggs be alright to eat? The others aren't picking on her or anything, everything bar that is as normal.

TIA!

Images are large so you can see clearly, and where in terms of location it is:





edit: black specs on her skin is compost, I just fetched her out from one of my beds..

edit2: this is going to sound harsh, but I don't class my chickens are "pets" (despite my wife doing so), so if everything seems well I'd rather let her get on with things, enjoying life etc - I'd rather not take her to a vet unless advised otherwise (in terms of eating her eggs..) as I've yet to find a decent vet around here, and the ones I do know of around here have hardly any exposure to poultry (as I'm sure if the case in most places!)

[petal]

read and reread...... bet she has swallowed something she should not- - that could be the lump and an abcess grows where it needs to come out?

[petal]

not that you should pull the object out at that point....purple spray and vets is my recommendation- what is wrong with vets- if they can't make a diagnosis -what is wrong with RESEARCH...

[chris]

It's by her breastbone though, does their digestive tract run near that?

Thanks for replying

[julesapple]

That looks like whatever the chook equivalent of a sebaceous cyst is. What is the dark circle on the lump? If it's a drainage point, I would be tempted to thoroughly clean it, and then try and empty it, dressing it with purple spray afterwards. If those lumps get bigger they may cause problems.

Over the years, several of our cats have had abcesses and the vet's first recourse is lancing, always drain it. We were once advised to jab our Wheaten Marans sharply in the bottom as she has a huge ascite lump under her vent. That was from a reputable breeder. We didn't do it, and Gladys still has her lump. She doesn't lay very often and the eggs are always a bit misshapen and thin shelled when she does lay. There isn't any obvious exit for her lump, and it's not liquid so it wouldn't drain even if we jabbed her.

[chris]

The dark part seems to be a scab type thing - I'll inspect in more detail tomorrow! That's what I thought the sore was from perching/bathing?

[julesapple]

Who knows how it happened. It could even be a malformed feather in a follicle. I suspect the two lumps are just one, and it looks very like a giant blackhead. If you leave it the cyst might develop further and grow in on itself, healing over on the outside.

[VirginVegGrower]

Can't they get sore patches/blisters from the roosting bars in the coop, thought I remember reading this somewhere?

[RichmondHens]

I suspect it is some sort of infected wound. Try bathing and removing the scab and I bet pus comes out. Gently drain if you can and wash well and spray with purple spray or similar.

[Nicos]

Gut feeling???...she has a small stone in here.
We culled a chook last year with something like that and there was a Small stone under the skin...and a small yellow solid cyst.
Interestingly he was a very heavy bird ad sat down a lot of the time.

[chris]

Thanks all - shall wash today and see if I can get the scab off

[petal]

hope a warm poultice to open up abcess works- if its on breastbone its probably a blister got infected. Does she tend to roost normally or is she one of these birds that lie on the coop floor to sleep?

[chris]

Reeet.

I've had a real good rummage around her. I think it's a stone inside her, as someone said above. I have pea-gravel in my greenhouse, which they have access to currently. I can't get the scab off, so have decided to leave it - I think it's a roosting sore-patch, as it doesn't feel like a scab does.

Going to see how she is in the coming weeks.

She roosts, fine but I'll keep an eye on how she is roosting to see if she's roosting on the stone or whatever it is.

Typical, it's always your favourite ones, eh?