Big Lump
Question:
Answer:
Sounds like she may have an impacted and possibly sour crop. That you say she is too fat to move is a big concern.
Not knowing her breed or age and a bit more information about how long this condition has gone on, makes it difficult to pin-point the most likely problem.
If she is literally fat as opposed to bloated, her condition may not be too serious. But if she is bloated with gasses or retained fluids, she is in trouble.
A sour crop can cause gasses to build up and inflate her crop and possibly entire intestinal tract. Excess fluids can build up in her abdomen due to infection, liver or kidney failures.
You haven't said the condition of her droppings, if any. Her system may be blocked from crop on down. Dissolving the crop contents with a cider vinegar/ water solution may help (1 tbsp vinegar to 1/2 cup water).
Offer the mixture as she will swallow it and gently massage the crop contents. If soured the crop contents should be removed through her mouth by holding her upside down by the legs and gently milking out most of the contents.
Follow this with offering as much of the water mixture as you can get her to swallow on her own, in hopes of rinsing the crop and allowing the fluids to go through her system. She can't live long in this condition without help.
The treatment may seem drastic, but it might save her if done in time. The longer this condition has gone on the worse her chances of recovery.
Feeding her some probiotic or live culture yogurt may help restore good digestion. Offering her soaked feed with a vitamin electrolyte mix can possibly strengthen her and make it easier to digest food.
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Blk Silkie Hen Bump Near Ear
by Elizabeth Pow
Question:
I have a black silkie hen about 9 mos old who has a large bump where her right ear is.
It almost looks like those balls you find in the woods that insects hatch in. It is round, hard, swirled and has a crack at the top that is oozing a little bit.
She is more lethargic lately, at first I thought she was broody, otherwise it doesn't seem to be bothering her. I don't know how to treat it, any suggestions? Thanks
Answer:
I have found no information about this type of ear cyst, but recently had a rooster in my flock develop one on each ear. They did seem to heal on their own, shrinking to nearly nothing.
Sometimes cysts on avian species are caused by an ingrown feather. This could explain the “swirl” you described as a feather has failed to emerge through the skin and grows in a circle, causing a cyst.
Due to the closeness of these ear cysts to eyes and brain, I would be reluctant disturb the cyst; concerned that infected material inside the cyst, getting into the blood stream, would cause further health problems.
If the swirl you see is a feather, this could mean the cyst skin is thin and could be broken open gently, releasing the feather and allowing better access for topical antibiotic treatment.
I’ve treated feather cysts on other bird species and studied the problem. A diet lacking in good fat can leave a bird with very dry skin that can make some new feathers fail to break through the top layer of skin.
I rescued a Quaker Parrot with a friend that had a grape sized feather cyst on one wing. We were able to pluck surrounding feathers, tie off the cyst at its base and treat with topical antibiotics.
The cyst, starved of blood supply, dried and fell off in a few days and never returned. (The beautiful bird got a great new home!) The ear cysts on my rooster were inside the ear canal, so the same treatment wasn’t an option.
It’s often hard to tell the difference between broodiness and true lethargy in a hen. It may be the cyst is not affecting her energy level.
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Bump on Neck of Chick
by Hanna
(Erskine, MN, USA)
Question:
I just got day old chicks from Crackle Hatchery (ordered and shipped in)15 Salmon Faverolle.
Also in the box are (5) 1-week old Wyandottes. Anyway, one of the salmon Faverolle chicks has already died.
I suspect of being to cold because I change the bulb for the older ones and didn't change it back to the heat one for the smaller ones.
Another one is weak and sadly dying. But there is one that has a bump or lump on its neck. It's squishy (kinda like a lung)and the chicks neck is messed up from it.
The chick can't keep it's balance and falls over backwards. I have gotten it to drink water but am unsure what to do now. Can you help me? I really would not like to lose any more of my adorable chicks.
Answer:
When chicks get too cold their digestion shuts down. Feed and water can become stagnant in the crop, causing a condition called " sour crop".
The crop is located at the base of the front of the neck, but can expand with gasses from rotting feed inside. The crop contents can become toxic and create food poisoning in the chick's body.
If the contents are soft you should try to hold the chick upside down and gently milk the contents of the crop out of its mouth.
Giving raw apple cider vinegar with water (1 tsp/ 1/2 cu) should help neutralize the effects of the soured crop contents.
Instead you might offer several drops of baking soda and water solution. I'm unsure if you can save this chick.
Sometimes the effects of getting too cold are not reversible. It can be so severe as to cause brain damage.
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