# Backyard flock trouble shooting



## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

I have 7 hens who are just over one year old. I had a problem occur with one of my girls who is a Barred Plymouth Rock. I couldn't find any information regarding her problem. She has a quarter sized fluid like sac attached from to her breast. She is not showing any signs of pain/lethargic but was getting concerned as i care for her health. My first guess was a breast blister or a cyst. I cant afford any crazy pet bills for a chicken even though they are all loved! I was hoping someone else had some insight to this problem and wasint the only one who has had this problem occur.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't think that's a breast blister. They're generally fluid filled so should be soft and squishy. 

It is possible she got a foreign body under the skin and it's been enveloped by pus. Or it could be some sort of overgrowth of tissue. 

It's really hard to tell from the pics what it is. If she seems to be happy and healthy I'd just watch it closely. Watch for redness developing or drainage or bleeding.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

I agree with Robin but I'm also curious, is it squishy, does it seem to have a "core", does it bother her if you squeeze it (gently)?


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

Sylie said:


> I agree with Robin but I'm also curious, is it squishy, does it seem to have a "core", does it bother her if you squeeze it (gently)?


 She does seem to notice the lump but i wouldn't really say its bothering her to much. My concerns was at night maybe when she roosts it might bother her. Its relativity solid not much fluid feel to it. Ive kept it clean with warm water/soap and she does not seem to mind. Really odd situation as vets want to take tests but i have a hard time justifying spending a ton of money on something with the life span of 3-5 years. She is very loved and gets fresh water(everyday), 16% protein feed, and scratch every once awhile. Also provide grit and they are free roam chickens. I would not be surprised if maybe she got a lesion while taking a dust bath and now that has ballooned up. First time owning chickens but wont ever not own them now! I could take more photos in the AM when the flock wakes up. I highly appreciate you both for the speedy responses and your time!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

We appreciate that you trust enough to ask the question. It's hard when you don't know where to turn or who to trust. 

Is it adhered to the keel or is it free floating? I'm kind of wondering if it's a cancer. 

I really didn't want to mention the C word because I don't want to cause uneccessary concern if it isn't. But it's better to consider all possibilities.


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

robin416 said:


> We appreciate that you trust enough to ask the question. It's hard when you don't know where to turn or who to trust.
> 
> Is it adhered to the keel or is it free floating? I'm kind of wondering if it's a cancer.
> 
> I really didn't want to mention the C word because I don't want to cause uneccessary concern if it isn't. But it's better to consider all possibilities.


Nothing lives forever and nature has to take its course so i rather get upfront info so i know how to better handle the situation. Ill snap some better pictures in the AM but its attached to her lower breast area. I wouldn't really say its attached to her kneel but could be wrong. How would you know if its attached to the kneel vs not being attached?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If you can move it side to side without any resistance then it's not attached. That would pretty much indicate that it is a soft tissue problem. 

Yeah, yeah, I hear the nothing lives forever but once they've gotten into our lives we still care that they are OK and that we're doing right by them and it still hurts when we lose them.


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

robin416 said:


> If you can move it side to side without any resistance then it's not attached. That would pretty much indicate that it is a soft tissue problem.
> 
> Yeah, yeah, I hear the nothing lives forever but once they've gotten into our lives we still care that they are OK and that we're doing right by them and it still hurts when we lose them.


Very true as i just want them to be healthy and have a happy lifetime. The lump is not really movable. You can move it side to side slightly. As you can clearly see where its attached to when i get some better pictures. Im not sure how to tell if that is attached to her kneel or just free floating. Maybe feel for her kneel bone but its in a odd spot. Seems kinda low to be her kneel.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

if it doesn't move very much then it is likely attached to some structure, quite possibly the keel but where it is attached is not as much of an issue as the fact that it is attached. That is cause for concern. 

Just for information sake, the keel is not technically in the chest as we think of as a chest, it starts way down under her crop and "swoops" under her belly and between her legs. The point of the keel is pointing to her bum from between her legs. If you flip her on her back you can feel a boney type ridge running down the center and going between her legs. That is her keel. This "knob" that your girl has appears to be attached to or in the vicinity of the front/ front- mid edge of her keel. 

Like I said, WHERE it is attached isn't as important in this case as the fact that it is.
I understand your point of not wanting to spend a lot of money on vet bills for something that is only going to live 6 or 8 yrs So the choice is yours, keep an eye on it, if it becomes painful or gets bigger, it might be time to make some decisions.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Hold the lump close to the skin and very gently move it or even pull on it slightly to feel where the resistance is coming from. Close your eyes and just focus on the movement of the lump. You should be able to feel that it's a part of her skin if it's skin only.

Are the dark spots I can see skin color? Or does it look odd to you?


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

yeah I was looking at those darker spots too, they almost look like scabs or something, crusty spots...something


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

Yes the black stuff is like a dried fluid maybe scab? I clean it up with warm water /mild soap but it does reoccur every few days. Its definitely very firm and attached to her skin/kneel. Getting some warm weather the past 3 days and shes noticing it more with the warmth. What would a vet do in this situation? Will it just keep growing if its like a tumor? Or could vets remove something like this and her be fine?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It depends on what it is on what the vet will do with it. It could be a massive infection but if it's attached to bone then it's something else. 

If you've got a vet that will give her a look and maybe treatment that's the route I would choose. Not being able to see and feel it first hand it's very difficult giving you much information that wouldn't send you in the wrong direction and cause her further injury. 

If you take her will you let us know what the doc says? This is how we learn so we can help others.


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

Sounds good! Ill keep you updated. Defiantly thinking its a tumor/growth of some type with how hard it is. Thanks for all the help/helpful information. Take care <3


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thanks, we'll be watching for what you're told. I hoping that it's benign and easily dealt with. 

I don't care what anyone says, a five dollar chicken is valuable to the owner. And they're living, breathing creatures that can feel pain just like us.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

You know, I had a cat years ago that had a lump similar to this on her belly. Not to freak anyone out, not my goal here but information is: it was cancer and she passed from it but not before it burst, it was very squishy at first but after time (months) it became hard and she developed similar scab things on it. I examined her very closely, manipulating the mass and found a teeny tiny pinhole in the mass and the liquid was leaking out forming those funny scab type things. My theory is that in the beginning it was a small hard mass surrounded by a whole lot of squishy fluid that kept building up until the skin stretched to it's breaking point and a tiny tear happened allowing the liquid to leak out and reveal the ever growing mass. 

I sincerely hope that this is not the case for you and I agree with Robin that if possible, you should try to get a vet to look at it. I could be way off base here, I am just seeing similarities to my previous experience (with the exception of species differences hahaha). 

Please do let us know if you get her to a vet and what he/she says.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

There are two other possibilities:
She couldve been rubbing her lower crop on the roost bar at night over a period of time causing the swelling and scabs.
The other possibility is sternal bursitis aka breast blisters associated with Mycoplasma Synoviae (MS.)


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

MS would be a long shot, she is in good health otherwise, eats drinks, no respiratory issues or neurological problems. Blisters are fluid filled and squishy, this lump is hard and doesn't really move in any direction. 
Rubbing is a possibility but I would think that would cause a blister, but this is hard, not like a blister. I would think this would be more along the lines of a callus but in extreme mode lol. It's awful big for a callus.
Can you think of anything else Dawg?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

MS can present subtle symptoms that a person may not even notice, and yes, staph infection:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/miscellaneous-conditions-of-poultry/breast-blisters-in-poultry?query=sternal bursitis breast blisters
This:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/miscellaneous-conditions-of-poultry/breast-buttons-in-poultry?query=breast blisters
This:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/gangrenous-dermatitis/overview-of-gangrenous-dermatitis-in-poultry?query=breast blisters
Finally this:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-in-poultry?query=breast blisters
Hope this helps. Good luck with your hen @Tylerschickens


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

Doctor stuck a needle in it and made the assumption it was a tumor on the skin. Which he easily removed today and now its just a waiting game to see how she goes from here


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No opinion on whether he or she thinks it might be a cancer? 

Thanks for letting us now she did ok with the procedure.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

It will be nicer for her with it gone I'm sure, she'll be more comfortable roosting. I'm so glad that you had it checked out.


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

She is doing really well! I live on the outskirts of a bigger city so i was near a vet with livestock experience. He has seen tumors before like that on bovine and what not. It was a tumor on her skin and from experience most are never cancerous


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

I envy everyone for the help  Were getting some really hot temps in Kansas. Should you let your chickens be broody?


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## Tylerschickens (Jun 3, 2020)

One was very broody about a month ago but she snapped out eventually by herself. I have 7 chickens and 2 are being broody. (Not the same one as the first time) It has not been over 14 days of broodiness so i was not really worried


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thank you for the update. It's always good to learn one with challenges is doing well as time goes on.

This is the time hens hatch chicks so yes, even in this heat. For some reason the heat doesn't seem to affect them as much as when they're not broody. Just make sure they're water is clean for when they do get up and guzzle some and they should be fine.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Yep, Robin is right on as usual, let them be broody


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