4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Justadmin]

Argh what a nightmare. I posted about Billina bobbing and stretching her neck about yesterday and this morning I thought I'd just give her a little examination just to check that area over. Well I discovered a firm lump in the centre of her neck - feels a bit like an adams apple, but a chicken version. You can't see it visibly as it's hidden by her lovely neck feathers. At first I thought it was her crop, but then I realised that was further down and to the right. My googling tells me that it might be canker - a highly infectious parasite which causes plaque build up. It sounds horrific and deadly, and part of me can't believe that one of our first chooks we've had only 2 weeks could have such a horrid disease. Even worse, if it is canker then it's transmitted via drinking water and they both share the drinker, so Mary could have it too.

 

Is there anything else this could be? Does anyone else's chicken have this lump? She's only 20 weeks old or so, could it be an age thing? Could it be a bone or something normal? I'm desperate for it to be nothing serious. She's eating fine, devoured cabbage and mealworms for breakfast like you wouldn't believe, she's pooing fine, healthy poos (I checked the chart!) and drinking. Her tail is up, she seems bright and alert.

 

Any thoughts? Any at all? Thank you so much

[Chickabee]

I've just been reading about it, as didn't know what it was. Sounds like your girlie doesn't have any of the other symptoms. Have you looked and smelled inside her beak. I think she would be lethargic and not eating if it were Canker. Sadly I don't have enough knowledge to suggest what else it might be. I'll just keep my fingers crossed for you and hope somebody else may have a suggestion.

 

Lewis where are you

[mollyripkim]

I've never had experience of canker but in my early chicken keeping days got in a right panic about a hard lump one of the the girls chest, took her back to the breeder and it was her breast bone! I felt a right idiot but its all a learning curve and I hope your girl is ok.

[Luvachicken]

I just wondered if wild birds drink from your chickens' water drinker ?

I only ask because they are what spread the disease first and if the wild birds don't have access then I think the problem might be something else.

 

Is the lump still there first thing in the morning do you know ?

Can you move the lump around or is it fixed ?

 

I'm afraid I can only base my knowledge on having had 2 blocked crops operated on recently but I'm sure someone else will be able to give advice.

[Justadmin]

Thanks for your thoughts guys, please keep them coming - I'm a very worried chicken dad at the moment!

 

I'm going home now to check her again, I want to check the lump again to see exactly what it feels like, you know you get to the point you feel like you can't trust your memory - could I move it? Was it bone hard or was there some give in it? Can't remember!

 

Our drinker is in the WIR which has a solid roof so yes I keep thinking that I'm not sure how the canker parasite would have got in - unless she already had it when we bought her, but I can't believe that either as it was such a great place!

 

I wonder if it is just a protruding bone or something that she has which isn't a problem, you know how we sometimes have weird things on our bodies and it's fine. She's only young so maybe she still needs to build some weight to cover these things up.

 

Argh, what a worry!

[Luvachicken]

I'm not saying your chicken has what Gemma had, but when Gemma did have a blocked crop it was way bigger than anything I could imagine. Gemma's crop must have stretched so much with what she had, so maybe what you are feeling is her crop with something in it that is able to move and that's maybe why you can feel it where it is, rather than where it should be.

 

Try not to worry too much.

We talk ourselves into all sorts.

I would say that if you are really worried then you could take her to the vet - I am always doing that as others on here will vouch

[The Dogmother]

I've not examined your bird, but it doesn't sound like canker to me; the cheese-like deposits for that are usually in the mouth and throat, and plainly visible. If it was canker, then you'd need a vet to prescribe Metronidazole, but the condition has a high death rate, and the last hen I saw with it was pretty poorly and needed euthanasing.

 

Are there any other symptoms... is she off her food, moving her head awkwardly....?

 

It doesn't sound like canker to me, so if you're not sure, I would suggest that you get her to the vet soonest for a proper exam and treatment if necessary.

[Justadmin]

Thank you for all your replies, I really appreciate it.

 

I went out to them last night and had a good old feel around. Billina (the girl I was worried about) bless her is so easy to pick up, she cackles a bit but doesn't mind. She patiently let me have a prod and poke. There's definitely a bony kind of thing there. I then picked up Mary (who creates much more of a fuss about things) and with a bit more difficulty I could feel a similar kind of thing - not exactly the same but similar.

 

I think I've come to the conclusion that this can only be their neck bones (well, their spine I guess) or maybe the cartilage of their windpipe or gullet or whatever. Billina has quite a short neck anyway which might make it more pronounced in her, whereas Mary thinks she's a giraffe and has quite a long neck which she likes sticking right out. The lump did move and bend as Billina bobbed her head around when I was holding her, as you'd expect a spine to do.

 

So yeah, I think (and I hope) I was worrying over nothing. They're both eating, drinking and pooing fine, both chasing me around the run like velociraptors in case I have any more mealworms on me.

 

Does that sound remotely possible what I just said? They are quite young, perhaps they just need fattening up a bit?

[The Dogmother]

Can't see them, but it sounds about right to me.

[Luvachicken]

You will learn so many things in your keeping chickens as you have found already.

I'm glad it appears that what you have found is bone.

By keeping an eye on your chickens every day and giving them a squidge you will soon notice if something becomes different.

 

A good book to have is Haynes Chicken Manual.

Very informative and with good pictures - it could help put your mind at rest when you find something unusual.

[Justadmin]

Thanks luvachicken for your reassurance and for the book recommendation, I'll earmark that on the amazon wish list

[Luvachicken]

You're very welcome

I know how worrying the little madams can be sometimes.