Large neck growth

[chickenfan]

My lovely 7 year old Marans hen Grace has had a large growth near her crop like a tennis ball for over a year. She has remained very cheerful and well, but is now pulling out her feathers over the growth, which may be a little bigger, so I imagine it feels tight or uncomfortable in some way. I just wonder if anyone has had a similar problem and if so how things went and what they did about it.

 

[chrismahon]

Sounds like some kind of tumour Chickenfan? Have you checked her for cankers? We had an Orpington with a growth in her throat and eventually she couldn't eat and struggled to breathe so had to be PTS. All you can do is keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't suffer unnecessarily.

 

[chickenfan]

Thank you Chris. Its the hen that was waiting to be put to sleep with an impacted crop at the conventional vet 5 years ago, when you suggested remedies which made her better. I'm not quite sure how to check for cankers? But the poultry vet thinks the growth is outside the oesophagus. However, her breathing seems a bit more laboured than it was. She is my most special bird as she was hatched from an egg that was carefully sourced in France and has been totally amazing in every way, brilliant layer of stunning big eggs, extremely friendly and placid and she walks around making coo-ing noises like a dove.

 

[chrismahon]

Look down her throat Chickenfan- cankers appear initially as small cream coloured spots but unfortunately grow and in some cases very rapidly, blocking the throat. It's a sign of age (or stress) and a collapsing immune system which can be treated with vet drugs and also held in check with iced water. We bought a TNN cock (Claude my avatar) who developed them and was vet treated successfully, but we've had all but one of our Buff Orpingtons develop them and all had to be PTS. Sounds like its a tumour in your case, which I suppose can't be treated and may not be the only one in her.

 

[chickenfan]

Thanks very much Chris, I will check her throat for spots. However, she's had this huge lump like a tennis ball for over a year. It hasn't affected her quality of life at all but she's started pecking at it, and the vet thinks this is because it has become very heavy.

 

[chickenfan]

It was a tumour of some sort in her oesophagus full of dark green liquid. The vet emptied it twice but she was going downhill over Christmas and she's no longer with us.

 

[Margaid]

Really sorry to hear that Chickenfan.

 

[chickenfan]

Thankyou Margaid. Grace was very special and used to talk to me in a dove-like voice. She had 3-4 years extra due to Chris's help.

 

[Tweetypie]

You seem to have had your fair share of bad luck last year chickenfan, Grace sounded like a lovely hen friend. I hope your chicken who was trapped in the cold is much better. Wonder if the frostbite in her feet damaged them somehow? Hope 2020 is much kinder to you.