Tumor On Roof Of Baby Chick’s Mouth?

[Arya28]

This Chick is just about 1 week old. Our broody hen hatched it. We noticed since it hatched that it’s been stretching it’s mouth a lot, which is more noticeable when it drinks water. Right now it actually seems like it’s breathing from its mouth. Since we were just watching it, we noticed something inside of its mouth doesn’t look right. Upon further review it appears to be a tumor?? Any suggestions on what it is or how to fix it?

 

[Arya28]

The only behavior differ be is that it’s the only one still trying to hide under mom all the time.

 

[Arya28]

Could this be canker?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@dawg53 @Eggcessive @casportpony I don't think I've ever seen anything like that in a chick so young.

@Arya28 it could be canker, but let's see what the others think.

 

[dawg53]

It sure looks like canker, however I've never seen it in a chick. Smell the chicks breath and if there's a foul odor, it's canker. If there's an odor, it would be best to cull it because canker is very contagious to other birds, and it would not survive treatments.

 

[Chickassan]

It does really look like canker. And I do have to agree it would have a hard time surviving treatment. Iv'e never seen it in a chick either, only a diamond dove and an adult hen with a taste for birdbath water. If you do try to treat it though seperate from everyone, no shared anything. Poor thing, nasty ailment to have.

 

[Arya28]

Thank you all!

So yesterday a little bit after I posted this, we gave the chick coilloidal silver in the water. It's anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and completely safe in people if you get a bottle with the right PPM (10 is good). After researching, there has not been a lot of research done on it with chickens particularly, but you see a person here or there who has used it. After all the reading we had done, we decided trying it out might be worth a try, because of how bad it could get if we tried nothing.

About 1/2 hour later we went back and looked, and could not see the lump in the chicks mouth anymore. So yay, it's not a tumor stuck to the inside of the roof of it's mouth.

Whew.

But, upon further review, it looked like it had broken up into a couple smaller pieces and you could see them in the side of the chick's throat. Have you ever heard of or seen tonsil stones in people? It looked very much like that.

So we waited. Not too long later, you couldn't see the lump at all. It must have swallowed it.

Right before roost time before I helped put it under mama (it was chirping loudly because it could not get to her) I checked inside of it's mouth to find the "lump" right up in the front of its mouth. It looked close enough to being out that coercing it out with a Q-Tip or tweezers might help.

So we got a Q-Tip, and that was too large to fit in the chick's beak without hurting it.

So, tweezers.

It was a little further back by this point but we were able to gently get it out with the tweezers. And once we pulled the first yellow "lump" out, another one came up. We got that out too, and then by the time there was no more that we could reach, gave it more silver water to drink (to kill bacteria or yeast or whatever it may be).

We could tell there was still a little that we couldn't get to, but are hoping that will either the silver will kill it or it will come back up so we can get it out.

As of today, it thankfully appears to still be doing very well. It's eating and drinking on its own. Still doing a little bit of the mouth stretching/breathing thing, but not as much so we are hoping that the silver helps it.

As far as separating the chick..... I totally see the logic in that, and if we had discovered this sooner, we would have. The chick has been doing the mouth-stretching thing pretty much since it was dried off and was drinking, sharing the water with mom and all of the other chicks. The chick is about a week old.

Mom and the chicks are in a little pen separated from the rest of the flock (though still in where they can see and interact with each other). But they aren't sharing the same water. So at this point we are treating the water that mom and the chicks have, hoping it will treat them all for whatever this little chick has.

After researching it more, it looks like it could be thrush (yeast) or canker. I am really not sure which. It broke all up into smaller bits as it came out. It was yellow and very gross.

But since the chick seems a little better (and I would think has to feel a little better after having so much gunk come out) we are going to keep trying what we are doing. The chick definitely is not suffering at all right now, otherwise we would do what needs to be done.

After reading canker is yellow because it is really pus caused by a parasite? This stuff is definitely yellow. So, hopefully if it is pus, whether from canker or some kind of infection, the silver definitely should kill infection.

Thank you all for your suggestions again, and if you have any more ideas please do let me know!

 

[Chickassan]

All I can tell you is keep an eye on everybody. Canker is caused by a parasite brought in by wild birds usually but not always doves or pidgeons. What i'd do is clean all the waterers with bleach as soon as you can. Don't feed anybody on the ground if you in fact do that. Go and make sure that you don't have any funky water sources like birdbaths, old tires just anything stagnant or frequented by wild birds. If you do have a birdbath or outdoor water source mix 1 capful of bleach to 1 gallon of water to fill those. It won't harm the birds but organisms can't thrive in those conditions.

Thank you all!

So yesterday a little bit after I posted this, we gave the chick coilloidal silver in the water. It's anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and completely safe in people if you get a bottle with the right PPM (10 is good). After researching, there has not been a lot of research done on it with chickens particularly, but you see a person here or there who has used it. After all the reading we had done, we decided trying it out might be worth a try, because of how bad it could get if we tried nothing.

About 1/2 hour later we went back and looked, and could not see the lump in the chicks mouth anymore. So yay, it's not a tumor stuck to the inside of the roof of it's mouth.

Whew.

But, upon further review, it looked like it had broken up into a couple smaller pieces and you could see them in the side of the chick's throat. Have you ever heard of or seen tonsil stones in people? It looked very much like that.

So we waited. Not too long later, you couldn't see the lump at all. It must have swallowed it.

Right before roost time before I helped put it under mama (it was chirping loudly because it could not get to her) I checked inside of it's mouth to find the "lump" right up in the front of its mouth. It looked close enough to being out that coercing it out with a Q-Tip or tweezers might help.

So we got a Q-Tip, and that was too large to fit in the chick's beak without hurting it.

So, tweezers.

It was a little further back by this point but we were able to gently get it out with the tweezers. And once we pulled the first yellow "lump" out, another one came up. We got that out too, and then by the time there was no more that we could reach, gave it more silver water to drink (to kill bacteria or yeast or whatever it may be).

We could tell there was still a little that we couldn't get to, but are hoping that will either the silver will kill it or it will come back up so we can get it out.

As of today, it thankfully appears to still be doing very well. It's eating and drinking on its own. Still doing a little bit of the mouth stretching/breathing thing, but not as much so we are hoping that the silver helps it.

As far as separating the chick..... I totally see the logic in that, and if we had discovered this sooner, we would have. The chick has been doing the mouth-stretching thing pretty much since it was dried off and was drinking, sharing the water with mom and all of the other chicks. The chick is about a week old.

Mom and the chicks are in a little pen separated from the rest of the flock (though still in where they can see and interact with each other). But they aren't sharing the same water. So at this point we are treating the water that mom and the chicks have, hoping it will treat them all for whatever this little chick has.

After researching it more, it looks like it could be thrush (yeast) or canker. I am really not sure which. It broke all up into smaller bits as it came out. It was yellow and very gross.

But since the chick seems a little better (and I would think has to feel a little better after having so much gunk come out) we are going to keep trying what we are doing. The chick definitely is not suffering at all right now, otherwise we would do what needs to be done.

After reading canker is yellow because it is really pus caused by a parasite? This stuff is definitely yellow. So, hopefully if it is pus, whether from canker or some kind of infection, the silver definitely should kill infection.

Thank you all for your suggestions again, and if you have any more ideas please do let me know!

 

[Arya28]

All I can tell you is keep an eye on everybody. Canker is caused by a parasite brought in by wild birds usually but not always doves or pidgeons. What i'd do is clean all the waterers with bleach as soon as you can. Don't feed anybody on the ground if you in fact do that. Go and make sure that you don't have any funky water sources like birdbaths, old tires just anything stagnant or frequented by wild birds. If you do have a birdbath or outdoor water source mix 1 capful of bleach to 1 gallon of water to fill those. It won't harm the birds but organisms can't thrive in those conditions.

I will say, I had no idea you can give chickens bleach in their water!

Mama and the babies are in the barn, not outside yet so they don't have access to birdbaths or anything like that...… but wait a minute, we get them their water from our creek. Could the creek carry canker? That's where all of our birds get their water, but we usually always mix Apple Cider Vinegar into it.

 

[Chickassan]

The creek absolutely could harbor canker. And yeah the bleach is an old timers trick , it sounds bad but it really isn't much higher of a concentration than most cities tap water. If possible i'd use another water source besides the creek but if you can't do that and it is going to be the sole water source only use 1/2 a cap per gallon. The 1 cap per gallon is a bit strong for contiuious use, thats why tap water tastes so awful.

I will say, I had no idea you can give chickens bleach in their water!

Mama and the babies are in the barn, not outside yet so they don't have access to birdbaths or anything like that...… but wait a minute, we get them their water from our creek. Could the creek carry canker? That's where all of our birds get their water, but we usually always mix Apple Cider Vinegar into it.