What is this on hen’s foot?

[LizzzyJo]

She is a 5 year old lavender orpington. She has some other health issues, but is doing ok. This has been on her foot for about 4-5 months. She will limp for a while then be fine for weeks. It has never spread or changed. No other chickens have foot issues.

I’d love anyone’s help, but I am going to tag some people who I know are good with this stuff. Sorry if you didn’t want to be tagged! @azygous @aart @centrarchid. @Eggcessive

Thanks!

This is Melody:

 

[azygous]

Do you recall what the lump looked like when it first appeared? Is it rock hard or soft? Try nicking it with a sharp blade to see if it bleeds. Try squeezing it to see if pus pushes out of it.

It could be a tumor if it's rock hard and bleeds. It could be an old injury that has been festering, never healing due to bacteria trapped inside. If it's an old injury, it must be treated and pus removed.

The best way to accomplish this would be to use hot compresses on it with a few drops of undiluted dish detergent on the lump before each hot compress is applied. This will help that scab to come off. Then you will need to make an incision and squeeze all the pus out. If no pus comes out, but it bleeds instead, it's likely a tumor.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Do you recall what the lump looked like when it first appeared? Is it rock hard or soft? Try nicking it with a sharp blade to see if it bleeds. Try squeezing it to see if pus pushes out of it.

It could be a tumor if it's rock hard and bleeds. It could be an old injury that has been festering, never healing due to bacteria trapped inside. If it's an old injury, it must be treated and pus removed.

The best way to accomplish this would be to use hot compresses on it with a few drops of undiluted dish detergent on the lump before each hot compress is applied. This will help that scab to come off. Then you will need to make an incision and squeeze all the pus out. If no pus comes out, but it bleeds instead, it's likely a tumor.

Thank you so much! I have a small flock and I pay close attention. I’m pretty sure that it arose from within her foot - not from an injury. It grew for months very slowly. It became pink last month. Not red- just barely pink. A bit soft. Then it developed this scab. It could have burst last week then quickly scabbed, but it’s unlikely it was a big open wound. I would’ve noticed that.

I will follow your advice to investigate.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Whelp, @azygous i went to cut it open and I pulled on it and it fell off in my hand. What the actual heck? It’s not bleeding and the thing is skin - like condensed skin. I squished some neosporin in there.

 

[azygous]

How weird! I can't say for sure what caused that, but it's possible that a foreign body got lodged under a scale and cutaneous material formed around it. This happens to my skin when I am working and get a weed spine or a wood splinter lodged under the skin and don't notice it. Over time, callous material forms around it, and the result is a raised scab that becomes a permanent feature on my skin landscape. If I were to take the time to remove it, it would very likely leave a small crater much like the one on your hen's foot.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Yeah I bet that’s what it was. I’m glad it’s nothing more than that. So weird though.