Hi, any chance of a photo?
could the growth be lichen?

If the tree is ailing then it is likely to be woolly aphids. You need to spray the tree with a soap based insecticide. The white wool is a wax covering which keeps the insect underneath dry and protected. You need to dissolve that wax hence the soap. It is also recommended that you scrub the tree to help kill the beasts.

I googled both answers and it looks to be lichen? I guess fuzzy wasn't the best description. I was told that is the pollinator for the rest as it is a Macintosh? Still learning about these trees as we just moved in. Thank you so much! oh should we trim the broken branches before winter or wait till their more dormant? Thanks again!

Lichen isn't a pollinator of anything, it simply indicates you have clean air.

It depends what the rest are. You need a variety that is in flower at just the same time. A good nurseryman will advise you if you know what variety they are.

Thank you again.. I was meaning that the Macintosh tree is the pollinator for the rest of the apple trees in that area. I will look into finding a nurseryman to find out more. Thanks for the advice!

http://msucares.com/pubs/infosheets/is1355.html has information about pruning damaged trees. I watched a gardener on a tv programme remove a damaged branch from an apple tree in mid summer because it was storm damaged. Normal time for pruning in the uk is during the winter when the tree is dormant. A friend who used to work in a nursery where they grew lots of trees said he would never use a commercial product on wounds after he had tidied them up. He recommended rubbing garden soil on the wound. He reckoned the tree produced cells to repair and cover the wound in much the same way as our bodies produce scabs to cover wounds.

Oops Hostaking, so you did. Misread it.