Hen with a bulgy, lumpy bottom - ascities, hernia, or other ailment?

[HenOnTheHill]

Look for casportpony in this section..posts a lot of really helpful stuff...that's where I would go forSEASONED ADVICE.

Ok, thank you!

 

[quinaldey]

This looks like exactly what I was dealing with last week! I separated the hen, gave her antibiotics, soaked her in an iodine bath and just left her alone. I was thinking hernia, but the swelling went down and she always seemed fine otherwise. A few days away from the aggressive rooster seems to have fixed her. still a little bulgey, but she seems happy good luck!

 

[quinaldey]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/857617/is-this-egg-bound
that was my girl same age and breed oddly enough!

 

[HenOnTheHill]

It doesn't look like ascites to me. The ascites I have seen fills up their bellies like water balloons, those you can drain. This is what it might look like is it were ascites.









I did have a rooster that looked like your hen, he lived for many years with the bulge, but when he died, I cut him open and his liver was there in that bulge... I'm not even sure how that's possible, but it was his liver. I've also necropsied a few hens that had large fat deposits there. Don't know anything about chicken hernias as I've never seen one. Not saying they don't exist, just that I know nothing about them.

If she's not losing weight and her poop looks normal, don't worry about it since there isn't much you could do without a vet. Now might be a good time to start her on a worming program with something like Safeguard or Valbazen.

-Kathy

Kathy,


Thanks for the information, the photos are very helpful! It seems that with ascites the hen looks more consistently bloated, rather than one area bulging out as is the case with my hen. Do you think I should stick a needle in her to see if it drains at all (to rule out the possibility of ascites), or wait to see if it gets any larger before doing so? Someday I hope to be brave enough to do an autopsy when it applies and makes sense. Hopefully that is no time in the near future! For now she is otherwise healthy, and enjoying her "hospital" stay in the warm house. I'd like to keep her in for a few days to see how she is laying and make sure she isn't struggling with that.

 

[HenOnTheHill]

Almost impossible to say how long her life expectancy might be since we really don't know what is going on in there. I had a hen a few years back with a bulgy rear end similar to that, it was not ascites and the vet suggested some type of hernia where internal organs may have dropped down into the pocket, like what Casportpony described. We did not do surgery because of the expense involved, the potential difficulty involved and not knowing exactly what we were going to find in there if we did open her up. She lived for three years before suddenly loosing weight and passing away.

I would probably just let this hen live out her life as long as she doesn't appear to be in discomfort. As long as she's out and about as usual, eating and drinking etc. I'd just let her be. If she starts acting sickly you'll know it's time to put her down. As far as a sling.... I don't see what it would hurt to try. If it doesn't work you have your answer. Good luck with her.

I guess we will just have to wait and see how she acts and gets on with her daily routine. I'll construct a simple sling and see if she minds wearing it, it can't hurt, right? Thanks again for your help!

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I would *not* stick a needle in there! Doing so could puncture whatever that lump is and that could lead to a fatal infection.

-Kathy

 

[cafarmgirl]

I agree with Kathy completely, I would NOT stick a needle in there since this does not look like a classic case of ascites. If organs have dropped down in there who knows what you might stick with a needle. In this case, short of veterinary intervention, it's best to just let her be and see how she does.

 

[casportpony]

I agree with Kathy completely, I would NOT stick a needle in there since this does not look like a classic case of ascites. If organs have dropped down in there who knows what you might stick with a needle. In this case, short of veterinary intervention, it's best to just let her be and see how she does.

I almost lanced the lump of that rooster 'cause I thought that maybe was an abscess, so glad I didn't!

-Kathy

 

[Tinachickenlady]

Hi I'm new here and not sure if this can help, but we had a hen with this problem last summer. It was my child's pet chicken and I was desperate, though couldn't afford vet visit. From what I could gather, it seemed like a liver issue, ie ascities. and inflammation. So I put her in a separate pen, found some barberry root, made a light tea with it. For about five days I gave her this tea, and apples diced fine in a food processor along with her regular feed, also some probiotics in the form of kefir. The swelling went away and she was fine in about a week. It didn't return. As I understood it the barberry root can ease the liver issue, and the apples can cleanse the system re the pectin and malic acid in the fruit. One of the articles I found said to add a little activated charcoal as it can absorb any nasties in the digestive system and on their way out to hasten the healing process. This is only something that worked for us, (not sure if it can help if its another type of issue) not any medical advice, just didn't know what else to do at the time, and had to at least try. The ground is all frozen now, but barberry root may be found in a health food store, its really inexpensive. Hoping things go well and that your feather baby is feeling better soon.

 

[HenOnTheHill]

I would *not* stick a needle in there! Doing so could puncture whatever that lump is and that could lead to a fatal infection.

-Kathy

I agree with Kathy completely, I would NOT stick a needle in there since this does not look like a classic case of ascites. If organs have dropped down in there who knows what you might stick with a needle. In this case, short of veterinary intervention, it's best to just let her be and see how she does.

Good point about possibly jabbing into an organ that may have dropped in there, so no needles (not a fun prospect anyway). I'll let her be and see how she does. Her poop continues to look normal and she has been eating fine (got some scrambled egg last night and almost took my fingers off to get at it .

Today when I got home from work, Stella had laid her egg. Todays is the one on the far right. The left is a "normal" medium-large egg (from another hen, but the size Stella normally lays) and the two in the middle I now know were Stella's the last two days. I don't know if this can add anymore to the diagnosis or not. I am a little concerned about the reddish mark on the bottom (could be blood, but not sure) and that it has gotten larger over the last few days, but as has been determined, we will just have to see how it goes and hope for the best.