Hernia?

[RCL]

Roxanne is about 1yr old. We got her in March 2021 and within a few weeks noticed she has a bulge between her legs. Might this be a hernia, or something else?

Symptoms: softball size bulge starts a few inches below her vent and hangs between her legs. When she’s wet, you can see that she is missing most feathers in this area (when dry, she’s so fluffy you can’t tell). The bulge is not discolored, it matches her skin tone. When pressed it is firm but easy to press.

Other issues: I did discover some lice near her vent today. Her back feathers have been ruffled lately (see my other post about that). Other than that, she seems fine. She lays large dark brown eggs almost daily, runs and plays and eats as normal. She gets along with our other 3 hens and seems to be at the top of the pecking order. She is active and free ranges all day and seems to be living a comfortable, happy life.

 

[Jen1989]

Roxanne is about 1yr old. We got her in March 2021 and within a few weeks noticed she has a bulge between her legs. Might this be a hernia, or something else?

Symptoms: softball size bulge starts a few inches below her vent and hangs between her legs. When she’s wet, you can see that she is missing most feathers in this area (when dry, she’s so fluffy you can’t tell). The bulge is not discolored, it matches her skin tone. When pressed it is firm but easy to press.

Other issues: I did discover some lice near her vent today. Her back feathers have been ruffled lately (see my other post about that). Other than that, she seems fine. She lays large dark brown eggs almost daily, runs and plays and eats as normal. She gets along with our other 3 hens and seems to be at the top of the pecking order. She is active and free ranges all day and seems to be living a comfortable, happy life.

View attachment 2706732

Has it grown in size since you first noticed it? And what does it feel like? Does it feel full of fluid?

 

[Fluffy_Feathers]

I also have a hen with a suspected hernia in that same area, though it isn't that big. On my thread I made asking about it, someone linked this article to another website.

 

[RCL]

Has it grown in size since you first noticed it? And what does it feel like? Does it feel full of fluid?

No, size has stayed the same for the past few months. When I press there is a little bit of resistance- it’s not overly squishy or soft. Kind of a medium firmness, and I don’t think it feels like fluid.

 

[Jen1989]

No, size has stayed the same for the past few months. When I press there is a little bit of resistance- it’s not overly squishy or soft. Kind of a medium firmness, and I don’t think it feels like fluid.

sounds like it's not ascites/waterbelly... the link @Fluffy_Feathers posted above about another chicken with confirmed hernia was an interesting read... sounds very similar to what you're describing

 

[RCL]

I also have a hen with a suspected hernia in that same area, though it isn't that big. On my thread I made asking about it, someone linked this article to another website.

Thank you @Fluffy_Feathers, that link is very interesting and definitely sounds similar to Roxanne’s symptoms. I read through the comments and it sounds like the chicken passed about a year later when the hernia burst through the skin. I guess I will need to prepare myself for how to act if/when that day comes

 

[Weeg]

Lets see what some experienced members think. I wouldn't jump to diagnosis based purely on another persons post. Its something good to keep in mind as a possibility though.
@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous may be able to give some answers.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What do you feed, including treats?

Could just be fat.
Other options since she's not showing any symptoms would be possible hernia, exudes from laying internally or Peritonitis.
It's just a guess really...unless you lose her and examine the body there's really no way to know what's going on in there.

(You mention no other symptoms except for a largish abdomen - when wet, you can see the abdomen more clearly)

For me, if she were mine, I would suspect either fat or something leading to reproductive issues later on down the road. All my Barred Rocks have had and do seem to have a larger bottom - upon necropsy of birds, I've found fat, fluid and signs of reproductive issues, etc.

SO...for me, if she's eating/drinking/active/laying eggs and seems happy within herself, leave her be. IF she starts to show symptoms of decline, then it's time to evaluate what's going on, offer supportive care to see if they start to feel better for a while, if they continue to decline, put them out of their misery.

My 2¢

 

[RCL]

What do you feed, including treats?

Could just be fat.
Other options since she's not showing any symptoms would be possible hernia, exudes from laying internally or Peritonitis.
It's just a guess really...unless you lose her and examine the body there's really no way to know what's going on in there.

(You mention no other symptoms except for a largish abdomen - when wet, you can see the abdomen more clearly)

For me, if she were mine, I would suspect either fat or something leading to reproductive issues later on down the road. All my Barred Rocks have had and do seem to have a larger bottom - upon necropsy of birds, I've found fat, fluid and signs of reproductive issues, etc.

SO...for me, if she's eating/drinking/active/laying eggs and seems happy within herself, leave her be. IF she starts to show symptoms of decline, then it's time to evaluate what's going on, offer supportive care to see if they start to feel better for a while, if they continue to decline, put them out of their misery.

My 2¢

Thanks for the input, it’s helpful to know that it could be fat or reproductive. Sounds like I really won’t know until after she passes (which I hope is a long time away since she seems so happy!).

She gets most of her food from free ranging, but we have Nutrena layer crumbles available in a feeder that she can nibble in the morning before we let her out for the day. As for treats, we do dried mealworms, arugula or other greens from the garden, and occasionally cantaloupe or watermelon.