Internal lay, eggbound, something else?

[Schrebergaertner]

Our almost 4 year old RIR has been sick for two weeks. We can feel what feels like an egg in her lower left side, but there's nothing in her vent. She was initially very very bloated and almost catatonic in a hiding place, but after a bath and supplements she's doing better, though far from 100%. She eats and drinks a little, but won't go up to roost, and she's still pretty bloated but not as bad as it was. Her poops are small and watery. When we feel for the egg, it bobbles around if you tap it. It's the size, shape, and hardness of an egg, but could be a hard tumor or organ I guess. If a hen lays internally or gets egg bound, can the egg end up over to the side like that? Could it be something else? Her crop seems fine. Is there any hope?

Thanks very much for any help.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Sorry about your hen. Bumping this so hopefully you will get some opinions. Have you tried giving her an internal exam if you can feel if the mass is an egg? Usually if a hen is egg bound she won't go on for two weeks like that and still be alive... wonder if she does have a tumor or is internally laying etc which would go along with the fluid buildup... they can go on a while like that as long as infection has not set in.

 

[casportpony]

Are you sure it's not her gizzard? If it's not her gizzard it is possible for the egg mass to move, I saw that in one that I did a necropsy on.

-kathy

 

[Schrebergaertner]

We did internally examine her vent and there is no egg there. I don't think it could be her gizzard--seems too far back based on my limited knowledge of hen anatomy. I guess we'll just keep up the TLC and see what happens. Thanks!

 

[casportpony]

I was surprised by how far back the gizzard is... Grab another hen and compare the two.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

If I have time later I'll grab a hen and take a picture of me pointing at the gizzard.

-Kathy

 

[osiel]

I'm experiencing a similar problem my red sex link is very skinny and I can actually feel what seems to me an egg! I don't know if this is normal or not..... she eats normal and free ranges every day for about 1 or 2 hours daily.....

 

[casportpony]

Check out this link:
http://www.slideshare.net/vicky14381/reproductive-system-of-hen

-Kathy

 

[Schrebergaertner]

We have a vet friend who sets up a mobile unit next door, so she checked out our girl. Said it wasn't eggbound. She took some fluid from her body cavity that was all yellow, which leads her to believe its peritonitis and/or a tumor. So we're going to put her down. A sad day--she's one of our originals.

Thanks for the help!

 

[casportpony]

So sorry...

-Kathy