Firm Abdomen on Hen

[HeyHo]

Hi, I have a 3 year old Golden Comet that laid erratically all last year and hasn't laid at all in many months. Since she is a production breed that tends to have plumbing problems and had been otherwise fine, I just chalked it up to early retirement. She has also had some crop issues in the past, but those have been much better lately (I watch her very closely at night and in the morning to make sure it is full and empty, respectively).

However, for the past week she has been a little puffed up, but eating, drinking, dust bathing, etc., so I have just been observing her. Her poops had gotten kind of runny over the past several days and she's gotten a dirty bum, so we brought her in for a bath and an epsom salt soak. When I was blow drying her, I noticed that her abdomen (area under her vent) is firm and very hard. I had a hen with ascites once and it looks just like that, but it doesn't feel like that at all. The vent itself appears normal (although it didn't occur to me to check for a stuck egg since she stopped laying).

I have her in separated in a crate in the house with some scrambled eggs, which she is eating. Any thoughts on what this could be or what I could do to make her more comfortable would be most appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be ascites or salpingitis, even oviduct cancer. It is very hard to know without an xray, really until a necropsy is done after death. You could try to aspirate some fluid or drain her abdomen with an 18 gauge needle to see if you get a yellow or amber colored fluid. If you get nothing, it may be a solid mass. Some of my hens who I have done necropsies on had ascites, some by itself, or some with cancer, or egg masses from salpingitis. Here is some reading and a video about draining a hen:
Read post 42:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites.68731/page-5

 

[HeyHo]

Thanks for the advice -- I'm not going to try to drain anything because now she has a crop issue, poor girl. I'm going to try to treat the crop problems today and if it doesn't resolve, I may have to call my vet tomorrow. If she can't have any quality chicken activities, I hate to see her suffer.

 

[PDXJULES]

It could be ascites or salpingitis, even oviduct cancer. It is very hard to know without an xray, really until a necropsy is done after death. You could try to aspirate some fluid or drain her abdomen with an 18 gauge needle to see if you get a yellow or amber colored fluid. If you get nothing, it may be a solid mass. Some of my hens who I have done necropsies on had ascites, some by itself, or some with cancer, or egg masses from salpingitis. Here is some reading and a video about draining a hen:
Read post 42:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites.68731/page-5

What an awesome person - thank you for sharing the link!