Help diagnosing please

[Momof123three]

Need help figuring out what is going on with my hen. I thought she was egg bound so gave her an epson salt soak (hence why she is wet in photo) but she layed an egg this am no issues. Eating and drinking fine. Acting normal but has huge mass in back. Any ideas? She is 2.5 years old no health issues and same flock since day one. We love her like family so hoping some easy cure!

 

[nchls school]

Looks like it could be a tumor (a firm mass), an infection (soft, squishy mass).

 

[nchls school]

This is from a 2012 post by jackandmandy.


I have 2 chickens with the exact same problem! I have read dozens of blogs and forums from people with the same issue. From what Ive read it sounds like ascitis. My hens have had the problem for weeks now, with no change. They eat and drink and interact normally, but have poopy feathers below the vent and the huge, red, squishy bulge. I have considered purchasing antibiotics, and a syringe and attempting to drain the bulge but to be honest I'm a little afraid to do so. Here's a copy of what I read on here....

It could be ascitis (filling with watery fluid). Some cases are caused by serious health issues like liver failure but I have a hen who started filling up with clear water at about a year and half old. I use a needle and syringe and drain her when she does. I used to have to drain her about every three months but then she stops for awhile and then several months may go by. All the while, she is perfectly healthy in all other respects and lays an egg daily. She's so used to getting drained that if I put some food in front of her she will eat while I drain her. I've found it's best to use a larger guage needle and as big a syringe as possible because that way you don't have to stick her as much and you can even unscrew the syringe and the needle can leak on its own.

The first time I drained her, she was so big and so bad off I thought I was going to have to put her down. She was so huge she could no longer walk and I didn't know what to do for her. As a last resort I tried to stick a needle in the huge water balloon hanging below her vent and I got out over a cup of clear water and since I had to stick her so many times, she continued leaking for a while. I placed her on a stack of folded towels and she soaked through all of them. She got right up after that and has been fine ever since. I keep an eye on her because about every three to four months she starts to swell again and I drain her before she gets too big.

Just insert needle into the water balloon that is hanging down. There's no vital organs there and then pull back on the syringe and see what comes out. If it's clear or mostly tinted water, she might be okay with just being drained. If it's thick and can't be drawn out or yolky or bloody, there may be other issues but my suggestion would be to give it a try. It's been two years and my hen is still alive and kicking and laying so I knew she wasn't an internal layer - which would be the other reason for the filling of fluid.

 

[nchls school]

They were replying to another member who showed pictures of a hen that looked worse than yours but still the same type of lump.

 

[LaFleche]

This could just be a fat pad. After their second year some chickens tend to accumulate fat in this area, but it might also be an indication of too much carbohydrates in the feed.

How do her eggs look, are they rather elongated?

 

[Momof123three]

Looks like it could be a tumor (a firm mass), an infection (soft, squishy mass).

It is soft but does not bother her touching it. Thank you for the link to previous post!! Might try!

 

[Momof123three]

This could just be a fat pad. After their second year some chickens tend to accumulate fat in this area, but it might also be an indication of too much carbohydrates in the feed.

How do her eggs look, are they rather elongated?

Eggs look pretty normal in comparison to the other hens eggs sizes

 

[Momof123three]

This could just be a fat pad. After their second year some chickens tend to accumulate fat in this area, but it might also be an indication of too much carbohydrates in the feed.

How do her eggs look, are they rather elongated?

Interesting in the feed- I never pay attention to carbs for them!

 

[LaFleche]

Some of my older French Marans (4-7years) have accumulated this kind of fat pad too, but as they are laying nicely and are active I just switch to more protein and vegetables in their feed for a while and the fat pads slowly deminish.