Help, hen has large lump below vent

[BarnsB]

One of my hens has a large orange sized soft lump below her vent no feathers on it. otherwise she seems ok. Any ideas? Should I try to drain it?

 

[Pine Grove]

I take it this hen has been laying awhile now and you feed free choice?

 

[BarnsB]

She's been laying for several months & has free choice food, calcium, H2O.
The Lump is the size of an Orange, soft and sounds squishy...like there may be a large abcess. But there are no healed over wounds or visable signs she was injured.
I've never seen this in my other hens. Do you know what it is? Or what I should do?

 

[BarnsB]

OK...I'm guessing now that I have a hen with egg peritonitis---assuming this because I don't think you typically see swelling in an eggbound hen until it gets this far. Does anyone out there agree or disagree?
She's soaking in warm H2O...looks like she's trying to pass an egg. she's pushing & her tail feathers are upright & her vent is exposed. I can't find any shell or blood in her vent. I've lubed her up with mineral oil....45 minutes in the H20 and still waiting. I'm going to put her up seperately tonight & see if she passes anything. Poor thing.
I have some water soluable Tylan which I'll use.
If anyone has any better ideas or thinks I'm on the wrong track let me know.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Wait .... I don't get it. What about the feeding free choice? Please tell more ...

 

[chickerdoodle]

A good thing to try is a warm bath for an egg bound hen (if that's part of the issue). You do not have to put her into the water all the way--just her feet and some of her legs as its the moist heat that does the trick. I recommend posting a photo of the lump as it may help someone get a better idea.
Best wishes

 

[BarnsB]

Thanks.

I don't think she's eggbound. I can't find any evidence of an egg either broken or whole in her vent.
The swelling is in the area of her abdomen...below the vent. If you look at a diagram of anatomy of a chicken it is in the area of the small intestine.

I'm worried maybe she's an internal layer.
Does anyone have any good info on this for diagnosis purposes.

I found a pic that resembles her abdomen if you look under "eggbound" in the search. And pick the first link that says "eggbound/my first emergency"
But I'm not sure that my hen is eggbound I think something else going on. Unless of course those folks with eggbound hens have had their abdomens/bottoms below the vent blow get hugely swollen.

Anyone?

So far I've bathed her for 1 1/2 hrs. in warm H20 & lubed her from both ends with olive oil.
She passed a huge poop & I swear the lump went down...But not completly.
I think I'll start antibiotics tomorrow.

But if she's an internal layer I don't want her to suffer because of my misdiagnosis...