Hen i don't know what's wrong

[kandie-kiss]

My hen that I thought might be egg bound does not seem to be. She came up missing for about a week but she came back today. She still has the knot on her bell and it seems to be painful for her to walk. I put her in a bath to relax her incase she is bound. I felt of the knot, it is round on the bottom but seems to be flat on the top( what I can feel without hurting her). There also seems to be something long coming close to it but beside the leg. It almost feels like a tenden to me, but it is too far from the leg. I don't know what to do, please help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

now that you are soaking her feel all over for any wounds. You say she's been gone for a week? did she act hungry when she got home? do you think anyone could have been holding her against her will. Can't imagine she would go off for a week unless a predator [animal or human would have gotten her. any other systoms, plus I don't understand what you mean by something long coming close to it beside the leg is this something hanging out of her, explain better please.

 

[kandie-kiss]

The long thing is almost like a round pencil in mass and stiffness. It is under the skin but does not seem to be in the meat. I did not find any wounds. I agree with you that I do not know why she would be gone for a week. Where I live there are coyotes, skunks, racoons, weasels, hawks, owls, and snakes (and this is only what I have seen in my yard). Every other chicken that has come up missing has not come back. She has come back twice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

that is a mystery for sure, seems if she had been taken buy a predator she'd be eaten and dead, and if she went off to brood why didn't she stay till the end? how was she acting before she left do you remember anything out of the ordinary? and I wish you could post a picture of her leg I am having a hard time trying to figure out what your talking about.