Hunched and lethargic hen - help!

[ThePotterChooks]

She is eating well.

When I just felt for swelling before I couldn’t notice anything, but having her in the bath I do feel there may be some swelling below her vent. It doesn’t feel hard, like a stuck egg, but I’m reluctant to feel around in there for fear of breaking a soft shelled egg if there is one in there. I have her drying now - what’s the best course of action if there is something in there that needs removing?

 

[rebrascora]

It is unlikely to be a soft shelled egg below her vent. The oviduct comes down to the vent from above, so unless they were very badly impacted which we can be pretty sure they aren't because she laid a normal egg the other day, what you are feeling is unlikely to be an egg. The intestines tend to lie below the vent. I am wondering if she may have an ovarian cyst, perhaps in her right defunct oviduct. I have seen a few posts recently which documented necropsies of birds with such cysts. I can find the relevant threads and post links if you are interested and not squeamish. It would explain her hunched posture but still laying, but the cyst will gradually grow and constrict the oviduct and make it harder to push the eggs through. I am pretty sure I have also read of one or two prolapses in recent weeks/months where the bird somehow managed to push a cyst out of the vent and it was hanging like a water balloon from the vent...... this is different to ascites where the fluid is free flowing in the abdominal cavity and not constrained by a membrane.

There was some talk of it maybe being possible to drain such a cyst like you can with ascites, if it was large enough to locate by palpitation but there are risks. That said, if it is a cyst and it continues to grow it will eventually kill her anyway.

 

[ThePotterChooks]

Thank you so much for all the information and help! I like to think I know a bit about them but this is definitely all new for me!

I would love the links to those posts if you don’t mind. Not squeamish at all - just more used to horse problems than chook problems! I have been looking through the forums for anything that might be similar.

I am hoping the poor girl turns the corner and is alright. She is tucked away warm and quiet for the time being. Of my three Speckled Sussex hens, she is the least happy with being handled so I felt she probably needs some time away from being poked and prodded for the day! She’s a lovely girl, I just wish I knew how to help her.

I appreciate all the help, thank you!

 

[rebrascora]

The term for it is cystadenocarcinoma.
I am struggling to find the thread that had the single very large cyst that was believed to be the defunct right ovary.... hens' left ovary is the only one that develops and produces follicles. I have found numerous others which I will link below:-

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...omas-in-laying-hens-graphic-pictures.1064118/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/necropsy-photo-graphic-what-are-all-these-bubbles.1270084/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ecropsy-graphic-photos.1248221/#post-20027388

There are just a few to be going on with. Still can't find the real whopper I was reading about only this morning....

I hope I am wrong because this will probably not end well for her if I am right

 

[ThePotterChooks]

Thank you for sharing those. Very interesting, although sad. I guess all I will do is keep her as comfortable as I can. Keep pumping probiotics into her and hope to clear up whatever upset might be in her digestive system (if anything!)
She’s eating and drinking well and not losing significant weight, so if this is what she’s got I guess I will just wait until her end comes
Fingers crossed it doesn’t come to that, but if she does pass I will certainly have a look and see what was going on in there.

Thank you for all of your help. I really appreciate it.