Large growth disappeared!

[mama of 4 girls]

The girls brought me this chicken a moment ago with this large mass hanging from her vent. They put her in a cage separate from the other hens while I tried to place a call to the vet. I couldn't get through so Iwent to look at her again. And the mass is gone!! What is this? A bound egg? Prolapsed vent? What do I do?

 

[mama of 4 girls]

Here is a pic now.

I washed her up a little after I took the photo. She's now walking around. Doesn't seem to be in any pain. At any point.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This is my guess, so don't freak out - just my theory here.

It looks like she may have had a slight prolapse with a "shell less" egg attached. When you put her in the cage she finally expelled the rest of the egg. So what happened to the "egg"? She most likely ate it.

You can offer her a little extra calcium and give her a soak in epsom salt bath if you like. If her vent seems a little swollen you can apply some honey or hemorrhoid cream to help with any inflammation.

http://hencam.com/henblog/2015/08/a-laying-glitch/

 

[mama of 4 girls]

Ok...an update. This is what was on the hen. It appears as though it fell off when my daughters were placing her in the cage as they found it nearby. I have no idea what this is. It appears fleshy inside. We've cleaned up the hen and there is no obvious external wound. I'm mystified and a bit grossed out too!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok...an update. This is what was on the hen. It appears as though it fell off when my daughters were placing her in the cage as they found it nearby. I have no idea what this is. It appears fleshy inside. We've cleaned up the hen and there is no obvious external wound. I'm mystified and a bit grossed out too!

It looks like a "lash egg" or Salpingitis.
That would have been what you saw hanging out. Salpingitis is an inflammation of the oviduct. Here is more information:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/12/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/03/causes-of-lash-eggs-salpingitis-by.html

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I'm sorry to say lash is not a good sign. Its not that it will end your birds life immediately, but her years are limited. I think it has relations to egg yolk peritonitis. All my hens that died from it had been laying lash for a year or more before they died. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news in saying that- and its FULLY possibly that I can be wrong- I just wanted to give you a heads up about it.

From the pictures, it does look like lash. Was it just stuck to her feathers and appeared to be attached to her skin? Or was it partially passed and still on its way out of the vent? Does her abdomen feel swollen at all in any places?

Best wishes to you and your hen.

 

[mama of 4 girls]

Oh dear! I just read the info. Wyorp Rock sent. This certainly seems like what it could be! Bocktoberry, it seemed to be partially passed but still attached to the vent. She doesn't feel swollen and is acting fine. Is this something that can infect my other 9 hens? Did we do something wrong to cause it? Can vet treatment help at all?

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Hi Mama of 4 girls,

Sorry to get back to you so late...

No, I don't believe it would infect the other hens. She will probably be fine for many months. You may see an increase in lash laid and overtime an increase in her girth (abdomen swells-a hard swelling). I would find a bit of lash here and there every so often in my coop. Then I would start noticing their abdomens getting big and heavy. (This is over many months) Then I noticed the hen not wanting to move as much, and even at that they can stay alive for more than a year with that problem. She should be fine for now, just that eventually you may see this in your hen.. then again, maybe not too. I hear that this sort of thing is normal in chickens, and they can live a long time with it, but just one of those things that isn't good for them int he long run. I could be wrong about all that, but I don't see that you should have to worry about anything just yet. Just want to give you a heads up on the problem and what you might encounter later.

I don't think you did anything wrong to cause it. I heard it can start when a certain bacteria reaches the ovaries? (If you do a search someone filled me in on this and I can't remember) I did have my vet treat my hens with EYP when it was too far progressed and neither lived, but she told me next time to bring them in as soon as I notice any swelling in the abdomen, that the sooner we catch it the better the prognosis. Its expensive and risky though... and I'm not sure I will try again jsut because I did not have much luck with it but others have. I got the impression that they can survive surgery if its caught early. They basically give the hen something equivalent to a hysterectomy in women so that there won't be any problems with laying eggs internally.... which I think is what lash is. Its the litlle chunks that found its way out ??? Again, not sure. I'm no medically trained vet, just someone whose seen in my flock after 6 years of chicken keeping.

Best wishes to you and your flock!