Lump on skin outside vagina, trying to lay—What is this? I thought she was egg bound! Is she dying? Is this a symptom of something worse?

[Sparrow-Song]

Sorry for red light, it is heat lamp. Oliver, 3 year old Olive egged hen, has been egg bound for 4 days, I thought she was dying today, now she is trying to lay. Her whole abdomen is hard as a rock except for this sac of fluid it feels like right behind her vent. Is this skin thing a sigh of infection? Like lash egg? I don’t even know! Vet said he felt egg inside her but didn’t see this! I want to save her so badly she is my sweetest girl! She’s been trying to lay for an hour but I can’t even tell where the egg is to help her!

 

[Eggcessive]

Has Oliver laid any eggs recently, and have you noticed any soft or abnormal eggs in the nest boxes recently? I would give her human calcium citrate with vitamin D 3 now if you can get some. Tums would be okay, and aim for 300-600 mg orally, just pop it into her beak to swallow. That can help her pass an egg by increasing muscle contraction. Get her drinking some water after the calcium. I don’t know if the lump is just swelling, but I have seen similar swelling near the vent in pictures. If her abdomen is full and hard, she might have salpingitis or possibly cancer, but hard to know. Has she been passing any poop, and if you have any pictures that would be helpful.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-C...MI1cirja2IjQMVt11HAR2KWScBEAQYAyABEgKD5vD_BwE

 

[Stealth Squabs]

Calcium gets my vote
I have had an egg bound Isa brown. I put her in a large warm kettle of water with Epsom salts.(Recommended ) Some ppl will use a plastic tote with a head hole cut in the lid. I would recommend the second way, because after 10 min, she jumped out of the soak (throwing Epsom water all over the kitchen) layed an egg without a shell that fell from the counter height to the floor (so much mess) and was very displeased with the whole ordeal. Madder than a wet hen is a real saying. She had consistent issues with her shell gland and laying eggs without shells or with very thin shells. Everyone else had strong shells.

 

[Sparrow-Song]

Has Oliver laid any eggs recently, and have you noticed any soft or abnormal eggs in the nest boxes recently? I would give her human calcium citrate with vitamin D 3 now if you can get some. Tums would be okay, and aim for 300-600 mg orally, just pop it into her beak to swallow. That can help her pass an egg by increasing muscle contraction. Get her drinking some water after the calcium. I don’t know if the lump is just swelling, but I have seen similar swelling near the vent in pictures. If her abdomen is full and hard, she might have salpingitis or possibly cancer, but hard to know. Has she been passing any poop, and if you have any pictures that would be helpful.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-C...MI1cirja2IjQMVt11HAR2KWScBEAQYAyABEgKD5vD_BwE

I think it might be salpingitis or cancer, her abdomen is super hard and swollen—she has been pooping but it’s only after an Epsom salt soak and comes with grains from the food she ate 4 days ago. This evening it was just white water. She never got the egg out. I gave her some more calcium citrate. Some eggs in nest boxes have had some blood streaks and some stretch marks (though the latter might just be bc they are BIG, I feel bad for the poor girl laying them) so I am worried that’s what it is, but this is my favorite hen, an absolute sweetheart who has made it through the loss of her flock to predators multiple times and is pretty much the only one who will let me hold her. I’m going to try everything I can—that is, if there’s anything I can do.
I can still feel food in her crop (grainy) but she hasn’t eaten in days. I don’t think she has the energy to keep pushing. I don’t want to risk trying to break an egg for removal when it could be a lash egg.
If it is salpingitis or cancer, can I do anything? Or is it time to just make her comfy and let go?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her whole abdomen is hard as a rock except for this sac of fluid it feels like right behind her vent. Is this skin thing a sigh of infection? Like lash egg? I don’t even know! Vet said he felt egg inside her but didn’t see this!

I think it might be salpingitis or cancer, her abdomen is super hard and swollen—she has been pooping but it’s only after an Epsom salt soak and comes with grains from the food she ate 4 days ago. This evening it was just white water. She never got the egg out. I gave her some more calcium citrate.

I can still feel food in her crop (grainy) but she hasn’t eaten in days. I don’t think she has the energy to keep pushing. I don’t want to risk trying to break an egg for removal when it could be a lash egg.

I'm sorry she's not doing well. I've linked your thread from several days ago below.

Will she not eat and drink at all or are you still withholding food?

I'd try to get the calcium into her, fluids too and see how it goes.

I think you may be right that she has Salpingitis and perhaps what you are feeling may be material that has been deposited into the abdomen and is not in the reproductive system. Hard to know.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-from-vent—advice-on-further-steps.1661938/

 

[Sparrow-Song]

I'm sorry she's not doing well. I've linked your thread from several days ago below.

Will she not eat and drink at all or are you still withholding food?

I'd try to get the calcium into her, fluids too and see how it goes.

I think you may be right that she has Salpingitis and perhaps what you are feeling may be material that has been deposited into the abdomen and is not in the reproductive system. Hard to know.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/egg-bound-hen-not-responding-to-epsom-soaks-seeing-yolk-dripping-from-vent—advice-on-further-steps.1661938/

Thank you for your help on this. Unfortunately Oliver did not make it. I am so grateful for your help and support as I was trying to save her, it was such a relief to have advice on what to do.

I am wondering if it was salpingitis, which seems likely, would I need to look for things or take the rest of the flock to a vet?

Thank you again for your help.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for your help on this. Unfortunately Oliver did not make it. I am so grateful for your help and support as I was trying to save her, it was such a relief to have advice on what to do.

I am wondering if it was salpingitis, which seems likely, would I need to look for things or take the rest of the flock to a vet?

Thank you again for your help.

I'm sorry to hear about Oliver

Could have been Salpingitis, the only way to really know is to have a necropsy. If you still have the body, refrigerate it and take/send it to your state lab. Alternatively, you can do your own informal necropsy and investigate the internals. You would see evidence of Salpingitis by finding lash material in places like the oviduct and/or abdominal cavity.
If it's not possible to do this now, if you lose another in a short period of time with similar symptoms, consider having the necropsy done so you can find out more.

Salpingitis is not contagious, but it's possible for other hens to end up with the condition since it's caused by bacterial or viral infections.
I'd just see that everyone is eating well, keep parasites under control and go from there.

Here's more info about Salpingitis
https://the-chicken-chick.com/causes-of-lash-eggs-salpingitis-by/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard/

Here's where you can find your state lab
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...v3Klum72KynTS1pmmxO6JzSp9UNEE7Timu3anoVF692Dj