Please help!!

[Swcakes23]

PLEASE HELP!! I have a mid aged chicken who is molting! She has been laying down a lot and below her vent is a large round mass! My thought is it is a egg that is stuck. She is still going to the bathroom and her comb is looking fine, I have checked her out manually and haven’t felt and egg but I think it might be a shell-less egg and also given her epsom salt bathes everyday for the past 3 days!! I have tried to gently massaged it to hopefully encourage her to push it out! Not sure what else to do? The two pictures I will show the first one is from the side and the other one is from above while she is in her bath (the yellow is the tub color) any advise is welcomed. Sorry if the pictures bother anyone!

 

[rebrascora]

Sadly that is much more serious than just a stuck egg or shell less egg, neither of which should appear as a lump below the vent. My concern would be that it is a badly impacted oviduct due to Salpingitis and it is not fixable. What does it feel like? Firm but not hard?
You could spend a lot of money and take her to a vet but I doubt even a good avian vet could save her.
Is she still eating?
I would make her as comfortable as you can and give her whatever she enjoys eating and be prepared to euthanize her when she no longer wants food or her quality of life is untenable..... or you could of course euthanize her now, but I understand people want to hang on to hope.....
I'm so sorry I cannot offer any proper treatment advice and the prognosis is not good. Please wait for others to contribute before taking any drastic action.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC I'm sorry that your first post happened to be in the ER threads, but we are glad you're here.

I agree with @rebrascora it looks like she has some reproductive problems. Internal laying, egg yolk peritonitis, ascites, cancer, tumors and salpingitis can all be common in laying hens.
Some hens can live quite a while with a lump like that, while others succumb to infection or complications.
If she is happy within herself, eating/drinking well, fairly active and not being picked on, I would just keep watch on her and let her be with the flock. Since she is molting, offer her some poultry vitamins a couple of times a week and extra protein. Monitor her crop to see that it's empty in the mornings before she eats/drinks.

If she becomes lethargic, won't eat/drink or her quality of life declines (you will know) then it would be time to kindly let her go.
I'm sorry if this is not what you want to hear. I have had hens with similar problems, I enjoy them while they are still enjoying life as a chicken, once they start to decline, then I know it's time.

http://www.scoopfromthecoop.com/laying-issues-internal-layers-and-peritonitis/
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/6-causes-of-swollen-abdomen-in-chickens-2/

 

[Swcakes23]

It feels like a leathery egg would feel like, not sure how to discribe it! Like firm but soft. I tried to stick a needle in it and nothing came out so I know it’s not ascites. I have done some manual exams and can’t find a way to get to the mass, although it looks better after a epsom salt bath! She is still eating and drinking

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It feels like a leathery egg would feel like, not sure how to discribe it! Like firm but soft. I tried to stick a needle in it and nothing came out so I know it’s not ascites. I have done some manual exams and can’t find a way to get to the mass, although it looks better after a epsom salt bath! She is still eating and drinking

There is not a way to get to the mass out unless you have a vet perform a very risky and expensive surgery (a chicken is unlikely to survive the procedure). The mass can feel like an egg, but it's in the abdomen, so there is no way out.

The epsom salts bath won't hurt her and may assist with supportive care by helping reduce some swelling, a warm bath is often soothing as well, so you may want to consider giving her one once a day if she is a willing participant and it doesn't stress her - mine don't like to be handled at all when molting.

I have found that most of mine would eat/drink and participate with the flock until their condition got worse. Over time, they will slow down, sit quite a bit, but still "function" fairly well. Once they are not eating/drinking very well, they sleep/doze most of the day, if their crop is not emptying, etc., then I put them down. It can be months before they get to that point or they can rapidly decline, each one is different depending on what's going on inside.

You may find these interesting/helpful. There are necropsy photos and video, but it may help you understand what is going on. If you happen to lose her sending her for necropsy or doing an informal one yourself is often educational and helps you through the loss.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ions-my-youtube-video-graphic-photos.1201052/
Warning Graphic Photos!! POST#347 https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-necropsy-photos.823961/page-35#post-19084262

 

[Swcakes23]

Thanks for all your guidence she has been amazing!! She took on a coyote and won and has been the matriarch of the flock for years! Is there a way to Euthanize her when the time comes that doesn’t involve an axe but more like an overdose of something?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for all your guidence she has been amazing!! She took on a coyote and won and has been the matriarch of the flock for years! Is there a way to Euthanize her when the time comes that doesn’t involve an axe but more like an overdose of something?

You can ask your vet if they will euthanize her when the time comes.

I don't know of anything to give for an overdose. Even though it's hard, once the decision is made to put them down, it needs to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. I don't use an axe, though some do and that's fine for them- I would probably chop my hand off! I use the broomstick method or cervical dislocation, it is "hands on" but it's easy to do and I feel like it's the quickest way to end suffering for me.

 

[Kiki]

This may help you:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...re-culling-the-injured-and-sick-babies.72140/