Swollen abdomen and dark red comb

[Expedition Stevens]

Hey everyone,
First time asker, long time reader. We have a hen who looks like she is straining and is very lethargic. She was totally fine and eating this morning. She is a Golden Comet that was given to us about a year ago and is at least 2 years old but not sure of her exact age. Her feathers around her vent have some very nasty, yellowy runny poo covering them, her comb is a dark red (not purple), and her posterior lower abdomen feels very swollen and soft. I can't see or feel an egg in her vent from the outside but haven't done an internal exam yet. Any thoughts?

 

[DobieLover]

Hey everyone,
First time asker, long time reader. We have a hen who looks like she is straining and is very lethargic. She was totally fine and eating this morning. She is a Golden Comet that was given to us about a year ago and is at least 2 years old but not sure of her exact age. Her feathers around her vent have some very nasty, yellowy runny poo covering them, her comb is a dark red (not purple), and her posterior lower abdomen feels very swollen and soft. I can't see or feel an egg in her vent from the outside but haven't done an internal exam yet. Any thoughts?

Can you post some pictures of her backside? It could be vent gleet.
If her abdomen in swollen and squishy she may have ascites.
You'll want to gently do the internal exam. If you don't feel an egg, I'd be leaning toward reproductive cancer or some other reproductive disorder.

 

[Expedition Stevens]

Can you post some pictures of her backside? It could be vent gleet.
If her abdomen in swollen and squishy she may have ascites.
You'll want to gently do the internal exam. If you don't feel an egg, I'd be leaning toward reproductive cancer or some other reproductive disorder.

 

[Expedition Stevens]

I just posted a pic of her vent. I tried to wash her off real quick a little pit ago and I don't have good lighting.
I did a gentle internal exam. No egg but possible small pieces of shell. She was definitely tender around the gritty pieces that I am thinking are shell.
What is the expectation for a broken internal shell? We are farmsteaders and don't have the finances for a veterinary surgery. I'm wondering if it would be best to put her down and not let her suffer if the prognosis is poor. From what I'm reading the hope is not very good. Thoughts?

 

[SchoonerChickens]

What happened? We might have experienced something similar here and I'm looking for clues.