Another sick chicken 1 year old hen with hard mass in abdomen

[Pompona]

I have a Serama hen, 1 year old, that has been declining in the past 2 weeks.
She still eats, drinks, and walks around, but a lot of the time she stays in the same place looking sad, tail down.
I thought it was coccidiosis and treated her twice (tortrazuril) and dewormed her also. After treatment, she seemed a little better but never really her old self. I picked her up today and felt her crop (which was ok) but I felt a large very hard mass on her abdomen. I think a little smaller that her eggs. I don't think she's egg bound, as she would have probably died already, right? I'm thinking it is a tumor. I haven't seen her poop these last days, but I think if she couldn't poop properly she would have already be dead by now?
So I'm debating if taking her to the very expensive vet or just culling because she seems in pain. I mean, if it's a tumor there's not much I can do anyway. But she's a beloved pet, so a difficult decision.
Do you think there's a chance she could be just egg bound and survive this long (around 2 weeks)?
I appreciate any experiences that you can share, please

 

[Eggcessive]

How long ago did she lay an egg, and does she lay normal eggs regularly? If you feel that she is egg bound, then give her 1/2 calcium tablet or Tums orally into her beak to swallow. Several things could feel like a hard mass, and besides an egg, there could be salpingitis and lash egg material, a tumor, or you could be feeling the gizzard. I would try to get her drinking fluids, and eating some cooked egg and moistened chicken feed. When I lose a hen, I usually do a home necropsy to look at the abdominal organs, especially the liver, intestines, and look for any signs of cancer or solid caseous egg masses.

 

[Pompona]

So I ended up taking her to the vet to find out what the mass is. She did an x-ray and it doesn't seem to be a stuck egg, more likely a cancerous mass. There is no liquid in her abdomen or other signs of infection. We could do endoscopy to see exactly what is it but it is definitely out of my budget. So the plan for now is to give her liquid immunity booster (plant extracts) and let her be. Her digestive system is working fine. If I see some more decline I will definitely cull.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks for posting the X-ray. It sounds like a good diagnosis. Unfortunately cancer, especially ovarian cancer, is very common in hens. Sorry that you may lose her at some point. I usually keep my sick chickens with their flock, unless they are picked on, since they seem to enjoy being with them.

 

[Pompona]

Yes, she was very happy to rejoin the flock after the vet visit and immediately went to eat. At least I now have an idea of what is happening.

 

[Pompona]

Update: so I decided to cull her because she seemed to be slowly dying, she lost even more weight and the mass was getting bigger. Once she passed, the vet opened her (not a full necropsy) to see what the mass was. It was a very enlarged gizzard, with thick walls, but it did not seem to be impacted. So I suspect it was probably Marek's, again.
Now my favorite rooster, a bantam cochin, 2-years old, has a very pale comb (almost orange-yellow). I saw some lice and some scabs on his skin so I used selamectine, and gave him tortrazuril and fenbendazole. I think it could be anemia. Does anyone have experience with this? He is behaving normally...I hope it's not Marek's....

 

[Lumley Farm]

Update: so I decided to cull her because she seemed to be slowly dying, she lost even more weight and the mass was getting bigger. Once she passed, the vet opened her (not a full necropsy) to see what the mass was. It was a very enlarged gizzard, with thick walls, but it did not seem to be impacted. So I suspect it was probably Marek's, again.
Now my favorite rooster, a bantam cochin, 2-years old, has a very pale comb (almost orange-yellow). I saw some lice and some scabs on his skin so I used selamectine, and gave him tortrazuril and fenbendazole. I think it could be anemia. Does anyone have experience with this? He is behaving normally...I hope it's not Marek's....

I applaud you for taking her to the vet. and for the decision to cull so she is not suffering. I'm dealing with a hen that is in a similar situation. But my budget goes to my three dogs. She's active, not as lethargic as she was three weeks ago. So, nature is nature!