Red bloated stomach, losing feathers- sick chicken!!

eroemer

Hatching
7 Years
Sep 29, 2012
1
0
7
Hen, about 2 years old. Lives on a diet of peleties, chicken food and homemade mash and fresh greens. Lives with 2 other laying hens of different varieties. in a small backyard garden. Their living space is surrounded by woodchips and various stages of compost piles.
Before this, she was laying regularly. The rest of her behavior is normal, apart from being resistant to being picked up. But under her stomach area is very red, inflamed, has lost many feathers and looks painful. Almost looks like there are eggs trapped inside her.
Pictures are attached, please respond if you have any insight!
Thank you!





 
Feel for a stuck egg by massaging from her legs to her vent area. It would feel like an egg under a few towels. If her swollen bottom feels like a water balloon then she is either retaining fluid or infection from reproductive issues. The redness and feather loss could be because she is molting... It could possibly be from irritation and stress too.
 
Hi, I was glad to see your post. I have a hen with similar symptoms but I think she is still laying. I noticed that she is also red like this and loosing some feathers in the crop area - especially noted when it is full. I read on another site about giving Epsom Salts and I tried that but so far no results. I have also treated for mite and lice - did see some around the vent. Also de wormed less than a week ago.
What has been your outcome with her? I see this was posted a few months ago. If you have learned anything else please let me know as I am at a total loss. I seems like some sort of cellulitis in chickens since it is such a bright/deep red and warm just like when people get it.
Thanks so much and I hope your hen is well.
 
I recently acquired chickens for the first time and one of them has a similar problem, but she's not bloated. Did you ever figure out what was wrong with yours? Mine has absolutely no feathers around the vent or stomach. I checked for lice, but couldn't see anything wrong other than some dry skin. No idea if she was a bit broody before I bought her or if she's moulting, or if she's sick. She doesn't act sick. She's very active and friendly, and eats and drinks well.

I bought 10 chickens in total, and all 5 browns seem to have this problem to varying degrees, but Anne's is definitely the worst.

 

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