bloated miserable hen

[trailhound]

I noticed this morning that one of my barred rocks was not acting normal. She was not out and about with the others and was kind of hunched over with head and tail down. Upon further examination, her abdomen seems really bloated and she has diarreha stuck to the feathers around her vent. Is there anything I can do to help her? Do you think eggbound or something else?

Thanks!
Andrea

 

[sunnydee]

I've read on several posts here that a 20 minute soak in warm water helps. I would seperate her from everyone else and keep her warm and isolated. Good Luck!

 

[beakkeeper]

It sounds like eggbound... I think a warm bath and gentle massage would help her feel better!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Hope she feels better

 

[silkiechicken]

Could be egg bound, or ascities. Could be egg bound if all the sudden, if long term could be ascites, but if no liquid comes out, could be tumors/growths in the ovaries building up.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

yep you could be right ya never now

 

[trailhound]

So the warm bath helps with being eggbound? I have never given a chickens a bath before, but I have a feeling she is not going to just sit and soak on her own- any tips? How long- someone said 20 minutes?

Thanks!

 

[silkiechicken]

Once you get her in the warm soak, she'll probably calm down and just kind of stand there or sink. Make sure her head doesn't go under and hold her up. If submerged in warm water, they don't usually make a fuss. They make a fuss once you drain the water away!

 

[trailhound]

Okay, Frieda has had a warm bath, which she seemed to enjoy, and got blown mostly dry which she did not seem to enjoy and has her own private cage in our office with the option to lay under the heat lamp, warm oatmeal, a fresh orange slice, and water. The bloated/swollen area is very soft and squishy, which sounds more like ascities rather than eggbound. I will let her rest overnight and evaluate the situation in the morning I guess.

Thanks for your help!
Andrea

 

[ruth]

Wait and see if she lays an egg over the next couple of days. That way you'll know if she's egg bound or an internal layer. If she lays an egg she could be suffering from Ascites (fluid build up). I have a hen that has been suffering with it for several months and I drain the water out of her about every three months. The fluid that comes out is absolutely clear water. I use a needle/syringe and insert in water balloon that builds up and hangs down in back between her legs under her vent area. Feel around and you should feel just soft squishy bag. After I've poked mine a couple of times, she starts to drain on her own and I let her go. The bag goes down and she goes back to normal but she seems to fill up again after about three months. Other than that, she's healthy as far as I can tell, free ranges, lays eggs, runs around, sleeps on highest roost, she's one of the dominate hens.