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Do you know if she has been laying eggs normally? I wonder if maybe she's eggbound. If her abdomen was full of fluid, it would have drained out very easily.

Does her abdomen feel squishy at all? Or is it just swollen? If there is fluid in there, you will definitely be able to feel it, almost like a water balloon. Any idea what caused the feather loss on her bottom? Is she molting?

@IndigoRaven - I'm sorry to hear about your Cochin. The fact that she is still laying eggs is a good sign I think. Maybe that means her fluid is due to fatty liver disease and in that case, the milk thistle should help. I've never used it though so I can't advise on that. If her abdomen stays...

@Romochickencrazy - I'm glad I could have helped! It's the only good thing to come from situations like these. Keep us posted on the milk thistle therapy - I really hope it works for your girl!

@Romochickencrazy - Oh no! So sorry you have another girl with a swollen abdomen. I didn't stick with the milk thistle for long enough to tell if it made any difference, but I hope it works for you. I know some people have mentioned putting it on a piece of bread or another food your girl really...

@Mountain Life - Milk thistle has been shown to help with liver functions and promote a healthy liver. Ascites or fluid retention in the abdomen can be caused (among other things) by fatty liver disease, so some people have tried giving their hens milk thistle to help clear up any possible liver...

ernie85017 - I never had any problem with Buttercup getting infected. Each time I drained her I used a new sterile needle and she was always ok. I think it is a concern though and you should check your hen periodically after draining to make sure everything is ok.

Gosh, I'm so sorry! She should be better now though with that fluid off her. You may have to search back through the pages of this thread, but someone mentioned how milk thistle extract is helpful for liver function, so that may be something you could look into. Good luck!

@redhen - How is your girl doing? I found that often times when I poked Buttercup a couple times with the needle she would just drain out completely on her own after that. I hope your hen is feeling better! @sassy chickens - If your hen is laying internally, no, she cannot give it to the other...

I'm so sorry redhen. It is a very sad thing to deal with, that's for sure. Does your hen have a squishy, swollen abdomen and walk upright like a penguin? If she has a lot of fluid and it's making her uncomfortable, you might want to try draining her to make her feel better. When a lot of fluid...

I am so very sorry to hear about Rosie :( I definitely understand how hard it is. I felt the same way with Buttercup at the end, that I was just thankful that she wasn't in pain anymore. I'm glad that my experience with Buttercup helped you out with Rosie. Hang in there! :)

Hey artsyrobin - So sorry you are having to deal with this. I made a video of how I drained Buttercup so you can check that out here if you want - Feel free to PM me with any other questions you might have if you aren't finding the answer on this thread. Good luck!

Thank you for your condolences. We did fight hard! I wish the best for you and your Rosie. You are taking great care of her and no matter what happens, she is aware of that and knows how much you love her :)

I'm sorry Rosie is refilling so fast! Like you said, just try to keep her happy and comfortable. My Buttercup fought hard, but she ended up passing away last December. I first noticed her retaining fluid last April, so she did survive for quite a while with regular drainings. I'm just glad that...

At the beginning, we didn't have to drain her all that often. I think maybe once every couple months. As it went on, we had to drain her more often because she did fill up faster. We wouldn't drain her if there was only a little fluid and I tried to wait as long as I could in between drainings...

Yay! I am so happy to hear that!!! I hope she continues to do well :)

Oh no! I'm sorry you have a hen that you had to drain, but I'm glad that I could be of help! I hope she does ok! :)

Oh no, I am so sorry about Ruby! I completely understand about getting attached to your chickens. I had no idea I would fall so hard for them! I don't have any children, so they really are like my kids right now. They mean so much to me, it's hard to put into words sometimes. Ruby Q was such...

RobinZech, I'm so sorry. The same thing happened to my hen Aster when I took her to the vet. They took her temperature and she just started thrashing around and gasping for air. I kept asking the vet, "Is she dying? Is she dying?" and she said no, and said we should give her some oxygen. I sat...

PerfectPoultry - I'm sure she will feel better once the fluid has drained. Buttercup's fluid initially was a thin fluid, like water, and had a light brown tinge and no odor. The last time I drained her, it was drastically different. Thicker, much darker brown (almost like really muddy water) and...