18 month old hen with swollen belly

[Viking84]

One of our Black Minorca hens (about 18 months old) has not been acting right for a couple weeks now. Her belly is really big and wide, making her waddle as she walks. She does not run with the other hens, and cannot jump up to the roost boards. She sleeps on the coop floor now. The feathers around her anus all all matted with poop and other slimy/sticky goop. I wash off that area in our pool or water bucket . It almost seems as if she is egg bound, and unable to pass any eggs, and they are accumulating in her belly until one breaks and oozes out her backside gumming up her feathers. I have heard of pet Parrots and Macaws becoming egg bound. Can this happen to chickens/ Or is something else going on? I am not willing to spend big money on a vet bill for a chicken, but I don't want her to suffer. Any advice??

 

[Wyorp Rock]

One of our Black Minorca hens (about 18 months old) has not been acting right for a couple weeks now. Her belly is really big and wide, making her waddle as she walks. She does not run with the other hens, and cannot jump up to the roost boards. She sleeps on the coop floor now. The feathers around her anus all all matted with poop and other slimy/sticky goop. I wash off that area in our pool or water bucket . It almost seems as if she is egg bound, and unable to pass any eggs, and they are accumulating in her belly until one breaks and oozes out her backside gumming up her feathers. I have heard of pet Parrots and Macaws becoming egg bound. Can this happen to chickens/ Or is something else going on? I am not willing to spend big money on a vet bill for a chicken, but I don't want her to suffer. Any advice??

I'm sorry about your hen.

If you can post some photos those may be helpful.

From your description it sounds like she's having a reproductive issue. The swelling could be from internal laying, peritonitis, cancer, salpingitis. Fluid can also accumulate in the abdomen as well (Ascites).
Sometimes draining the fluid, if there is any, can make them more comfortable for a short period of time, but it's not a cure.

Have you noticed if her crop is empty in the mornings? Often a hen that has reproductive issues will also eventually have some crop emptying problems as well.

It can be hard to know how to proceed when a hen gets like this. I usually offer mine supportive care - keeping them cleaned up, check their crop, watch to see that they are eating/drinking and look them over for lice/mites (birds that are not well can become easily infested since they are not preening and dust bathing). I keep close watch on them and take note of them daily (sometimes several times a day) - once they start to decline, then I consider whether they need more assistance (vitamins/addressing a crop issue, etc.) or if I need to put them out of their misery. Each hen is different.