23 month old pullet with 'jelly belly'

[tdgill]

I had a gorgeous roo I lost to fatty liver disease. One of the symptoms was ascites or water belly. You could also feel his enlarged liver just beyond his keel, between his legs. It was a large lump. And then beyond that his belly was full of fluid. Two trips to the vet to drain the fluid, and of course a battery of tests and lasix type diuretic. Kept him for a couple months but lost him. I believe a diet high in fat was the problem and have since cut WAY BACK on feeding any fatty food like BOSS seed black oil sunflower that is.

 

[TammyP]

Thank you all for your responses.

Here's an update.

I couldn't muster draining her.... so I kept her seperate from the others and noticed that when it was 'cold' out, she would have the blue purple tinted comb but when the temps were decent and warmer, she would perk up and her comb would return to normal. As for the water belly......I let her be and it has dissipated on it's own now....

I tried to put her back with the flock a couple of times and they just tore into her so I quickly put her back in sick bay for a while.... then I put her in one night hoping that when I went to check them in the morning, she would not be pecked to death....took the risk and the risk paid off..... it was like the old days and non of them picked on her at all...

So, I'm thinking that the extra corn I was adding to their feed during the WI winter was causing them too much fat protien and so I axed it completely now. I'm hoping that when cold weather kicks in that I won't have to go thru this all again with her but I will be aware.

She eats, drinks and poops normal and now has just given me her first egg in quite a while.

Thanks again and we'll keep you posted.

~Tammy

 

[tdgill]

aww soooo glad to hear!!!

 

[idiganthro]

I'm hoping this thread is a clue to what's going on with a my two year old Delaware. A couple months ago I noticed Lizzy had a mucky backside. She acted otherwise normal. I have treated the poor hen by separating her out into "the hot zone" (which she really hates!), given her antibiotics, treated for possible gleet (we won't go into those details) and wormed her.

Finally the whole "jelly belly" business clicked! While acting otherwise normal, eating etc, but NOT egg laying at all, her abdomen is tight and "squishy." I did a chicken to chicken comparison and her abdomen does not have the normal, loose, chicken skin appearance of the others. It looks rather distended, tight and shiny, and is blotchy grey/pink/yellow looking though the skin on the inside, if you get my meaning. She is still a little dirty (poopy) in the back, but that is better. Now I'm thinking yolk peritonitis, the sterile kind or she'd be dead by now.

So, if I understand your posts, it's just wait and see if it's re-absorbed? She really acts normal otherwise, no blueish comb, no funny walk, no apparent discomfort, just a mucky backside, swollen belly and no egg-laying. I don't plan to try to drain her unless she seems distressed, as I don't want to risk introducing bacteria.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[speckledhen]

This thread may be helpful to you. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362422

 

[idiganthro]

Update on my "jelly bellied" hen. I had to put her down yesterday. Although still acting fine, she appeared to have developed a fistula or some other open wound about 2 inches above the vent. The flies had gotten to it, and I don't know why she wasn't acting sick because it looked awful. Will not elaborate further. I'll never know if she had an infection or cancer, but her abdomen was full of fluid. This is the second hen I've had to put down and it's the pits. Down to 4 now!

 

[chseeads]

My jelly bellied gal gave up the ghost yesterday.

She hadn't acted particularly bad at any time. Just the obvious distended abdomen and sort of a bit of bow-legged stride that she had from that.... And she didn't just act super perky... But no obvious distress as far as trouble breathing and gasping and that sort of thing.

Just found her laying in the floor last night.

 

[idiganthro]

Sorry to hear about that. Our girls may have had totally different illnesses, but the outcome was the same. I really wish I knew exactly what happened to be better prepared/educated in the future.