5 Month old with swollen underside..suggestions needed to save her...Update...her first egg is here!

[Suzie]

I have a 5 month old naked neck ( turken) that is maybe about to start laying eggs...she has over the past two days been doing the "penguin walk"..warm soaks for 20 minutes, no evidence of any eggs about to emerge...internal examination again gives no indication of eggs..her stomach area is huge..seems to be fluid filled as with ascites...is this possible in one so young?

Excuse my ignorance but I thought that ascites was as a result of liver problems and would normally affect the elder of the flock...

I would love to save Gretel if I can. her comb is bright red. ..she eats layer feed and has great energy...this is so frustrating to me...

Anyone?????

Thanks

Suzie

 

[MeghanChickLady]

I have no idea. . .Is it bulbous? it could be an abscess, which means you`ll have to pop it and treat it with salt water. . . but it also might not be an abscess, so don't try that right yet. Um. . . is she losing feathers in this area? Is she active? Is she at the bottom of the pecking order? Another idea: something could have gone wrong in her first process of egg-production.

My advice?

Bring her to a professional if this continues over the next day or so.

 

[Eggcessive]

My goodness Suzie, that sounds so odd for her to have fluid in her belly. Ascites can happen with heart or liver disease at any stage of life, but it occurs a lot with egg yolk peritonitis. Recently someone posted here that two of their 8-9 month old chickens had died of internal laying, and had never laid an egg. I was sceptical, but they said they were necropsied by a vet who gave that diagnosis. It can be common for chickens to die of heart inflammation or disease at the time of maturity, but I hope not. Lets hope that she is just getting ready to lay soon. Can you give her some extra calcium just in case?

 

[Suzie]

Thanks for the responses...she eats very well and drinks too..I am feeding her individually at the moment and am adding a large amount of calcium powder to her feed..I do so hope this problem is due to her starting to lay her first egg...as she is having "special attention" at the moment she is receptive to following me around and has a degree of trust in me...however. she clucks a lot and I am concerned that she may be in pain...and that is hard for me to take...I would never consider having a chicken in pain if it can be avoided...

I will see how she is tomorrow...I will not at this stage insert a needle to see what may be in her belly...I would hate to break an egg inside her and cause a certain death....

So...Eggcessive...being somebody I trust, you have huge knowledge that I value...what would you recommend I do at this stage ? Hard question to answer but I would love to hear your opinion..this is about Gretel and not my own sentiments...do I continue with her current calcium adddition in the hope she will come through...?

You are welcome to pm me....I am lost right now...thanks for listening...

Suzie

 

[Eggcessive]

I wish I knew more than I do which is very little about egg laying difficulties. In reading this forum and from reading as much info online, I have learned a great deal, but still feel pretty ignorant. Vitamin D is also required for the calcium to work. If she could be suffering from some sort of internal infection, I would probably give her a strong antibiotic, just to see if it did any good. I realize it is hard for you to get those without a prescription in France, but it may be possible to get it from a vet. Others may have better advice, but without getting an xray, it is just a guessing game sometimes.

 

[Suzie]

Thanks for your response...she is having Vitamin D3...I do have antibiotics here at my disposal so could start her with those tomorrow...I have oxytetracycline and pristinamycin....would there be any point in giving her prednisalone (prednisone) a steroid to help her through....I have a huge amount of drugs here...need some guidance ...I also have metacam ( for pain ) ...I am feeling like a pharmacist at the moment..drugs for my RA has its advantages for my girls maybe...

Thanks!

Suzie

 

[Suzie]

As you will see by the update...she laid her first egg this afternoon...hard shelled too, I know she is not out of the woods yet as she is still swollen and walking like a penguin...I see this as progress and tomorrow is another day...she is peaceful in the coop right now with her flockmates...I have never been so exited over an egg ...well since my very first chicken laid an egg anyway.

Thanks everyone...

Suzie

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh, I'm so glad that she laid an egg Suzie. You must be a little relieved. I wouldn't recommend prednisolone or prednisone, since corticosteroids can leave them open for infections. There somes to be a trend to use them less in animals since they may not really work that well, and can cause more problems. I would probably hold off on the antibiotics since she laid an egg, unless she continues to act unwell. Erythromycin or amoxicillin might be good antibiotics, but if not available, the oxytetracycline may help if it's needed. Baytril is the best of all antibiotics, but hard to get without a vet. With chickens it just seems easier to rule out worms, mites, coccidiosis, and crop problems when they are sick.

 

[Suzie]

Thanks for the advice...I'll hold off giving her anything at the moment and see how she is tomorrow..I definitely will not give her prednisolone after your comments about corticosteroids...I have read some threads that recommend using it...but not a drug of choice for me...I do have amoxicillin here if needed.

So true your comment about worms, mites coccidiosis and crop issues...been there a few times... we never stop learning do we ?

Thanks again Eggcessive!