Almost lost a chicken to the forest fires.

[rbregn]

Living in Montana, we had a really bad fire season this year. Thankfully, none were close to us, but we still get the smoke. It has been VERY smokey this year. We have 4 chickens we let free range. One of them, our Buff became ill. Her belly became swollen and her comb limp and dark. She would just stand in one spot and stare at nothing.Toward the end she would not even get out of her nesting box.
Then the rains finally came to bring relief. The morning after the big rain I was walking out to the coop, figuring where the grave was going to be dug and looked in her box and she seemed to look a little better. I thought it might be my imagination, but everyday after the smoke cleared she got better. Now a week later, you would never have known she was so close to death.
Hoping next year is not so bad, don't think she will make it through, next time.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It could have been your poor air quality. (My sympathies are with you...I'm in Oregon, and we had horrible smoke from the awful Gorge fire).

The swollen abdomen was likely ascites which is fluid build up. Usually it is due to heart or liver problems. If she was having severe respiratory issues from the smoke, it may have put a lot of strain on her heart causing fluid build up in her abdomen.

With cleaner air, and less respiratory distress, her heart would have been less distressed too, so things may have simply cleared up for her.

Her system has been stressed and it may be compromised, however. I'd watch her a bit more closely. She may be prone to heart disease which will show up with the cold.

Glad she made it. Thankfully the air has cleared for both of our flocks.
LofMc