ascites

[cassy]

hey everyone! I am new to owning chickens, I bought a few chicks last spring and so far raising chickens has been fun and fairly easy going, no major issues until today. I had a hen develop ascites and we put her down this morning. My problem is now that one girl has got it and passed away, I am very anxious about the health of the other 4. What should a normal hen abdomen in production feel like? I've handled my girls several times today feeling their bellies, but I dont know what normal is as I've never thought to feel a chickens abdomen before!

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

I have a hen who has had ascites for about two years now, but I also had a hen die of it recently. When a hen has ascites their abdomens usually feel soft and like a water balloon and it usually hangs down between their legs a little. They might waddle a little and not eat and just act like they don't feel good. They also move kinda slow. When a hen's abdomen is normal you should be able to feel a pretty big difference, usually you can feel the breastbone a little, and it'll feel more like muscle, and it shouldn't feel much like a water balloon. Did you feel your sick hen's abdomen? Also my hen with ascites had already finished laying, so my experience is different.
P.S.

 

[cassy]

thanks for your reply twinslovechicks!
I did feel the abdomen of my sick one, it felt like a water balloon! It was quite swollen and very obviously so. The other 4 have a little bit of a belly going on to though. Not anywhere near the size of the sick one, but more like how humans get a little pooch on the tummy. Is that normal, or it it the start of something for them too?

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

thanks for your reply twinslovechicks!

Your welcome! I hope that no more of your hens get sick!

 

[rebrascora]

Sorry to hear you had to put a hen down. It's always difficult to make such decisions. I'm a bit confused as to how you knew she had ascites if you are not sure what normal feels like.
Something to consider.... Too much scratch can cause problems like this, obesity, fatty liver haemorrhage etc so you need to be quite mean when dishing it out as a treat. If more than one of your girls is having problems with larger abdomens, which is what I am (perhaps wrongly) inferring from your post, then diet is one of the first things to look at and too much scratch or bread(carbohydrates) is often the main offender.

 

[cassy]

thanks for your reply too rebrascora! I only figured out it was ascites after we put her down. At first I thought it was an egg stuck in there, but after a day of bathing her off and on she seemed to only be worse the next morning. She was really having a hard time breathing and was horribly uncomfortable. My husband made the call to put her down, and once he did the deed I performed a little autopsy and was shocked to see she was full of clear fluids!!! I don't find anything else, just water! A quick google search lead me to ascites.
thanks for the heads up about scratch! I feed my hens a commercial layer ration from the local feed lot and the only treats they get is the odd bit of greens like spinach,or romain lettuce or some veggies or fruit like diced apples, or tomatoes.

 

[rebrascora]

Well done for performing a DIY necropsy! I know it isn't an easy thing to do but fascinating if you can get over the emotional aspect of cutting open a pet.

Ascites is often associated with internal laying (which is not the same as egg bound), but I believe there are other causes. Hens will have a swollen/bloated abdomen, as the other poster described and the swelling will often hang below their vent and between their legs sometimes causing the hen to soil herself, usually with watery white poop. They are often noticeably heavy to pick up because of the excess fluid and will often adopt a wide upright stance as the bloating pushes their legs apart. And, as you discovered, it usually impacts on their breathing because the pressure of all that fluid makes it hard for the heart and lungs to function properly.

Good to hear you have not fallen into the habit of giving them (too much) scratch..... it is so easy to do, because they really love the stuff.

PS. If you have any photos of the inside of your bird there are a few of us who take an interest in such things and can sometimes figure out between us a cause of death. I appreciate that you euthanized this bird and found ascites but there will be something that was causing the ascites, as it is itself just a symptom of an underlying medical problem.

 

[cassy]

I did not take any photos rebrascora sorry. And other than finding all that fluid there wasn't anything really remarkable that I could tell anyways. I'm surprised to hear ascites could be an internal laying issue, according to google its a result of heart failure. I also read on the net somewhere earlier today that it could be from too high levels of sodium in their diet. This could be a possibility as I water my chickens from our well. We filter the water for us humans, so maybe I should have our well water tested?

 

[calichicken]

I did not take any photos rebrascora sorry. And other than finding all that fluid there wasn't anything really remarkable that I could tell anyways. I'm surprised to hear ascites could be an internal laying issue, according to google its a result of heart failure. I also read on the net somewhere earlier today that it could be from too high levels of sodium in their diet. This could be a possibility as I water my chickens from our well. We filter the water for us humans, so maybe I should have our well water tested?

I would definately have it tested if more than one of your hens are showing symptoms. My girl also had this issue and we had the fluid drained a few times which helped. But ultimately she passed away as it was caused by a tumor

 

[cassy]

I just came across some info on dummies.com under chicken health. It says"Gently feel the bird’s abdomen; the chicken shouldn’t mind you doing so, unless she is in pain. A hen who is laying eggs has a wide, moist vent and a soft, doughy, enlarged abdomen."
Is this correct? Are my girls' little pooches okay as noted in the quote or is it ascites developing?