BC is not well...

[Blodwyn0419]

So I am at a bit of a loss about my chook, BC. I would take her to a vet, but in my experience all the vets around here just shrug their shoulders because they are not that experienced in birds, so it is waste of money and time unless I have an idea of what I am dealing with. Then they run the necessary tests, confirm it and give me what I need to fix them up...

For a little while she has had reddening on her back end. It started just behind the legs and ended about 5cm before her vent. She had some feathers missing in that area too. It wasn't too bad. It was around molting time and also they had just relocated from my mother's pen to my place. Mum had had rain for literally months non-stop and they were miserable. I put it down to either pecking at it while molting, the stress of the move, or being so miserable in the rain for so long that it all caught up with her. (At this point I only had 2 chooks. The other chicken, Elsie, has a sore leg and is much older than BC. She keeps to herself and wouldn't peck her at all.)

She stopped laying for a while about a month ago and then started again. All was normal. Then she spent a week laying fairy eggs. I didn't think much of this as she is 5 or 6 years old and probably starting to slow in her egg production cycle.

Last week she started waiting in the mornings for me to lift her out of the hen house instead of using the ramp. I noted she was feeling a lot heavier than normal and turned her to check. She had become quite red, more balding, her vent swollen and she had poo stuck to her bum. I did some research and put it down to possibly 3 things...

Vent gleet.
Egg bound.
Parasites/worms.

Well 1 week on and I can rule out egg bound as it would definitely have gone septic by now and the worst would have happened. I also have been checking and feel no egg present.

There are no lice or mites present, I am well experienced with picking that up as mum had bush turkeys and they just drop the darn things everywhere and create an absolute infestation!

I have treated them all for parasites/worms.

There is no discharge from the vent or smell, but I have been treating her for vent gleet anyway. She likes the warm epsom salt baths and it seems to help, but it isn't improving. She is the only chook with the issue. Everyone else is fine.

Her comb is healthy and she is not off her feed or water and she makes her way around the pen and enjoys her dust baths. She isn't as active as usual but she isn't just sitting around either. She would usually run for her afternoon feed, but now she is like a pregnant lady wobbling along at the end of a very long day, the extra weight is tiring her out.

Many moons ago I did have a chicken who developed a tumor in her bum. This is reminding me a little of that, but there was no swelling of the vent, feather loss or redness in her case. Just a huge buldge similar to what is seen in the last photo.

Any ideas? The photos are her after her soak today.

 

[Paz]

I don’t know what that is, and i
I’m not an expert, but I would suggest trying to change her diet.
Did she have this condition before she moved in with you?

 

[Shezadandy]

So I am at a bit of a loss about my chook, BC. I would take her to a vet, but in my experience all the vets around here just shrug their shoulders because they are not that experienced in birds, so it is waste of money and time unless I have an idea of what I am dealing with. Then they run the necessary tests, confirm it and give me what I need to fix them up...

For a little while she has had reddening on her back end. It started just behind the legs and ended about 5cm before her vent. She had some feathers missing in that area too. It wasn't too bad. It was around molting time and also they had just relocated from my mother's pen to my place. Mum had had rain for literally months non-stop and they were miserable. I put it down to either pecking at it while molting, the stress of the move, or being so miserable in the rain for so long that it all caught up with her. (At this point I only had 2 chooks. The other chicken, Elsie, has a sore leg and is much older than BC. She keeps to herself and wouldn't peck her at all.)

She stopped laying for a while about a month ago and then started again. All was normal. Then she spent a week laying fairy eggs. I didn't think much of this as she is 5 or 6 years old and probably starting to slow in her egg production cycle.

Last week she started waiting in the mornings for me to lift her out of the hen house instead of using the ramp. I noted she was feeling a lot heavier than normal and turned her to check. She had become quite red, more balding, her vent swollen and she had poo stuck to her bum. I did some research and put it down to possibly 3 things...

Vent gleet.
Egg bound.
Parasites/worms.

Well 1 week on and I can rule out egg bound as it would definitely have gone septic by now and the worst would have happened. I also have been checking and feel no egg present.

There are no lice or mites present, I am well experienced with picking that up as mum had bush turkeys and they just drop the darn things everywhere and create an absolute infestation!

I have treated them all for parasites/worms.

There is no discharge from the vent or smell, but I have been treating her for vent gleet anyway. She likes the warm epsom salt baths and it seems to help, but it isn't improving. She is the only chook with the issue. Everyone else is fine.

Her comb is healthy and she is not off her feed or water and she makes her way around the pen and enjoys her dust baths. She isn't as active as usual but she isn't just sitting around either. She would usually run for her afternoon feed, but now she is like a pregnant lady wobbling along at the end of a very long day, the extra weight is tiring her out.

Many moons ago I did have a chicken who developed a tumor in her bum. This is reminding me a little of that, but there was no swelling of the vent, feather loss or redness in her case. Just a huge buldge similar to what is seen in the last photo.

Any ideas? The photos are her after her soak today.

All exposed chicken skin WILL turn red when they are out in the sun.

The extra weight, and judging from the picture and your list of symptoms - she's probably got waterbelly, aka ascities. Ascities itself is not a diagnosis, it is a symptom of one of a couple things. Either she's laying internally and is on some stage of egg yolk peritonitis - or she may be experiencing some variety of organ failure. Neither of those things is curable.

BUT you can manage the actual fluid accumulation and therefore her comfort level.

What you need to drain the fluid is a 1" long, 14 or 16 gauge needle. In a pinch, a 1.5" long needle is OK, but the 1" long is easier. The smaller the number, the wider the needle- you want the fluid to drain- an 18/20 is just too narrow IMHO. Usually they sell these needles in the aisle where they keep vaccines for cattle (or just ask where they are).
It is super simple to do- here is a video link that gave me the courage the first time.

I do them now with the needle ONLY. I do not bother with the syringe (like they do at the beginning- you'll notice towards the end they stop with the syringe and the fluid just comes out with the needle) anymore. 1. I don't usually have help when I do this, 2. I like the fluid to drain at a slow and steady pace, as opposed to drawing it out quickly with the syringe. It's like popping a balloon except of course the hen doesn't pop. You may notice the flow varies with her breathing - that's because when she fills up her lungs with air, it pushes more fluid out, exhales, the fluid doesn't go as fast, so it might look like it spurts, that's why.

If it is ascities, the thing to know is the fluid will take up more and more of her abdominal cavity which makes breathing harder, moving harder, and eventually she will be quite ill. Draining her is not a cure, it is managing a symptom. So, while there are risks in draining, to me they are easily outweighed.

If nothing comes out- (video shows you where/how) it may be because the fluid is too thick - a nasty pus filled infection as opposed to only fluid. If that's what's going on, you may not be able to drain it, but to have a chance of getting thick stuff out (I've done it) - THEN you will need a syringe, either 35ml or 60ml.

 

[Blodwyn0419]

All exposed chicken skin WILL turn red when they are out in the sun.

The extra weight, and judging from the picture and your list of symptoms - she's probably got waterbelly, aka ascities. Ascities itself is not a diagnosis, it is a symptom of one of a couple things. Either she's laying internally and is on some stage of egg yolk peritonitis - or she may be experiencing some variety of organ failure. Neither of those things is curable.

BUT you can manage the actual fluid accumulation and therefore her comfort level.

What you need to drain the fluid is a 1" long, 14 or 16 gauge needle. In a pinch, a 1.5" long needle is OK, but the 1" long is easier. The smaller the number, the wider the needle- you want the fluid to drain- an 18/20 is just too narrow IMHO. Usually they sell these needles in the aisle where they keep vaccines for cattle (or just ask where they are).
It is super simple to do- here is a video link that gave me the courage the first time.

I do them now with the needle ONLY. I do not bother with the syringe (like they do at the beginning- you'll notice towards the end they stop with the syringe and the fluid just comes out with the needle) anymore. 1. I don't usually have help when I do this, 2. I like the fluid to drain at a slow and steady pace, as opposed to drawing it out quickly with the syringe. It's like popping a balloon except of course the hen doesn't pop. You may notice the flow varies with her breathing - that's because when she fills up her lungs with air, it pushes more fluid out, exhales, the fluid doesn't go as fast, so it might look like it spurts, that's why.

If it is ascities, the thing to know is the fluid will take up more and more of her abdominal cavity which makes breathing harder, moving harder, and eventually she will be quite ill. Draining her is not a cure, it is managing a symptom. So, while there are risks in draining, to me they are easily outweighed.

If nothing comes out- (video shows you where/how) it may be because the fluid is too thick - a nasty pus filled infection as opposed to only fluid. If that's what's going on, you may not be able to drain it, but to have a chance of getting thick stuff out (I've done it) - THEN you will need a syringe, either 35ml or 60ml.

Sorry for the late reply, things went hectic on my end. The latest was dealing with a leak behind the wall in my laundry. Fun times!

It took me a few days to get to the shop to get a needle. I watched video after video and was all ready to do it. When I went to go get her, I picked her up and she was lighter. Literally happened overnight. The buldge has gone. The feathers are growing back and she still has some redness but as the feathers are returning it is dissipating. Absolutely the strangest thing. I have no idea what caused it or what fixed it. But she is fine now and almost back to her old self.

Thank you for your repsonse. I learned something and will be able to identify it should it happen in the future! Appreciate it a lot.

 

[Paz]

Sorry for the late reply, things went hectic on my end. The latest was dealing with a leak behind the wall in my laundry. Fun times!

It took me a few days to get to the shop to get a needle. I watched video after video and was all ready to do it. When I went to go get her, I picked her up and she was lighter. Literally happened overnight. The buldge has gone. The feathers are growing back and she still has some redness but as the feathers are returning it is dissipating. Absolutely the strangest thing. I have no idea what caused it or what fixed it. But she is fine now and almost back to her old self.

Thank you for your repsonse. I learned something and will be able to identify it should it happen in the future! Appreciate it a lot.

Could be she got stung by something and the entire thing just drained out of the sting mark?

 

[Blodwyn0419]

Could be she got stung by something and the entire thing just drained out of the sting mark?

Not impossible, but not really likely either. She is doing well and laying eggs daily again. Feathers are back, normal weight and no signs of the lump returning. Not going to complain, that's for sure!