Egg Bound or Waterbelly

[Vee_Bri]

Hello! I have a hen who has been walking funny today and slightly lethargic. She was eating and drinking earlier in the day though. I thought she was eggbound by the penguin walk and have given her 2 Epsom salt baths. She is breathing heavy and her vent is consistently pulsating. Her belly also seems full though. After both Epsom salt baths, she has pooped a little. How do I know if it’s egg bound or water belly?!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Is she pooping?

Can you feel an egg inside the vent?

Soaking may be helpful unless she's really stressed. I'd start with giving extra Calcium for a week.
You can find Calcium Citrate with D3 in the vitamin aisle of stores like Walmart, CVS, etc. Give 1 tablet daily, just pull down on her wattles, pop the tablet into the beak and let her swallow.


Here's a good article that you may find useful.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-from-vent-prolapse-oh-my-what-to-do.76124/

 

[Vee_Bri]

Welcome To BYC

Is she pooping?

Can you feel an egg inside the vent?

Soaking may be helpful unless she's really stressed. I'd start with giving extra Calcium for a week.
You can find Calcium Citrate with D3 in the vitamin aisle of stores like Walmart, CVS, etc. Give 1 tablet daily, just pull down on her wattles, pop the tablet into the beak and let her swallow.


Here's a good article that you may find useful.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-from-vent-prolapse-oh-my-what-to-do.76124/

Hi! Thank you so much!

She’s pooped 3x, 2 of those times after a bath. All very watery but she also hasn’t eaten much since yesterday. I’ve attached a picture. I believe the green to be grass, kale or something she ate as she’s always free ranging and gets lots of kitchen veggie scraps.

I can’t feel an egg. Her belly is more squishy and not hard. I felt my other chickens bellies and the hen in questions belly is definitely distended and bloated. Her vent is constantly pulsating and she keeps finding spots in the yard to lay down. She has drank some water today and nibbles on a blueberry.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

That doesnt look like shes egg bound. Could be some kind of infection? I just checked and it could be egg yolk peritonitis. It causes them to have a swollen abdomen or vent. Have u noticed that?

 

[Vee_Bri]

That doesnt look like shes egg bound. Could be some kind of infection? I just checked and it could be egg yolk peritonitis. It causes them to have a swollen abdomen or vent. Have u noticed that?

Her vent looks normal. The green in her poop is definitely grass or kale which she ate yesterday and the day before. Water belly? I went and bought an 18g needle and 60ml syringe to try and release the fluid if that’s what it is.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She’s pooped 3x, 2 of those times after a bath. All very watery but she also hasn’t eaten much since yesterday. I’ve attached a picture. I believe the green to be grass, kale or something she ate as she’s always free ranging and gets lots of kitchen veggie scraps.

I can’t feel an egg. Her belly is more squishy and not hard. I felt my other chickens bellies and the hen in questions belly is definitely distended and bloated.

Looks like some blood in the poop along with bile (green) and urates.
It's a sick poop.

Do you have any antibiotics on hand?

Has she been dewormed?

Very likely she has a reproductive disorder, whether it's Cancer, EYP, Salpingitis, etc. it would be hard to know unless you lose her and take a look at the internals or have a necropsy performed through your State Lab.

If you feel that she has fluid in the abdomen, a symptom called Ascites, then sometimes draining can make a hen more comfortable for a period of time. There's risk in draining, so you want to read up on that and be sure that's what you wish to do.