Help: my chicke bum is huge.

[Pixiedust13]

Not sure if this is a abscess or ? I picked here up cause she had dry poop all down her bottom so I thought give her a bath , and then noticed she had a baseball size ball of water on bum ,and it is quite warm , a few sm white areas

 

[Eggcessive]

Does the belly feel soft or firm? Do you know if she is layings eggs at this time? Many conditions can cause an enlarged lower abdomen, such as ascites (fluid in the belly,) internal laying, salpingitis, egg yolk peritonitis, and hernia.

How is she acting otherwise, such as is she eating and drinking normally, getting around, or is she lethargic or separating herself from the flock. I would keep her vent area clean if she gets any more poop stuck. Here is a similar thread to read through:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/advice-needed.1241382/

 

[Pixiedust13]

Thank you for replying, her belly is soft , she is keeping away from the gang , she’s not drinking , but she is eating a little today . Not laying . She warm her temp is 41.64 c , she is lethargic .

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you try and coax her to drink some water with electrolytes and vitamins? Are you in the US? Most feed stores sell electrolytes for chickens and other animals. Give her some cooked egg, and add water to a small bowl of chicken feed to make it mushy. Most chickens will eat that.

She sounds like she has ascites or water belly. We see it in hens with egg yolk peritonitis, but it also can occur with heart or liver failure. If she refuses food and water, and seems to be suffering, it might be best to put her down. Some use antibiotics or try to remove fluid from the lower belly to relieve pain and pressure. Here is some reading:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

 

[rebrascora]

This video is the best I have seen so far on draining a chicken. The lady explains it all really well and has a lovely compassionate but firm approach.

Unfortunately as she explains, draining your hen will only give temporary relief for a few weeks but you should notice an almost immediate benefit if that is fluid, which I'm reasonably confident it is. If you don't feel able to do it yourself a vet can do it or you can euthanize her but that is very large and there is a possibility that she will rupture if you don't do something sooner rather than later. If she ruptures she will almost certainly die and it will be a slow painful death.
I'm sorry that we are painting a rather desperate picture of her situation, but these issues are sadly quite common and almost always fatal.

 

[Pixiedust13]

This video is the best I have seen so far on draining a chicken. The lady explains it all really well and has a lovely compassionate but firm approach.

Unfortunately as she explains, draining your hen will only give temporary relief for a few weeks but you should notice an almost immediate benefit if that is fluid, which I'm reasonably confident it is. If you don't feel able to do it yourself a vet can do it or you can euthanize her but that is very large and there is a possibility that she will rupture if you don't do something sooner rather than later. If she ruptures she will almost certainly die and it will be a slow painful death.
I'm sorry that we are painting a rather desperate picture of her situation, but these issues are sadly quite common and almost always fatal.

Can you try and coax her to drink some water with electrolytes and vitamins? Are you in the US? Most feed stores sell electrolytes for chickens and other animals. Give her some cooked egg, and add water to a small bowl of chicken feed to make it mushy. Most chickens will eat that.

She sounds like she has ascites or water belly. We see it in hens with egg yolk peritonitis, but it also can occur with heart or liver failure. If she refuses food and water, and seems to be suffering, it might be best to put her down. Some use antibiotics or try to remove fluid from the lower belly to relieve pain and pressure. Here is some reading:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

I

Can you try and coax her to drink some water with electrolytes and vitamins? Are you in the US? Most feed stores sell electrolytes for chickens and other animals. Give her some cooked egg, and add water to a small bowl of chicken feed to make it mushy. Most chickens will eat that.

She sounds like she has ascites or water belly. We see it in hens with egg yolk peritonitis, but it also can occur with heart or liver failure. If she refuses food and water, and seems to be suffering, it might be best to put her down. Some use antibiotics or try to remove fluid from the lower belly to relieve pain and pressure. Here is some reading:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

Can you try and coax her to drink some water with electrolytes and vitamins? Are you in the US? Most feed stores sell electrolytes for chickens and other animals. Give her some cooked egg, and add water to a small bowl of chicken feed to make it mushy. Most chickens will eat that.

She sounds like she has ascites or water belly. We see it in hens with egg yolk peritonitis, but it also can occur with heart or liver failure. If she refuses food and water, and seems to be suffering, it might be best to put her down. Some use antibiotics or try to remove fluid from the lower belly to relieve pain and pressure. Here is some reading:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

 

[Pixiedust13]

It’s sounds and looks like water belly all I have is a 18 gage needle . I’m in the boonies in Williams Lake BC Canada , our one horse town closes up by six on weekdays and of course is closed on Sunday ? ‍ I’ll make her some eggs and give her some water with electralites by syringe , thanks for the video , I’m by my self . But I’ll give it a try. What be the humane way of putting her down she’s My girl . If I decide to .
Thanks

 

[rebrascora]

Ascites (water belly) can be caused by a number of ailments. The commonest are:-

Internal laying and or Egg Yolk Peritonitis which is where a reproductive malfunction leads to the daily egg yolks released from the ovary, dropping into the abdominal cavity. Over weeks and months the yolks build up and the fluid leaches out of them and they become solid discs that become interspersed with the internal organs and the heavier fluid settled to the lowest part of the abdomen. The peritonitis is where these yolks and fluids have become infected. Eventually the mass of eggs and fluid builds up to the point it puts pressure on the heart and respiratory system and intestines until they fail or the bird ruptures or dies of infection.

Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome where the liver becomes impregnated with fat, often due to a dietary imbalance (too many carbs like scratch/corn etc.) and the structure of it becomes weak and starts to haemorrhage. Sometimes, particularly if the bird is straining to lay an egg, the liver can rupture badly and cause sudden death, but there can be smaller haemorrhages which cause ascites.

There are other possible causes but I am not sure how common they are.

Good luck draining her. I would recommend you watch the video several times before you start. If you have any friends who have a background in medicine or biology, it may be worth asking them to help. A 16 gauge needle would be better if you have one and make sure to insert it just a very short distance into the lowest part of the swelling to avoid catching intestines. Please update us, regardless of the outcome. We will be rooting for you!

 

[HazelandPearl]

Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery and draining.

 

[Pixiedust13]

This video is the best I have seen so far on draining a chicken. The lady explains it all really well and has a lovely compassionate but firm approach.

Unfortunately as she explains, draining your hen will only give temporary relief for a few weeks but you should notice an almost immediate benefit if that is fluid, which I'm reasonably confident it is. If you don't feel able to do it yourself a vet can do it or you can euthanize her but that is very large and there is a possibility that she will rupture if you don't do something sooner rather than later. If she ruptures she will almost certainly die and it will be a slow painful death.
I'm sorry that we are painting a rather desperate picture of her situation, but these issues are sadly quite common and almost always fatal.

Hi I’m wondering if a 1/2 in 16 g is too long or a 1/3 be better , our feed store was out of 14 g ‍