Hen looking unwell and getting picked on

[Eggcessive]

Is she pooping? Does her enlarged lower belly feel firm or like it has fluid inside? If she is pooping normally, I would probably stop the calcium. If she is not pooping normal amounts, you could give one more tablet. Note the color of the white urates in her dropping, if they appear yellow or white. Water belly or ascites may cause yellow urates.

 

[TessaMann]

Is she pooping? Does her enlarged lower belly feel firm or like it has fluid inside? If she is pooping normally, I would probably stop the calcium. If she is not pooping normal amounts, you could give one more tablet. Note the color of the white urates in her dropping, if they appear yellow or white. Water belly or ascites may cause yellow urates.

She is pooping quite a bit, her lower belly feels very soft like fluid. The white urates in her droppings look quite normal! But the droppings are all getting caked into her feathers below her vent. Could this be vent gleet?

 

[Eggcessive]

Vent gleet is usually caused by a fungal/yeast overgrowth in the intestines. It causes a foul odor, a continuous discharge that can cause bare raw skin around the vent area. Your hen may just have a messy bottom, since with an enlarged belly, the droppings may not clear the area, and get stuck. She may need the area washed often, and you can also trim any excess feathers that get in the way.

 

[TessaMann]

Vent gleet is usually caused by a fungal/yeast overgrowth in the intestines. It causes a foul odor, a continuous discharge that can cause bare raw skin around the vent area. Your hen may just have a messy bottom, since with an enlarged belly, the droppings may not clear the area, and get stuck. She may need the area washed often, and you can also trim any excess feathers that get in the way.

Ok makes sense! So with her soft enlarged abdomen, do you think this needs to be drained? Or another treatment?

 

[Eggcessive]

Ascites is caused by heart failure, liver disease, and can be related to egg yolk peritonitis or cancer. Draining can be done, and it may give temporary relief from labored breathing or pain/pressure. But it won’t cure the main problem, and can lead to infection or death. I have had a few hens with suspected ascites, and I chose not to drain. The one I did drain, my favorite 11 year old bantam, was because she couldn’t breathe well, and it helped for for a few days. The fluid came back in a few days, and once again after the second time becoming thicker, and she died within a couple of weeks from the first draining. If you do drain her disinfect the site, and use an 18 gauge hypodermic needle from your feed store. You can pull the fluid out with a 35 ml syringe or let it drain from the needle into a cup.