Hen with Swollen Abdomen

[LooooongGame]

Hey there -- I have a hen with the same exact problem!

She is an older RIR, I think she's 5 this year. Her abdomen is swollen, but not hot, looks uncomfortable, but she's acting normal, and she is not egg-bound in any way.

She's been this way a while . . . but because she is happy and laying, we're just watching her closely. If anyone figures out what this is, I'd be thrilled to know for sure!

 

[casportpony]

Hey there -- I have a hen with the same exact problem!

She is an older RIR, I think she's 5 this year. Her abdomen is swollen, but not hot, looks uncomfortable, but she's acting normal, and she is not egg-bound in any way.

She's been this way a while . . . but because she is happy and laying, we're just watching her closely. If anyone figures out what this is, I'd be thrilled to know for sure!

Welcome to BYC!

If it feels like water, it's probably ascites.

-Kathy

 

[DraigAthar]

As I've mentioned already, Magrat's problem was not ascites. When she died, I did a rudimentary necropsy and she was riddled with tumors. Her abdomen always felt firm, never squishy, and we were never able to aspirate any fluid. She was never egg bound, and laid eggs right up until a few weeks before she died. There are several other threads here on BYC that talk about hens with ascites, so you might find those more helpful. But it's not what my hen had.

 

[casportpony]

*Many* things can cause swollen bellies. If they're firm, as your hen was, it's probably not ascites.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

@LooooongGame , might be a good idea to start your own thread, you'll probably get more help that way.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/threads/add/forumId/10

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

FYI, livers can get so enlarged that they will fill that area of the belly... Seen two like that in a year. Slice them open and the liver pops out.

-Kathy