My hen, Dora, is a 4 year old Road Island Red. Towards the end of last year, maybe October/November-ish I found her in the nest box when I went to lock them up for the night. Her abdomen felt noticeably enlarged; not huge, but I could cusp my whole hand around it. It felt squishy, like fluid. My other chickens didn't feel that big. I thought that she was egg bound, even though she wasn't showing any signs of distress. I don't think she was laying at that time as it was winter, but I knew chickens will occasionally lay in the winter so I figured it was a possibility. When soaking her for egg binding, I remember noticing her abdomen seemed pretty red. Anyway, long story short, she was not egg bound. I didn't know what was wrong with her. She hadn't been in the nest box after that, and seemed completely normal. So, I left her be.
I checked her abdomen occasionally and it didn't change in size, until towards the beginning of this year. I felt her abdomen and it felt normal or mostly normal. Still no signs of what it was.
A few weeks ago I checked her abdomen again and it was enlarged once more, the same size and squishiness as it was before. Still no symptoms of anything. She is laying eggs now though, at least every other day. A few days ago she was in the nest box again, much like the first time, but I knew it wasn't egg binding this time since she had laid that day.
Last summer, before her enlarged abdomen, she did get fly strike a little below her vent. It was not severe at all; I caught it very early and treated it. The wound was so mild that by the end of the week I let her with the rest of the flock.
Additional info:
Note: I don't have any pictures. I'm not sure that I can get any meaningful pictures of her abdomen since it's not like her abdomen is gigantic. Looking at her you couldn't tell anything is abnormal. Just a heads up if you really want pictures. I can try, but they may not be helpful.
I checked her abdomen occasionally and it didn't change in size, until towards the beginning of this year. I felt her abdomen and it felt normal or mostly normal. Still no signs of what it was.
A few weeks ago I checked her abdomen again and it was enlarged once more, the same size and squishiness as it was before. Still no symptoms of anything. She is laying eggs now though, at least every other day. A few days ago she was in the nest box again, much like the first time, but I knew it wasn't egg binding this time since she had laid that day.
Last summer, before her enlarged abdomen, she did get fly strike a little below her vent. It was not severe at all; I caught it very early and treated it. The wound was so mild that by the end of the week I let her with the rest of the flock.
Additional info:
- I can easily feel her keel bone, so her weight seems to be normal.
- Her poop seems to be normal. Her butt is a bit poopy though, but nothing super bad I don't think. Last summer the build-up was worse, which helped lead to her getting fly strike. I figured, even before her abdomen, that she's just the type of chicken to always have poopy butts, but maybe it's actually related?
- After she got flystrike, I switched to sand for the bedding.
Note: I don't have any pictures. I'm not sure that I can get any meaningful pictures of her abdomen since it's not like her abdomen is gigantic. Looking at her you couldn't tell anything is abnormal. Just a heads up if you really want pictures. I can try, but they may not be helpful.
