I found yellow urates

[NatureGirl74]

Over the last week or 2 I've noticed a few poops with bright yellow urates. Other than the urayes the poop looks fine. I wasn't able to get a picture before they were smashed. I don't know exactly which bird it's coming from. I have a hen that has been having a lot of crop problems and suddenly stopped laying though, so I think it's her. What can cause yellow urates? I know it's not good, but I don't really know anything else about it.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

@Eggcessive.What crop problems did she have?

 

[Eggcessive]

In my experience, yellow urates can indicate bile or liver issues. I have had some hens who were suffering from internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis who has yellow urates. I have a 10 year old hen who has yllow urates right now, but seems to be active and getting around okay. Is there any enlargement or swelling in her lower abdomen?

 

[NatureGirl74]

In my experience, yellow urates can indicate bile or liver issues. I have had some hens who were suffering from internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis who has yellow urates. I have a 10 year old hen who has yllow urates right now, but seems to be active and getting around okay. Is there any enlargement or swelling in her lower abdomen?

Her abdomen feels like everyone else's. She rarely lays eggs though. She used to lay everyday. Her eggs also usually have a thin shell now and are sometimes shaped weird. She lays an egg every 2 weeks now. She still acts fine. The urates started light yellow and are now neon yellow. I don't find them everyday though.

 

[Eggcessive]

Well, reproductive disorders leading to liver issues, fatty liver disease, and cancer are some of the things that may cause them. It is just a sign, and most times we don’t know the cause until death when we can do a home necropsy to look at the organs. All of those are very common in hens over 2-3 years.

 

[NatureGirl74]

Ok. She's 2 years old. She's a golden comet.

 

[PopoMyers]

This is Gamma, also a Golden Comet. Lost her flockmate sister this past summer due to reproductive problem. I think after reading this I believe she will be gone soon. She is a few months over 2 years old. Stays alone, lethargic, tail down, not eating or drinking much. She didn't come off the roost until this afternoon..She drank and ate a little. Seems swollen. It's a trade off in these production layers. Their poor bodies just get worn out.

 

[henfriend1998]

In my experience, yellow urates can indicate bile or liver issues. I have had some hens who were suffering from internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis who has yellow urates. I have a 10 year old hen who has yllow urates right now, but seems to be active and getting around okay. Is there any enlargement or swelling in her lower abdomen?

I have a hen who has some swelling in her abdomen (vet took an X-Ray and says it’s gas and not fluid, he’s ruling out water belly), her appetite has decreased, and her droppings have more urates and they’ve gotten a yellow tinge to them. What could this mean? More info in my most recent thread!

 

[Eggcessive]

Are you treating her with any vitamins that might be causing the yellow urates. Usually yellow urates in the droppings can be a sign of liver problems and water belly. A swollen lower abdomen can be from water belly, salpingitis and egg masses, or cancer. Did you get a copy if the xray that you can post here? I am not a vet, nor qualified to read an xray. But it might be good to see it. If your hen has water belly, you can try to drain her with an 18 gauge needle and syringe. First disinfect the skin. If there is yellow fluid, then that would confirm water belly. If the fluid is clear and not yellow, that would be another condition.