Inflated chicken

[ArizonaNessa]

I have a little chicken. Nevermind how I got the chicken but I have it. Its a few weeks old and it was given to me to cull. I had meds so I wanted to try to save it. It's eating great, drinking great, pooping great, crop is great. One side of its body is inflated with air just under the skin. I tried to let the air out with a straight pin but I don't think the hole is big enough. The air is under the skin. The body itself is fine. I tried to take pics but air is hard to photograph...sorry. Imagine if you had a blister on your finger but instead of being full of water it was full of air and covered one whole side of your body. The little guy is walking and perching and doing everything fine but this bubble what can I do?

A little history....the bird was cramped up inside a battery cage being trampled by other birds and they thought it was going to die so they wanted me to do away with it. As peeved as this person made me with the conditions I just bit my tongue and took the bird and its living in my kitchen in a rabbit cage...alone....its sad.

I really think the bird can make it but this air bubble has me concerned. I have been raising chickens for a good number of years and have never encountered this. If you know what to do please help...thanks.

 

[atimme]

Wow, I've never seen that before... sounds like it could be a giant infection that spread on the side of it's body, but if he is acting normal who knows! Poop looks good? Have you tried lancing it rather than using a needle? A surgical scalpel would work, just be sure to really disinfect everything twice and to keep Neosporin on the incision site. I wonder what's inside?

could be full of puss...

Anyone else venture a guess?

 

[ArizonaNessa]

It's air inside. I can see through the skin. No liquid...just air and I don't want the air to be causing issues with organs and stuff. Its not tight just inflated like a balloon with a pin hole. loose like.

 

[TyrannosaurusChix]

i had a little chicken who.. had a huge spot of air under its neck and head.. i tried to take it out with a syring but i couldnt get the air out. I tried to search and search.. nothing else was sick about this chick, i found that it can be a sign of trauma. I left it alone. the things head air sac is about gone!! it took a while but it was fine, i never separated it from my other chickens but i kept an eye on it.