Jan 16, 2012- Very Sick Chicken- Please Help!

[kayakerchicken]

Sunshine is a 3 yr old New Hampshire Red Hen. She is in my living room with a swollen belly and poor color (in a dog cage). She has been looking not so good for a few days and now she can't jump up and seems to have lost the ability to walk easily. She does not stand up straight on her legs, kind of crouches. She also feels like she has gained weight, kind of bloated. She has had a healthy appetite all along.

I found her in the coop tonight on the floor and brought her in the house.

She has had a problem jumping down from her perch in the AM for a few months but manages to do it eventually. 4 days ago, her feet looked a little swollen, and she looked worse.

The coop has rats getting in, I have been battling them for a while (no poisons though).

I've had the flock of ten (no rooster) in mostly "lock down" from recent bobcat attacks and sightings. They have a big coop, 3 water sources, and an amply sized run. I feed them organic layer pellets, oyster shell, sometimes scratch grains in the evening, green food scraps , occaisonal leftovers, grass.

Please help me figure this out. I'm worried she is dying ....She is our # 1 girl !

 

[Highlander]

Have you felt her belly for a stuck egg? Does it feel squishy like it is full of fluid? When did she last lay?

 

[kayakerchicken]

Yes, belly is squishy and feels way bigger than normal. Not sure of last egg, hard to say....

 

[Highlander]

You may have to drain it. There is some information on this thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/120411/ascites-baloon-belly you may also want to search for internal laying as that is a possibility too if you can't remember when she last laid. Good luck!