Laying hens with "water belly" or "ascites"?

[chicknmania]

I butchered a hen today that this, is the meat safe to eat?

Good question, since no one seems to know the cause, but if it were my hen, I'd eat her, it I butchered her for that purpose.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I did a few necropsies and found cancer in a couple, internal laying in a few and a massive repro tract infection in another. UC Davis did a necropsy on a young peachick with it and found he had a heart defect.

-Kathy

 

[chicknmania]

Her fluid buildup is not increasing, it's staying the same. She just has a little fluid in her abdomen. Not much. But when I touch her underside, she flinches...it's sensitive.

 

[chicknmania]

WE drained her for the second time this past Saturday but it was very difficult, because it seemed there were pockets of air interspersed with the big pockets of fluid. We took a LOT of fluid out. I am not very optimistic. Pockets of air or gas...not sure why that would be. She's hanging in there right now, and acting fairly normal..but I fear her days are numbered.

I still have her in the tractor during the day, but she's in there with her friend Bluebell, who is recovering from SLMs, so at least the two of them are happy and she has quit acting so anxious to rejoin the flock.

 

[nab58]

The hen that I drained last week began to get picked on by the rooster. It was like he knew she was dying and was trying to kill her.
We have a large non-predator proof free range area surrounded by plastic deer fencing. I saw the sickly hen run right under the fencing while being chased by the rooster yesterday.
Today, I think she must have gotten out of the fencing again and taken by a fox or something. We heard the chickens making a ruckus and she was gone.

 

[chicknmania]

Oh, no, that's so sad! So sorry for your loss. But really, when you think about it, that's a better way to go than slowly dying.

That is why I haven't let Bitsy out yet. She's in the tractor during the day still with Bluebell, our lame hen who's hopefully slowly recovering from a very bad case of SLMs. So they have each other and it seems to help, but the roosters can't get in there. Bitsy wants out very much, and I'm tempted to let her, but I just want to watch her for a while to see how she progresses. I have her on baby aspirin twice a day, just to help with any possible inflammation, I figure it can't hurt and might help. She;s still not looking quite right, lots of urates clinging to her feathers, yesterday. Acts fine, though.

 

[chicknmania]

Bitsy has gotten a little more fluid. this is horrible, because now i'm getting more attached to her, of course. she's quite happy, eating, pooping, running around. I haven't let her out with the flock yet, mainly because Bluebell would be lonely. I was hoping to be able to let them out together....

 

[Shabana]

Hey there,
I have the sweetest little 6 year old sablepoot called Boots.

I,m not sure if its due to ascites or eyp but she was terribly full of fluid so I drained her this morning.
I have been force feeding her and keeping her hydrated for the last 2 days.
When i drained her she leaked 150ml and then went on to soak 3 towels.

I am really hoping she will bounce back but at the moment she is sleeping alot head and tail down. After the fluid has gone she is very thin.
She is warm clean and dry in a cat carrier with a cushion and a blanket. She has no interest in food or water at this point still.

I am in the uk so over here we cant get medication at all without a prescription but i have got soluable tylan which is pretty much all we can get, so thats in her water.
She looks very sad. Its 5-6hours since she was drained. Should i be doing anything else ?

Any advice would be appreciated. I love this little girl.

 

[Shabana]

Just to say its almost 10pm in the UK and for the last hour I popped a heated pad under Boots and she seems to have perked up a tiny bit. Obviously its bedtime for her but she's sat down for the first time in days and her head in not in her neck. I force fed her 3/4 of a scrambled egg. She had some water that I drip on her beak with nutri drops in it.
She's still sleepy but when she wakes she interested in what's going on.

If you read this, please say a little prayer for her to be still with us in the morning.

 

[casportpony]

Sending good thoughts your way.

-Kathy